Great Minds: Vitamin D from sun could ease post-lockdown blues

Herald columnist and Radio Hauraki breakfast host Matt Heath has taken on a new role as Happiness Editor for our Great Minds mental-health project. He shares his own insights and speaks to experts.

I've heard the sentiment, "Things are a bit grim at the moment, aren't they", a lot around Auckland this year. There is a tangible malaise hanging over the city. A workmate described it as feeling "meh" all the time. When pushed, a family member described it as pervasive boredom, a growing vibe of nothingness and a gentle sense of impending doom.

A friend called it an odd mix of Fomo (the fear of missing out) and not wanting to do anything anyway. I have no data on what is causing this mild melancholia or whether it statistically exists. If it does, it seems likely the cause is some combination of post-lockdown blues, economic worries, relentlessly grim news, and stink weather.

A Roy Morgan Government Confidence Rating Poll released on August 2 found that 51 per cent of New Zealanders feel the country is going in the wrong direction. But that's not really what I am talking about. We need to poll 1000 Aucklanders and ask if they feel a bit "blah".

"Here comes the sun, doo-doo-doo-doo. Here comes the sun, and I say, It's all right" - George Harrison.

Then, last Sunday, it happened. The clouds parted as they do in songs, and suddenly, everything seemed slightly okay again. Auckland brightened up both meteorologically and metaphysically. On Monday morning, people were buzzing at work in a way they haven't in months. The callers to my radio show oozed chipperness, as did my Uber driver and dairy owner. I might be projecting my improved mood here, but I believe that one day of sun made a dent in the "meh-ness". It cleared the "blah" for a bit.

Inflation is bad, but inflation under a grey sky is worse. Daily stories of ram raids, war, polarised politics, property prices, and national educational failure feel a little further away with sunglasses on your face. These problems remain real, but taking a break from them is easier on a beautiful day.

"To all my little Hulkamaniacs, say your prayers, take your vitamins, and you will never go wrong" - Hulk Hogan

When sunlight hits your skin, it manufactures vitamin D. Studies claim a deficiency of D can lead to fatigue, mood swings, feelings of hopelessness, sadness, anxiety and trouble sleeping.

Then there's Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a depression that comes and goes with the seasons. A lack of sunlight stops a part of the brain called the hypothalamus from working properly.

Pandemic, war, crime and politics getting you down? Let the sun shine in. Photo / Brett Phibbs

You get less serotonin, a hormone that affects your mood and too much melatonin, which makes you sleepy.

A great way to get Vitamin D is sunlight. It seems that just being outside on a sunny day makes us feel better about life. I know my dog Colin loves it. If there is sun streaming in a window, he is straight under it and fast asleep happy as can be. I have been channelling that furry little guy all week.

"If you are distressed by anything external, the pain is not due to the thing itself, but to your estimate of it; and this you have the power to revoke at any moment." - Marcus Aurelius.

I am a big fan of the stoic principle of owning your perceptions. We can all choose how we feel about things.

It is, however, a lot easier to control the quality of your thoughts when you have a butt load of serotonin in your pipes.

There are many reasons in this world to fret, but it's important to remember that when you are feeling down or overwhelmed, a lack of sunshine might be part of the problem.

While it's harder to bathe in rays on dark rainy winter days - it's not impossible.

There's some sun up there, no matter the weather. A little bit of light will always get through the clouds. That's why it's never completely dark during the day.

So whatever the conditions, it's worth going out under the sky. Luckily we are waterproof. Humans can go out in the rain. Clothes dry, and H2O rolls right off our skin.

You may get less sun on a rainy day, but you get some, and that might just be enough to clear away a little bit of the sadness.

"Sun's out guns out" - Channing Tatum's Tank Top, 2014

A few sunny days won’t rid our country of all the problems we are currently facing. But they might knock us out of this malaise. Luckily there’ll be well over a hundred stunners over the next seven months. There always are. I plan to get out and about in as many of those as I can.