Fresh air is not hard to come by while walking around campus in Boston, sun shining onto the Common and Boylston Place, brightening the sky and moods of students on their smoke breaks. But, often times, we forget about the lack of light from our windows when cooped up inside. 

“Can we keep the windows open?” my roommate last semester asked. It was a concept that hadn’t even occurred to me. 

The sun was setting purple behind the rooftop of the Four Seasons in the distance and Boston Public Gardens even further. No one was looking in and it was gorgeous.

I haven’t gone back since.

I love the feeling of waking up with the rest of the world, to delicate rays of sunshine. I love the cool breeze. I love how crisp and natural and fresh I feel. 

Closing windows does keep in warmth, but it also traps pollutants and inhibits proper airflow. Given that according to the National Institute of Health, Americans on average spend over 90 percent of their lives indoors, that’s a big deal. It’s one of their top five environmental health concerns. 

It’s counterintuitive, but indoor air is often more polluted than the air outside, especially in cities like Boston. Simply opening a window for small periods throughout the day can drastically improve this, health and wellness blog MindBodyGreen says.

In fact, the things we’re keeping at bay by closing the glass barrier might actually be helping us. Research shows that more than 99 percent of the bacteria inside us isn’t even harmful, helping with our daily functions. A simple thing to keep this balance is keeping our windows open. 

But it isn’t just in the air. Sunlight also has health benefits and mood boosters, especially important to stock up on for those with SAD. 

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), popularly referred to as “seasonal depression” can often leave people feeling blue when the cold weather, shorter days, and grayer skies set in. The havoc wreaked on the body’s biological clock during the shortening hours of sunlight causes the brain’s serotonin and melatonin levels to get thrown off balance, inspiring a depression that lasts throughout the winter and sometimes early spring months. 

Along with medication prescribed by a doctor, sitting close to bright windows and opening the blinds during the day can help with this, but it’s also seen as beneficial to leave them open consistently, to better connect with the solar cycle itself. 

“Happy lights” are a creative alternative for those without much access to light within their living spaces, for either vantage point from other buildings or work hours. They’re used to simulate daylight hours and deliver white light that improves one’s overall mood, energy, and concentration, by stimulating the body’s natural energy enhancers without extra UV rays. 

The winter, especially in Boston, can sometimes feel debilitating—literally. But with the addition of fresh air and sunlight in your daily routine, the world can seem a lot brighter. So crack a window, pull up your blinds, and let the light in.