I always thought I got enough sun. "I go outside." "I take walks." "I'm fine." Then I actually tracked it.
The data was brutal:
- I thought I got 30-40 minutes a day. Reality: 12 minutes average.
- Weekdays: basically zero. I was a weekend-only sun person.
- Most of my "outdoor time" was walking to my car or grabbing coffee. Not real exposure.
I was living like a vampire and had no idea.
What nobody told me
- Going outside ≠ sunlight. Walking through shade, sitting by windows (UV doesn't pass through glass), quick errands — none of it counts.
- Timing matters. Morning sun before 11am affects your circadian rhythm differently. Afternoon sun is fine but not the same.
- Frequency beats duration. Three 10-minute outdoor sessions are better than one 30-minute walk.
- Your brain can't track this. You literally cannot "feel" cumulative sun exposure. You'll always think you got more than you did.
So I built something
An app that tracks what actually matters:
- Total exposure time (from Apple Watch's daylight sensor)
- Number of sessions (encourages multiple breaks)
- Morning sunlight bonus
- A simple 0-100 score so you know where you stand
No guessing. No "I think I went outside today?"
The Build
Two weeks. Zero coding experience. AI tools did the heavy lifting.
Then Apple rejected me 4 times:
- Privacy concerns
- "Physical Harm" (lol, sunlight is dangerous?)
- App Completeness (twice)
Each rejection made it better. Shipped last week.
It's called SunshinePal
Free, no ads.
Download SunshinePal on App Store
If you're curious what your actual number is — it's probably lower than you think.
Ready to stop being a vampire? Learn more about SunshinePal.