Welcome to Day 5 of our Giving Thanks project. Yesterday we reflected on our parents. Parents can come in many different forms: moms, dads, stepparents, grandparents, guardians, etc. Hopefully, you took a few minutes to let your parents know how very thankful you are for them. If you missed that post, you can find it here: Thankful for our Parents.
Today, let’s talk about a topic that is a little lighter (pun intended)! I’m talking about sunshine. Today just happened to be a beautiful, sunny day in Philadelphia, with temperatures reaching 70 degrees. That’s not too shabby for a November day in Pennsylvania! I am especially aware of sunshine now because the sun sets around 5:00 pm so the days seem so short.
I don’t know about you but my mood is definitely impacted by the weather. Waking up with the sun shining in my face makes me so happy. The sun calls me outside and makes me want to be active. On the other hand, dreary, rainy days make me want to stay in my pajamas and take a nap.
According to WebMD, sunlight helps boost a chemical in your brain called serotonin, and that can give you more energy and help keep you calm, positive, and focused. Who can’t use more energy and positivity?
“Keep your face to the sun and you will never see the shadows.”
Helen Keller
I am thankful for every single sunny day in my life. I was surprised to learn that Pennsylvania only averages 87 clear days each year. A “clear day” is the average number of days each year when clouds cover no more than 30% of the sky during daylight hours. For those of you who live in Arizona, you are lucky enough to average 193 clear days every year – I’m so jealous! If you are interested in seeing the Average Annual Sunshine numbers for your home state, just click here.
Start paying attention to the sunny days in your life because you might just be a little happier, have a little more energy, or be able to focus better. Just be sure to enjoy the sunshine in moderation, and with a good sunscreen on.
Until next time, keep looking for the goodness around you.
With gratitude,
Denise 🙂