Señora OpEd: Breaking Free from Being “Encerradas”

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One of the biggest mistakes we’re making right now is staying indoors all the time. As in, all. the. time.

It struck me during a conversation with a recent immigrant from Colombia. I asked her a simple question: “What’s the biggest difference you see between here and there?”Without skipping a beat, she told me: “Están todos encerrados.” Everyone’s locked up inside. She was shocked at how no one left the house, how no one saw anyone else, how everyone used delivery apps for everything, and basically lived on their couch. It was so different from our homelands. It shocked me too. Because I thought staying cozy indoors was a good thing. I thought it was self-care, a little treat, making life easier. But she was right. This is one of the biggest mistakes we’re making right now.

@senora.era
It’s the biggest mistakes you’re making right now #latinostiktok #radicalseñorabook #radicalseñora #latinoculture
♬ original sound – 𝐦𝐢𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐚❄️

We’re Getting Stuck Indoors; And It’s Affecting You

Estamos encerrados. We’re getting stuck indoors too much, and it’s affecting us in ways we don’t even realize. They wonder why everyone’s isolated and depressed? This could be part of it. It’s not anecdotal. The U.S. Surgeon General officially declared loneliness a public health epidemic in 2023. Dr. Vivek Murthy’s report, Our Epidemic of Loneliness and Isolation, found that the health risks of being socially disconnected are comparable to smoking up to 15 cigarettes a day — and greater than the risks associated with obesity and physical inactivity. Daily PressAs of 2024, 30% of adults report feeling lonely at least once a week. Ten percent say they feel lonely every day. And here’s the part that should make you stop scrolling: in 2024, 17% of Americans reported having zero friends — compared to just 1% in 1990. We did this to ourselves. Your ancestors knew intuitively how healthy it was for us to be outside. The first thing your bisabuela or abuela did every morning was go outside: do outdoor chores at the rancho, walk to get some fresh pan, take care of the roses, or simply go shopping in el centro. In Latin America, daily life still happens outside. You walk to the panadería in the morning. You stop and talk to the señora next door. You sit outside after dinner. Community isn’t something you schedule — it’s something you fall into just by leaving the house. Research on Latino outdoor recreation patterns consistently shows that Latinos tend to recreate in large groups with family and friends — not because of some organized activity, but because that’s just how life works back home. You don’t go outside alone. You go outside together. Today, more than half of U.S. adults say they feel isolated, left out, or like they’re missing companionship — often or some of the time. Going outside doesn’t fix all of that. But it starts something. You see your neighbor. You wave. You stop. You talk. The door back into community opens one walk at a time.

What the Research Actually Shows About Morning Sunlight

Turns out, our bisabuelas were onto something. Here’s what modern science confirms about going outside in the morning:

It Regulates Your Circadian Rhythm

When you get bright light in your eyes within the first hour of waking, it sets your internal clock. The result? Better sleep at night, more energy during the day. You don’t need seven cups of coffee when your body’s natural rhythm is working properly.

It Reduces Cortisol

Going outside in the morning has been shown to reduce cortisol—that’s your stress hormone. Just 20 minutes outside lowers your stress response for the entire day. These findings come from major studies published in journals like Science Advances.

It Optimizes Vitamin D Production

Morning is the optimal time for vitamin D production, which directly impacts your mood, immune function, and inflammation levels.

The Most Important Thing You Can Do for Your Health

I see going outside in the morning as a basic building block of health. Maybe the most important thing you can do. You don’t need a red light therapy machine or whatever wellness gadget they’re trying to sell us next. 20 minutes. Outside. In the morning. That’s it. Go do some chores. Walk to get coffee. Tend to your plants. Sit on your porch. Water the garden. Walk around the block. The bisabuelas knew it all along. We just gotta bring it back.

Breaking Free from Being “Encerrados”

We’ve created a world where we can get everything delivered, work from our beds, and never technically need to step outside. But just because we can doesn’t mean we should. Our bodies weren’t designed for this. Our minds weren’t either. Start tomorrow morning. Set your alarm 20 minutes earlier if you need to. Step outside. Feel the air. See the light. Move your body just a little bit. Your bisabuela would be proud.