This "Happy Light" Helps Keep My Seasonal Affective Disorder in Check All Winter

My Verilux HappyLight — or any other light-therapy lamp, for that matter — mimics real sunlight by emitting bright natural light (minus those harmful UV rays, of course). It essentially tricks your brain into thinking you're soaking in a healthy dose of sunlight on those dreary Winter days when you're likely cooped up inside. Although I intended only to use my happy light during the Winter, it became such a staple of my a.m. routine that I now use it all year round.

You're never supposed to look directly into one of these lamps. Rather, simply have your eyes open while engaging in other activities with the lamp nearby. For example, mine is situated on my desk, so I use it every morning while putting on makeup and getting ready for work. And no, you don't need to cover your entire home in tinfoil in order for your happy light to work properly, like the show Broad City jokingly suggests.

Image Source: Comedy Central

It's best to consistently use a happy light for 30 to 60 minutes a day, usually first thing in the morning. The Verilux has four nifty buttons that each denote a 15-minute interval of time to help you accurately measure the length of your sessions. Plus, if you have particularly sensitive eyes, there's another button that lets you control the brightness levels.