Dear, World.

Do you know those days when you look out your window or through your door and see a bright and sunny day and you think to yourself that it’s the perfect day for the beach or for the pool or whatever activity that is a feel-good activity? However, when you go out, all you feel is the fierceness of the sun as it burns your skin? Especially because you either forget to wear sun screen or because you say, “It’s not that bad out, I can go without applying sun screen”. Lately, those days have been part of my existence. And it burns! Literally.

With that, I say, Wear ☀ screen!

No, this letter is by no means a rip off of Baz Luhrmann’s hit ‘Everybody’s free to wear sunscreen’. Well, it kind of is; in the sense that I’m offering some life lessons (connected to the use of sun screen) in an artistic manner.

Benefits of wearing ☀screen?

Sunscreen, a cream or lotion applied on skin to protect from the harmful effects of sun exposure, has quite a few benefits. However, before we address that, I must speak on a misconception that people have. Many think that sun screen was made to be used only for the Summer season. Believe it or not, sun screen should by right, be part of our daily routines. We have sunshine (in the tropics) all year round. I know it gets way more technical, but who has time for technicality? I sure don’t.

☀ screen’s benefits include:

• protection from ultra violent (UV) rays
• prevents premature aging
• prevents ☀ burn
• there’s a wide assortment from which you may choose (the brands and methods of application vary)
• when applied properly, chances are that you don’t have to reapply (per day)

Those are some pretty good benefits. But in all honesty, I hardly consider them when I venture out.

I say all this to say that I liken the act of wearing ☀screen to the practice of psychological first aid or good emotional hygiene. The principle is one and the same!

Psychological First Aid, Emotional Hygiene and the benefits

Psychological First Aid (PFA) and good Emotional Hygiene (EH) defined loosely means that we reduce stress symptoms and assist in a healthy recovery following a traumatic event, or even a personal crisis. See more here and here So we pretty much take greater care of our mental state amidst all the life stressors and negativity we cannot avoid.

Benefits

• reduces stress levels
• prevents premature aging
• allows for greater resilience to harsh and negative situations
• when practiced effectively at a particular frequency, re-application is not needed (per day)
• There are various methods in which you may apply PFA or EH. (so the tools and methods of application vary)

There have been way too many life coaches and self-help books that tell us how we can practice PFA and EH. But, do we really pay attention? Do we execute personal inventories and ensure that we are okay? The truth is, we don’t. Just as we neglect to protect ourselves from the negative energies of the sun, we neglect to take care of our mental spaces.

The Ugly Truth?

The truth is, we can’t avoid the sun and we can’t avoid stressors or negative energies that life has to offer. We may be able to reduce them by using avoidance tactics. But, we cannot eliminate them all together. The next best thing is to fortify and protect our skin and our lives. Seek out means and ways that we can use to reduce the effects of what we get exposed to and repeat daily. If we do it well enough, a once a day application is all we need. If we do it well enough then our lives in the ☀ and will be more bearable and we’ll be able to lead normal enough lives without having to endure being burnt. There’s no singular way to practice emotional hygiene or psychological first-aid. They help with other issues but they address the need to be emotionally well. In the same breath, ☀ screen types and brands are so vast that they serve various purposes. However, at the end of the day the main purpose is to ensure the wellness of your skin.

Apply this with love.

Signed with love,

Candice.

*I am not a life coach nor am I a Psychologist by profession. I do have a Psychology degree and a degree with training in Social and Behaviour Change, though!