How to Add Some Rays to Your Days

Brace yourself. Winter is coming, and before you even know it, your day will be consumed by darkness. The sun is absent when you wake up, nowhere to be found during your time in the windowless bunker we call the main building, and is MIA by the time you come back to your room for check. Winter at IMSA can be a cold, dark place.

And by no means is this remotely good for you, physically or mentally. It has been found that decreased sun exposure can lead to a drop in serotonin levels and can even contribute to the development of Seasonal Affective Disorder.

So, here are three ways you can add a couple more rays into your life:

1) Open your blinds.

I know. I know. This one seems so obvious. However, countless times in the midst of the school year, I wake up too late, and my only goal is to get to class on time. Opening the blinds in the morning is the least of my worries. But taking the extra 30 seconds to do so means that if you come back to your room right after school, you aren’t greeted by darkness.

2) Work in IN2

Windows! Windows! Windows! Find all the windows you can in the main building and appreciate their presence. I know the feeling of grinding in the loft, and working in the IRC is irreplaceable, but IN2 has a unique vibe of its own. In your free mods, try working in there, bopping along to the tunes they play and soaking in the sunlight.

3) Visit offices with sunlight

Teachers that have offices with windows love them. Kill two birds with one stone by not only adding a little sunlight to your day but also by getting to know a teacher a little better. Don’t be afraid to talk to teachers you don’t have for class. Visit Dr. Madon’s office in A-wing and talk to her about Shakespeare, or stop by the new biology offices by the TV Pit. I promise that you won’t regret it.

Winter is bound to bring less sunlight but, if you actively seek to add some extra light to your life by doing these three things, then it can seem a lot less dreary.