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The Sun
I love the sun; it adds so much joy to my life. In my mind, there’s not much better than a warm, sunny day. Growing up in Florida I really took the sun, and specifically sunrises, for granted. There’s just something incredibly beautiful about watching the rise up over the ocean. When I moved to Dallas I didn’t even think about there not being good places to watch the sunrise or sunset. If I’m being honest, I didn’t go to the beach and watch the sunrise all the time, but I did do it every once in a while and I definitely miss it. So now I’ve just had to find different ways to enjoy the sun.
There are several scientific studies that have shown the impacts of the sun and sunlight on people’s overall mood and health. Sunlight has been proven to directly correlate with higher serotonin levels, meaning that people are physically happier when they have more experiences with sunlight. And I don’t know about you, but I can clearly see that in my own life. When it gets cold and rainy, my mood really goes down. And being from Florida, my tolerance for cooler temperatures and less sunny days is pretty weak compared to others. I am definitely the kid putting on my parka 10 degrees before everyone else because I just can’t handle cold weather. I know some people love the cold or the rain, and I can understand that to a degree, but I don’t think anything can beat a nice sunny day.
A lot of people, including myself, have been cooped up inside over the last few months. This past week I started waking up a little bit earlier and trying to start my day with some sort of outside activity. Whether that is a run, or just sitting on my porch for a few minutes, being able to watch the mediocre Dallas sunrise over the buildings in the distance has definitely had a positive impact on my mood (Sorry I’m not trying to trash on Dallas’ sunrises but compared to Florida, I mean, come on.) But anyways, what I am trying to say is that either way, and no matter where you are, the Sun’s impact on your mood can still be so powerful. I truly think that the sun is a key element to a happy lifestyle that many of us have been missing recently.
So that is my challenge to you this week: spend time enjoying the sun. Go outside, enjoy some fresh air and sunlight! And take a minute to realize just how amazing and how incredibly beautiful the sun is. I promise I am not turning into some weird nature hippie; I am just a guy who has recently realized how much not being in the sun has impacted me and don’t want you to make the same mistakes. So I challenge you to try to spend just a little more intentional time outside this week enjoying the sun, I can almost guarantee that you’ll see a positive shift in your mood.
Stay Motivated,
-Dan
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