Sunglasses play an important role in protecting your eyes from potentially harmful UV rays. This invisible form of energy takes the form of radiation which can damage your eyes if they are overexposed. But the pertinent question is, how much protection do I need? Or stated differently, when exactly should I be wearing sunglasses?
One of the major determinants about deciding whether a particular situation calls for the use of sunglasses is the environment in which you are in. Rather surprisingly, UV exposure is greater on the snow, as well as on sand, pavement and water, than in more green environments. We often imagine a park at high noon to be some of the most dangerous conditions for UV exposure. But in fact, environments in which your surroundings are reflective, such as snow and water, provide some of the most perilous situations. This is because in such situations, the amount of UV is not easily absorbed by the greenery around you, but rather hits the ground and is reflected back up towards your eyes. This means that you have UV light approaching your eyes both from above and from below.
Another dangerous situation, in which you should always be careful to wear sunglasses, is when you are at high altitudes. UV rays are filtered out in the atmosphere. This essentially means that the gasses between you and the sun which are trapped within the earths gravitational pull filter out ultraviolet light before it reaches your eyes. In high altitudes, however, the concentration of those filtering gases, as well as their thickness, is significantly reduced. As a result, light rays are significantly stronger, and thus the presence of UV is much greater at higher altitudes.
Time of day, is of course, also one of the greatest determinants of UV risk. UV rays are directed from the sun. As a result, it should seem obvious that the risk of UV exposure is greatest when the sun is strongest, during the hours between 10am and 4pm. At these times the UV rays are more direct and as a result their effects on your eyes are significantly stronger. Consequently, it is key during these periods to take necessary precaution and wear sunglasses when outside.
Weather is another often overlooked factor when determining whether or not to wear sunglasses. It seems intuitive that if the sun is out, then UV rays are stronger, and as a corollary, if the day is overcast the risk of UV exposure is virtually nil. This is not the case however. Rather, UV rays quite easily permeate clouds, rain, and the like. This means that an overcast day is no indication that UV rays are any less intense on that day. By contrast, it is often more important to be contentious about wearing sunglasses during such days as we are often not cognizant of the UV risks we are facing and may take risks with our eyes as a result.
After learning about the dangers of UV radiation exposure to your eyes the question becomes, not if I should be wearing sunglasses, but rather when should I be wearing sunglasses?

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These are two very powerful tools for self-improvement, but how can you use them in harmony? For example: Self-analysis and meditation cannot be performed at the same time. After all, multi-tasking runs contrary to what meditation is all about.
So where do we start? Self-analysis will give many of your meditations purpose. The purpose of self-analysis is to objectively look inward, constructively, without judgment or regret, and to find solutions to ongoing problems.
There is an instinctive fear to take start this task. Hence, the reason why there are professionals for psychological analysis. This leaves you with a decision from the onset: Whether to do it yourself, or with the help of professional guidance.
If you elect to go it alone, that’s fine, but be prepared to encounter more issues than you originally thought possible. At one time, we have all managed to disconnect with our inner being. This creates a fear of looking inward because of our reaction to what we might see and learn.
Don’t waste time with evaluations, comparisons, or judgments. These concepts only support our feelings of inferiority, and for most of us, those feelings should be purged from our inner being.
You will need solitary time, when you can reflect on dilemmas, and take notes. You can do this in your car, but you will need a recording device. You will also want to make sure anything embarrassing is either encoded or hidden. Records are great, but they can be incriminating, so take the time to protect yourself from a potential invasion of your privacy.
In order to meditate, you will need to set aside time, in the early morning, or at night. There is less activity in most households, at this time, and less of a chance for you to be diverted or interrupted.
The quest for self-improvement is the purpose of this kind of meditation. You need to clear your mind and focus on one thought only. This should not be turned into a form of grieving, so you must look at it objectively and try to remove your personal feelings.
Your mind will naturally “stray,” a bit, unless you have been practicing meditation for some time. The straying aspect is actually good in this instance, because it allows you to come back with a slightly different perspective each time.
The end result of all this work, will be discovering a multitude of self-improvement solutions and improve the quality of your life.

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