My morning sunrise routine is more dependable than the mailman

It is true. No matter the weather, no matter where I am in the world, I am outside at sunrise. Okay, I did miss once this year when I was in the air on a flight, but I did spend as much time before sunrise outside before being forced to go through TSA. Our mailman misses on occasion even in nice weather and I’m pretty sure it isn’t because he is on a flight. I get it, though. We cannot always be 100% but my batting average beats his hands down and the mail carriers even have that as their motto. “Neither snow nor rain nor heat nor gloom of night stays these couriers from the swift completion of their appointed rounds.“

Living in New Hampshire has given me a new appreciation for dedication. Sunrise viewing in Oregon was rather easy. The weather there is nothing compared to the extremes of New England. It was minus 30F this past winter and I was outside at sunrise. Just between us, though, I’d rather do the minus 30 than be out at sunrise during the biting bug season. That isn’t even part of the mail carrier’s motto – through sleet and snow and biting black flies – nope. Maybe that’s why our guy didn’t show up those few times, because they don’t have a biting black fly clause in their motto.

Gazing at the sunrise has several benefits for my health, well-being, hormones and mindset. Here are just a few reasons why I love to be outside at sunrise:

1. Positive Start to the Day: There was a book I read years ago called The Education of Little Tree and in the book the grandfather took Little Tree, an orphaned Cherokee boy, into the mountains to watch sunrise. As they watched the sky change from dark to streaks of purple, pinks and peach, the grandfather would whisper “She’s comin’ alive!” like it was a brand new thing he witnessed every single day, and if you think about it, no sunrise is like any other. I think of that in the mornings. Witnessing the birth of a new day can feel magical and set a positive tone for the rest whole rest of the day. This childlike wonder and awe can change your perspective.
2. Connection with Nature: Watching the sunrise allows me to connect with nature and the day, and you gotta admit those colors are breathtaking. But being outside gives me a connection that I just cannot have when I’m inside. I joke that I am solar powered, but there is a truck load of truth in that joke. My body responds to sun light in a positive, healthy way.
3. Calmness and Mindfulness: It calms me down. I make it a point to stop whatever is going on to go outside. With 15 chickens and 2 dogs things can get a bit excited around here even before sunrise. This absolute STOP to go outside is a hard stop to all of the craziness that can be happening. I am present in the moment, taking in those COLORS and listening to the birds and/or the stillness of the morning.
4. Stress Reduction: Now, to be honest, sometimes the “stress reduction” part is from the doing of the activity and not the actual activity. Let me ‘splain: Sunrise weather isn’t always glorious. Sometimes it is humid, or buggy, or raining or there is 3 feet of snow on the ground and a strong icy wind. I’m still outside on those mornings, and even though I cannot see the sun’s rays, those wavelengths can still find me and I benefit. The knowing I’m doing the right thing, and knowing I’m checking the box is where I win this one when the splendor and aweness (is that a word? It is now.) that I mentioned in the first point isn’t there. Not all days are going to be a splendor of color, and you know what? The magic of sunrise to our bodies still happens. It will still reduce anxiety and stress, and it will still balance our hormones and circadian rhythms.
5. Health Benefits: As I alluded to previously, exposure to morning sunlight can also help regulate our circadian rhythms, promoting better sleep patterns and THIS is why I do sunrise viewing every single morning. Many will tell you all sunlight will help us make vitamin D and this is not true. It is UVB wave lengths that help us make vitamin D, and we can only get that at certain times of the year and at certain times of day. The sun is too far away at sunrise here in New England and has to travel through too much atmosphere to be enough to trigger that in our bodies. Midday when the sun is the strongest is the better time, as far as I understand it but I know it depends on where you live. Here is a write up to read more on Vitamin D and sunlight.
6. Active Recovery: I find that doing some active recovery movements in the early morning sunlight is helpful, or feels like it is more effective. I like bouncing on my mini trampoline, but I used to do yoga poses in my back yard. I occasionally would do an early morning walk, and that always felt good. Mixing the physical movement with early morning sunrise seemed to enhance my sense of well-being.
7. Quality Time Alone: I treasure my alone time, and sunrise viewing is usually a solitary activity to for me. Nobody else is interested in going outside at dawn except the chickens. So watching the sunrise provides me a chance to spend quality time alone. It’s a break, too. Not sure how to word it, but it is like “Okay, NOW I can start my day” even though I’ve probably already completed a lot of things. My day starts at sunrise.

There are other things one can do to help rebalance their circadian rhythm like meal timing and using cold therapy. There are many thought leaders and influencers that specialize in these things. I have found that, for me, keeping it simple works best. I just go outside in my PJs at sunrise. Easy. I don’t try to time my meals to “eat this much protein within 20 minutes of waking up” or any of the other hoops that people have created. I’m not saying those hoops are not valid and may be THE thing for someone. They aren’t for me right now in my life. All I do is walk out my door into whatever weather that the good Lord gave me for the day. Sometimes I get wet, sometimes I get bitten by a mosquito and sometimes I can see my breath in the freezing temps. Doesn’t matter. It is all good. Lately I’ve been going outside to tend to the chickens at sunrise. It is gentle movement, I get to watch these beautiful birds do their sunrise thing and I am out in nature. #lifeisgood