The Effects of Infrared Saunas on Seasonal Moods and Depressions

Do you suffer from seasonal mood changes and depressions? If you do, then this article is just for you. There is nothing wrong with you. When you do not expose yourself to light and sun in the winter, it has a tremendous impact on your physiology, mood, and your overall mental health. There are many techniques that can help you deal with seasonal affective disorder (SAD) better. One of them is cold therapy, the others are thermotherapy and phototherapy. If we combine the second and third one, we get a very effective and pleasant way to optimise our mental health. This way is the infrared sauna which produces heat through light. (1)

It is cold outside, no sunshine, and the pandemic to boot. No wonder that many people are dropping like flies in this period. The symptoms of seasonal depression range from feelings of sadness and low energy to tiredness, and loss of interest and joy. One can feel without motivation. The severity and signs of the state differ in each individual.

For us women, our monthly hormonal cycle itself is quite challenging, in some cases paired with a specific phase of our life cycle, such as pregnancy, breastfeeding, or menopause. Although optimising your cycles is important, it is not enough. You should also take natural cycles into account and realise that perhaps you feel better in the summer or the other way around. It is important to perceive the cyclicity of nature and prepare yourself. One of the great hacks in terms of prevention and optimisation of moods is regular sauna bathing. In this article I focus solely on infrared saunas where heat is produced by light, not air and water.

This form of sauna promotes the production of “happy hormones”, such as dopamine, endorphin, serotonin, and oxytocin. (2)

Addicted to light 

Anyone who regularly practises phototherapy (or light therapy) - be it infrared sauna or red light therapy using light panels - falls in love and sticks to it. This should come as no surprise since we feel the results immediately, and it is one of the best investments we can do to benefit our health and wellbeing.

With the decrease in the intensity of sunlight in winter, the production of serotonin in the brain also decreases. Serotonin regulates feelings of anxiety, happiness, and our mood in general. It plays an essential role in people in leading positions who, according to scientific studies, have a higher level of serotonin than other people. Most of this hormone is produced in the intestine. (3)

Infrared rays are natural for our body and, unlike sunlight, do not contain UV radiation. Your retina catches the light of these rays making you feel like you have spent the entire day outdoors in the sun. This process causes the production of the aforementioned happy hormones (endorphin, serotonin, oxytocin, dopamine).

However, the optimisation of our mood and feeling of happiness is not the only benefit of light therapy in the form of infrared sauna - it also promotes regeneration, immunity and helps the body with joint pain and other ailments. (4) (5) It also reaches the deep layers of our skin helping to rid the body of toxins and pollutants which may accumulate and cause tiredness and other undesired effects. Ladies might also find its overall effect on our skin interesting. The skin changes in winter, and infrared sauna helps it maintain its youthful appearance. It also boosts collagen production and supports elasticity of the skin. (6)

Chemicals that affect our leadership

These happy hormones whose production decreases during the winter (as a consequence of insufficient daylight) do not affect only our physical and mental health, but also our ability to lead others.

Serotonin - this hormone is key for leaders. People with higher serotonin levels naturally make other people feel proud and esteemed. We sense that with such a person in the lead, we can relax and be safe.

Endorphin - this hormone promotes feelings of happiness and contentment. It is generally easier to see positive people as leaders. Imagine a leader who is constantly negative - they would probably not inspire you much. Even though a good mood is not all it takes, it does have its importance.

Dopamine - this hormone is produced when we carry out some task successfully, achieve a goal, or win, for example. It also contributes to our motivation to make progress. However, if a leader has an excess of dopamine, it can result in addictions.

Oxytocin - this hormone provokes feelings of loyalty and trust. Qualities like trust, authenticity, and transparency are essential for a leader.

Infrared sauna supports the production of all these four hormones. During the winter season, We should think about taking care not only of ourselves, but also of the chemicals in our body.

Conclusion

There are many ways of adapting your home environment so that it helps you maintain your mental health. It might be a good idea to invest not only in new electrodomestics, but in your own personal infrared sauna, ideally one with low EMF (electric and magnetic field). Or, you can visit public infrared saunas from time to time, or just buy one and share it with your neighbours. There are many options, depending on your preferences and priorities. In any case, it is great that everything has a solution.

Bibliography:

1. https://jamanetwork.com/journals/jamapsychiatry/fullarticle/2521478
2. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/17405694/
3. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC5505738/
4. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16088266/
5. https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/16120414/
6. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2687728/
7. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3149480/