Extending Decorative Lights Enhances Winter Well-being and Home Ambiance
TL;DR
- Extending holiday lights beyond January provides prolonged visual comfort during winter's darkest months, enhancing home ambiance and personal well-being.
- Leaving lights up longer can lead to cost savings through potential discounts on professional installation and removal services.
- Purchasing lights after the holiday season offers significant sales opportunities, reducing the initial investment for future use.
- Integrating indoor lighting, such as string lights or candles, complements outdoor displays by creating a consistently warm and inviting home environment.
- Embracing light throughout winter combats seasonal gloom, fostering feelings of warmth, peace, and joy until natural daylight increases.
Deep Dive
The core argument is that extending the use of decorative lights beyond the immediate holiday season offers significant psychological benefits during the long, dark winter months. This practice can combat seasonal gloom and enhance home enjoyment, with potential financial advantages for those who delay removal or purchase lights during post-holiday sales.
The implication of keeping lights up is a sustained boost to mood and a more pleasant home environment throughout winter. For individuals experiencing seasonal affective disorder or general winter blues, the consistent presence of light can provide a tangible antidote to prolonged darkness. This effect is amplified by the fact that winter days are short, meaning the added light extends into the periods when people are most likely to be home after work or school. Furthermore, leaving lights up longer, or installing them later in the season, can lead to cost savings. Professional installation and removal services may offer discounts for extended periods, and post-holiday sales present an opportunity to acquire lighting at reduced prices. Inside the home, incorporating light through string lights, candles, or lamps can similarly foster warmth and peace, transforming the living space into a more inviting sanctuary against the bleakness of winter. The broader takeaway is that intentionally adding light to one's environment is a practical strategy for improving well-being and deriving greater enjoyment from the home during winter, extending its benefits well past the traditional holiday period and into the spring.
Action Items
- Implement decorative lighting: Install string lights or LED candles on house exterior or windows for 2-3 months of winter enjoyment.
- Create indoor light sources: Place string lights on mantles, window sills, or stair railings to enhance home ambiance.
- Schedule candlelit dinners: Light candles during meals 1-2 times per week to foster warmth and peace.
- Build fires: Utilize fireplace for warmth and ambiance on occasion during winter months.
Key Quotes
"We need all the light we can get during these darkest months of the year."
Laura argues that during the winter, which is characterized by darkness, an abundance of light is necessary. This highlights the core idea that external light sources can compensate for the natural lack of daylight during winter.
"I love coming home in the dark from somewhere and seeing my yard lit up. The lights aren't particularly Christmas specific. They are white and tasteful. And we are not in a neighborhood that forbids them. So why not?"
Laura explains her personal enjoyment of decorative lights, emphasizing their aesthetic appeal and non-denominational nature. She suggests that these lights enhance the experience of returning home and are a valid choice as long as they are tasteful and permitted.
"If you live somewhere with long, dark winters or if you find winter gloomy, whatever the weather, I encourage you to add your own light too. If you put up lights for the holidays, leave them up until the new year. Not just a few days into January. I am talking a month or more."
Laura encourages listeners in regions with prolonged darkness or those who experience winter gloom to actively introduce more light into their environment. She specifically advises extending the use of holiday lights beyond the immediate post-holiday period, suggesting a duration of at least a month.
"Driving home from work in the dark is much more pleasant if you arrive home to lovely lights."
Laura points out the practical benefit of decorative lights, stating that they improve the experience of returning home after dark. This suggests that the presence of lights transforms a potentially mundane or dreary arrival into a more pleasant one.
"Along with lights outside and in the windows, lights can be nice inside too. You could put string lights on your mantle or along curtain rods or window sills, or the handrail of your stairs."
Laura expands the concept of adding light beyond exterior decorations, suggesting interior applications. She provides specific examples of where string lights can be placed within a home to enhance its ambiance.
"Lights aren't just for Christmas and Hanukkah. You can enjoy them all winter. So if you have lights up now, don't take them down on January 1st. If you don't have lights up, consider putting some up. You can enjoy this added light until the earth starts to give us our light back. Come spring."
Laura reiterates that the enjoyment of lights is not limited to specific holidays and can be extended throughout the entire winter season. She advises listeners to keep existing lights up and consider installing new ones to maximize the benefit of artificial light until natural daylight increases in the spring.
Resources
External Resources
Tools & Software
- Windows 10 - Mentioned as having ended support.
- Windows 11 - Mentioned as an upgrade with free security updates and ongoing feature upgrades.
Organizations & Institutions
- iHeart Radio - Mentioned as the producer of the podcast.
- LG (LG Electronics) - Mentioned in relation to LG Gram laptops.
- PC Mag - Mentioned as the source of Reader's Choice awards for LG Gram laptops.
- Lilly - Mentioned as a medicine company providing information.
Websites & Online Resources
- LGUSA.com/iHeart - Mentioned for seasonal savings on LG Gram laptops with Windows 11.
- don't sleep on OSA.com - Mentioned as a resource to learn more about obstructive sleep apnea (OSA).
Other Resources
- Obstructive Sleep Apnea (OSA) - Mentioned as a condition affecting adults with obesity, characterized by interrupted breathing during sleep.