Pleasure Practices with Sami Schalk: Take in the sun

Make the most of what little sun we have.

Welcome to November, readers. With the ending of daylight savings and the coming of winter, our time with the sun is extremely limited. I struggle with days when I am indoors working for almost all of the daylight hours so this year/winter I am committing to taking in the sun regularly and intentionally.

As I’ve shared before I experience seasonal depression and all my fellow SAD baddies know that while Vitamin D and sun lamps are essential winter survival tools, nothing can ever replace feeling the actual sun on your skin and seeing the actual sun light up the world around you—even if it’s reflecting off piles of snow. So this month’s pleasure practice is to take in the sun, baby!

For the rest of November our sunrises in the Madison area will occur between 6:38 and 7:07 a.m. and our sunsets will be between 4:46 and 4:24 p.m.—just 9-10 hours of daylight. While being in the sun is pretty much always pleasurable to me, it is especially so in the late fall and winter when direct sunlight is just so scarce between the limited daylight hours and the frequently overcast, snowy nature of Wisconsin winters. I feel something revive in my body when I am able to be in the direct sun and feel it on my skin in the winter. For me, it’s like a reminder that life is still possible, that I am still alive, through this small embodied pleasure.

Some studies I looked up say 5-15 minutes of direct sun exposure is all you need to experience real benefits, like increased Vitamin D and serotonin. So, once again, my body is telling me something science has backed up. Of course you should still wear sunscreen and bundle up properly when it’s cold, but fight the dying of the light (that’s what I call the end of daylight saving time) this month with some intentional, pleasurable, sun exposure. Here are ways I recommend taking in the sun when there’s not a lot of it to go around:

• Get into the habit of checking your favorite weather app to see when sunnier or slightly warmer days are coming. If those days happen to be days you are free or have flexibility in your schedule, try to schedule outdoor activities of some sort. I find committing to a little walk with a friend helps ensure I will do it more than if I make no plan at all or only a solo plan.
• If you are a morning person, be intentional about watching the sunrise. Some good spots to do this include Marshall Park in Middleton, the John Nolen walk/bike path, Monona Terrace, and Pope Farm Conservancy
• If you would prefer to never be awake, let alone outside at 7 a.m., try catching sunset when your schedule allows. Good spots for sunsets include some of the same spots above as well as Governor’s Island, Picnic Point, and Observatory Point. I’m lucky to get a decent view of sunset from my house so this year I’m trying to make sure I take time to see it, ideally from outside, when I’m home. 
• Take a walk during work/lunch breaks or find a place to sit in the sun. Sometimes I literally just stop as I walk to/from my office from the garage if the sun is hitting me and lift my face up to it for a minute before continuing on. 
• Even when it’s cold AF, let the sun on you. If you get direct sun into a window at home or work, put yourself there like a cat. If you don’t get direct sun in your indoor space and you have a car, try going for a drive and parking your car in a way that allows the sun to hit you directly while you stay warm inside. I’ve sunned myself in my car at many random parking lots in Madison in the winter. 

Every winter I struggle with my mental health and I know so many of you do as well. I would love to hear from you on social media with your favorite sunrise/sunset spots, other places in town to take in the sun, or more ways you manage your seasonal depression. If nothing else, I hope intentionally taking in the sun helps you feel like the badass bitch you are!