Sunlight and vitamin D.

Some mornings do you wake up feeling like you’re already behind? Not physically - your legs still work, your heart’s still steady - but mentally. Foggy. Sluggish. Like your brain booted in safe mode. And you can blame life, stress, work, your phone, whatever - but sometimes the simplest, most overlooked thing is the thing you need: sunlight.

Not a spiritual ceremony, not a sunrise hike, just stepping outside like a human being instead of a crypt creature. A few minutes of daylight and your whole system wakes up. Your brain stops acting like a bored intern. Your mood lifts. Your body goes, “Oh. Right. This is how the world works.”

It’s biology doing what it’s designed to do. Andrew Huberman talks about this constantly - morning sunlight activating the cells in your eyes that regulate cortisol, serotonin, dopamine, energy, sleep timing… basically all the dials that decide whether your day feels like progress or punishment.

Then there’s vitamin D, the thing your body can’t make without sunlight. And when you’re low in it, you feel it—heavier mood, weaker immune system, low energy, brittle everything. Harvard Health Publishing has written about this extensively, and none of it is controversial. We need vitamin D. Full stop.

But here’s the twist: most people aren’t getting enough of it from sunlight alone. Not because they’re lazy—just because modern life is indoors, shaded, overworked, and sunscreen-heavy. And this is where supplementation steps in as a quiet lifesaver.
The National Institutes of Health Office of Dietary Supplements points out that vitamin D supplements can help maintain normal immune function, stronger bones, and more stable mood, especially for people who get limited sunlight or live in places with high UV avoidance.
Mayo Clinic also backs this, noting that vitamin D supplementation may improve general mood stability and reduce symptoms associated with deficiency.

Taking a supplement isn’t cheating. It’s filling a gap your lifestyle created. It’s common sense. Especially if you're in an office all day or you don’t get consistent morning light. A few minutes in the sun + a daily supplement when you need it = a system that runs way smoother.

And combine sunlight with movement? That’s when the real shift happens. A ten-minute walk in the sun clears mental clutter like someone lifted a weighted blanket off your brain. It’s simple, but that’s the point. Discipline Rewired is built on that exact idea—simple, repeatable actions that compound harder than the complicated routines no one sticks to.

But yeah, respect the sun. It’s good for you, but it can also cook you alive. Cancer Council Australia says to use sun protection whenever UV hits 3 or higher. The benefits come from short, consistent exposure. Five to fifteen minutes. Not an hour of pretending you’re a lizard sunning itself on a rock. And don’t stare directly at the sun unless you’re trying to remove yourself from the gene pool.

You don’t need a plan. You need tiny habits: step outside within an hour of waking. Don’t scroll while you’re out there - your eyes need the light, not the blue glow of the doom rectangle in your hand. Step out at lunch even if you “don’t feel like it.” Especially then. Walk in the evening when the light softens and your brain can finally unclench from the day.

And if you struggle with consistency, if your job or routine traps you indoors, or if your levels are low (a blood test will tell you), use supplementation as backup. It’s cheap, effective, and proven. That combination - sun exposure, fresh air, and vitamin D support - stabilises mood, boosts energy, improves recovery, and strengthens your mental resilience. It’s not a miracle cure. It won’t fix your entire life. But it’ll fix the part of you that feels chronically out of sync.

Sunlight won’t solve every problem. Vitamin D won’t make you bulletproof. But both tilt the day in your favour. Both make your system run closer to how it’s meant to. And both are too simple, too accessible, and too effective to ignore while you’re busy trying to fix everything else at once.

If you can’t change the whole day, change the first five minutes. Step outside. Let the sun hit your skin. Supplement when you need to. Give your body the basics. Then deal with the rest.