I want you to look up from your screen now and see where the light is. Go on... Was it out of the window? Was it the bulb hanging from the ceiling? Or perhaps the only light in your room right now is the one emanating from this screen.

The very presence of light in our lives, whether it be natural or man made, is fundamental to human existence. Although we can survive for long periods of time without it, there is an atavistic core of our being which longs for light because we know it is responsible for giving us life. We know that we need it for warmth, sustenance and, of course, for seeing.

Without light we are blind.

Seasonal Affective Disorder aside, we all suffer in some way from a lack of light during the winter. In my tool box of anti-depressant gems which I have been gathering for myself over the years, light has been one of my life savers: to turn to it when it's there; to create it when it's not there.

When the sun comes out, tilt your face towards it and close your eyes. You'll be surprised how quickly it will lift your mood. And when that light has gone, create your own. I've strung fairy lights from my walls and planted candles around my room which I light religiously at nightfall. They warm my soul when it's dark. They make me feel brighter. I believe that in these moments we are actually collecting light – like a human solar panel – storing it up so that our life-force level doesn't drop too low. So away you go and collect yourself some light! Turn your face towards it like a sunflower. Let it shine on you and keep you alive.

Anna

A Moodscope member.