On Saturday, my wife and I were taking our “pup” Daisy for a walk at the lake. It was a cold, windy day, especially down by the water, but the sky was blue and the sun stood bright in the sky. I felt happy and warmer than the temperature and wind chill would warrant. I realized I felt so good because of the sunshine and light it provided.

Everything feels better when we are coated in sunlight.

Sunlight is one of the most underrated happiness tools we have. We chug caffeine, look for productivity hacks, and read inspirational quotes … but often all our brains really need is a little time with that big, glowing yellow orb in the sky.

When sunlight hits our eyes (not staring at it; let’s not go full caveman), it signals our brains to reduce melatonin (the sleep hormone) and increase serotonin (the “hey, life is manageable” happy neurotransmitter). That’s why a sunny morning feels so much better than a gray........

© Finger Lakes Times