A common symptom of biological depression is a steady improvement in mood during the day. Worst mood in the morning, best in the evening, or thereabouts. I experience this symptom like clockwork.

I’ve been expanding my “stay-well plan” to include more of the things that I’ve blogged about. Taking my own medicine, so to speak. One of them is going outside, or getting light into my eyes, as soon as I wake up. (See the earlier post “Dim Bulb or Bright Light“.)

Over the last few weeks I’ve been opening the curtains first thing in the morning, then going back to bed for “just another 10 minutes”. Instead of sleeping I look out the window, at the winter sun streaming into our bedroom. (Australia.) I do the same thing in the family room. I eat breakfast facing the window and looking outside. (I had to swipe my 3 year-old daughter’s spot).

There has been a big improvement in my mood in the mornings. I’ve actually been civil at work, and I’ve maintained an awful lot of eye contact. Yesterday when I arrived at work I coated the insides of my car with a large espresso, and I actually laughed.

If light isn’t the reason for my newfound regularity then it must be the arrival of a modern mattress. We’ve been out of the mattress market for about 10 years, and had never even heard of a “comfort layer”. Comfort it is. I don’t think it’s helped my health an awful lot, except now I sleep for 5 or 6 hours, instead of 4 or 5.