I'm gonna soak up the sun

It’s been a long, rough winter. I haven’t seen parts of my sidewalk or most of my backyard since December. I knocked icicles off my roof at the office for the 110th time last week in the midst of the blizzard, and one bounced off my wrist before it crashed to the ground. Now I have a sunny yellow bruise in that spot. Hopefully it’s a sign that it was the last time I have to deal with ice for several months.

Surely brighter days are ahead, I said out loud to myself as I rubbed my wrist.

On Tuesday, I was brave enough to venture outside without a coat. I walked across the street to Flair Boutique. As I wandered back with a new pair of denim and my favorite mocha, the sun was out in full force, and it instantly boosted my mood.

A song from my college days came to mind, and it remained in my head for the rest of the day.

“I'm gonna soak up the sun

I'm gonna tell everyone to lighten up

I'm gonna tell 'em that I've got no one to blame

For every time I feel lame I'm looking up

I'm gonna soak up the sun

I'm gonna soak up the sun”

It was Sheryl Crow’s No. 1 hit on the Billboard Adult Top 40 chart in 2002. In this sunny pop tune Crow co-wrote with Jeff Trott, she sings about finding a reason to be grateful for what she has despite the hardships in her life. Crow released “Soak Up the Sun” as the first single off her fourth album, “C’mon C’mon.” It was the summer after the 9/11 attacks and the Dot-com recession, and Crow said she cuts through the economic challenges of the time and finds a way to smile through it all and forget the woes, even for a little while.

It was 47 degrees, and the warm spring sun was blazing through my Suburban windows as I headed to Carrington for a meeting that afternoon. I cued up Spotify to play the tune and cranked up the sound system.

One of my staff members told me last week that the snow wasn’t going away because I hadn’t taken the snowflake decorations out of our display window yet. So I took that as a challenge last Friday and replaced them with some bright colored paper fans. Within 24 hours, things started to look up. The weather has finally straightened out. You’re welcome!

Readers, it’s time to get outside and soak up the sun. The SNR baseball team was on the field practicing Tuesday afternoon. Meanwhile, the Rockets track team got their first chance to compete outdoors in Bowman Tuesday and qualified for state in five events. Yes, better days are ahead for sure.

Soaking up the sun has immediate health benefits. Here are five ways the sun can affect your mental and physical health. I found them on several online medical blogs, including this one at https://www.tricitymed.org/2018/08/5-ways-the-sun-impacts-your-mental-and-physical-health/

1. Increased Vitamin D

The sun is the best natural source of Vitamin D, which is known to help control inflammation and modulate cell growth. It only takes 5-15 minutes of sunlight a few times a week to notice a difference, medical professionals say. That’s a great excuse to get outside and let your face and arms soak up this necessary vitamin. While I’m out there, I plan to play catch and tug-of-war with our family dog, Presley. He could use the sun too!

2. Improved Mood

Exposure to sunlight increases your serotonin and helps you stave off Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). It can also help people with anxiety and depression, especially in combination with other treatments.

A study conducted by Brigham Young University found more mental health distress in people during seasons with little sun exposure. On the contrary, days with plenty of sunshine were associated with better mental health.

3. Higher Quality Sleep

Working in tandem with serotonin is melatonin, a chemical in your brain that helps you sleep. Your pineal gland (located in your brain’s epithalamus) chemically alters one hormone to create the other. Your body’s sleep-wake cycle is affected by how much light you’re exposed to, and the related production of these hormones.

4. Stronger Bones

While calcium intake is crucial for bone health, the Vitamin D in sunlight aids your body in absorbing that calcium.

5. Lower Blood Pressure

When sunlight hits your skin, your body releases nitric oxide into your blood. Nitric oxide causes your blood vessels to widen and stimulates the release of certain hormones, such as insulin and human growth hormone. Further, simply relaxing in the sun may also naturally bring down blood pressure.

That’s more than enough reasons for me. I hope to see you all out in the sun soon.