Light therapy at bus stops to cheer north Sweden commuters

STOCKHOLM: Bus stops in the northern Swedish town of Umeaa have been fitted with light therapy panels to help commuters fight off the winter blues, the energy company behind the move said Tuesday.
In the depths of winter, daylight in Umeaa, around 500 kilometers (300 miles) north of Stockholm, lasts only around four and a half hours, meaning that many people catch a glimpse of the sun only through an office window. “You feel tired during this time of the year, and getting an extra dose of light feels refreshing,” said Anna Norrgaard, head of marketing at Umeaa Energy.
Over the next three weeks, the company will help commuters combat winter depression by installing light therapy panels at 30 bus stops. The bus shelters’ illuminated advertizing boards were replaced Monday by special light therapy lamps.
Five of them will be fitted with special overhead panels to enhance the effect. “You should stand in front of the lamps ... and keep your eyes open to let the light in,” Norrgaard said.