How Sunsets Might Improve Your Mental Health
I recently spent some time in the mountains. One late afternoon, I sat near a lake and watched a beautiful sunset behind the mountains. I felt so rejuvenated that it made me curious about what could have been happening during that sunset that helped me feel so refreshed. Here’s what came to mind.
Sunsets Help Us Stay Present in the Moment
The first thing I realized was that watching a sunset was in of itself a mindfulness exercise. What is mindfulness? The simple definition is “being present in the moment without judgement.” Even though mindfulness is a bit of a hot trend these days, it’s a practice that has been around for centuries, across different cultures. The research now tells us that mindfulness practices are tremendously effective in improving mental health. How can watching a sunset become a mindfulness exercise? You have to pay attention and be present or you’ll miss the sunset.
Sunsets Give Us a Moment to Rest
Our world can be so busy. We see it in our 24-hour news cycles, revolving work deadlines, and bustling social media feed. Did you notice your body tensing up right now? Mine sure did. Sitting on that lakeshore and watching the sunset gave me a moment to just unplug and rest. What better reminder to take a moment to rest than watching the giant star at the center of our solar system “take a nap”?
Sunsets Remind Us of What’s Important
At the risk of sounding overly philosophical, we measure our lives by how many revolutions we take around the sun. Each sunset is a little reminder that life is precious. Each sunset is unique and special. The sunset I saw was one-of-a-kind because of the alignment of the clouds, wind patterns, and all kinds of other things I don’t really understand. So out of about 1.6 quadrillion sunsets in our solar system’s history, that particular sunset was special. Whoa. That’s deeeep.
Thanks for reading all the way to the end of this post. I hope it motivates you to take a moment for yourself this week and realize how special and unique you are as well. If you notice that you’re feeling overwhelmed and need extra support beyond a sunset, I’d like to help. Contact me here to see how I could assist you.
Until next time, have a great week!
- Dr. Chou
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Note: The information in this post should not be considered professional advice. Also, this post is not a substitute for medical or mental health treatment. If you would like professional mental health services, please contact me.
