There is a very specific type of morning where you open your eyes, see grey drizzle pressing itself against the window like it owes it rent, and immediately question every life decision you have ever made; then there is the other kind of morning – the one where sunlight is pouring in, the sky is doing that smug blue thing, and suddenly you are up, alert, and vaguely convinced you could probably run a small business or at least reply to emails without spiralling.
Same person, same bed, yet a completely different feeling. So what is actually going on there is that our body is basically a light-sensitive drama queen, We all have an internal body clock called the circadian rhythm. It runs your sleep, wakefulness, energy, and the general timing of “why am I tired at 2pm for no reason”. When morning light hits your eyes, it lands on specialised cells in the retina that are unusually good at detecting brightness and blue wavelengths. These cells send a message to your brain that basically says: it is daytime, stop producing sleep chemicals. So melatonin, the hormone that makes you sleepy, gets switched down. Not off instantly, but dialled back like someone turning down a radio that was far too loud at 3am. At the same time, your cortisol awakening response kicks in. This is not the scary “stress hormone” headline version people panic about. In the morning it helps you feel alert, switched on, and capable of basic tasks like finding socks that match.
Sunlight is basically your body’s polite alarm clock. Except it does not beep. It just aggressively edits your brain chemistry; blue sky hits different for reasons that are not just aesthetic
There is also a psychological layer: bright light and clear skies signal safety and predictability to the brain. Historically, good weather meant better survival conditions, easier movement, and less general suffering involving mud, so our brain still carries that ancient programming, even though survival these days mostly involves replying to emails and remembering to type your car reg into the screen at the check out so you don’t get a fine in the post.
So when it is bright and blue outside, your brain goes: “Right, we are probably fine today.” Which is not scientifically precise, but emotionally it tracks. Vitamin D joins the group chat because as most of us should know: sunlight exposure also helps your skin produce vitamin D, which plays a role in energy, immune function, and mood regulation. It is not instant happiness juice. More like long-term maintenance for your general “I can cope with life” settings.
Your brain becomes slightly less negotiable in the morning; in low light, your brain is more willing to entertain nonsense like “five more minutes” or “I will definitely sort my life out later”. In strong morning light, that negotiation weakens. The signal is clearer. Wakefulness gets priority. Procrastination gets demoted – suddenly that laundry basket doesn’t feel so daunting !
Grey mornings feel like emotional quicksand because overcast weather delays that light signal. Your brain does not get the same strong “it is daytime” message, so melatonin lingers longer, alertness rises more slowly, and everything feels like it is happening in slow motion; this does not mean that you’re lazy. You are just biologically underpowered and mildly underexposed to photons. In other words, your motivation is waiting for better weather like the rest of us.
So yes, sunshine is basically a personality upgrade although it won’t change who you are. It just removes some of the internal fog, both literally and chemically. You are still you, just with fewer negotiations happening between your bed and your brain. On a sunny morning, life feels more doable. On a grey one, even boiling water feels like a multi-step strategy game.
Apparently we are due high temperatures this weekend – so I have no excuses not to carry on de-jungling the back garden and pulling weeds out from the tubs at the front of the house. Plan B is to get the herbs planted and see if I can get some baby potatoes in tubs too; and somewhere in between there will be rugby of course. The perfect “no skin in the game” final of the EPCR – here’s hoping for some French wine later on tonight to celebrate !
Allez UBB !! <3
