Most of the general public believes that weather affects
their mood. I know I did. That’s why most people associate cities with good weather
as happy places. I asked myself, “Why is that? How does weather affect our
mood?” In this blog I investigated the myths and facts about weather and mood.
Here are my findings:
I went and asked student staff at the Rec Center about
weather and its effects on their mood. Most of them had similar answers. Sunny weather makes them happy, active and
productive. Rainy weather makes them sad, sleepy, unproductive, and makes them
want to watch a movie.
“If it’s cold and
gloomy I’m going to stay inside and watch movies. If it’s raining, you’re most
likely going to sleep because you don’t want to go outside.” - Demi, Service
Assistant
“Yes, I don’t like cool weather, it’s kinda depressing to
me. I like sunny summers or spring, but I hate winter. Being cold makes me
uncomfortable.” – Stuti, Group X instructor
“Yeah, I guess on a subconscious level, I don’t really get
sad if it rains generally, but I get happy when it’s sunny.” - Tony, Outdoor Pursuits
This is in line with the typical idea that most people have.
Though this is the most popular assumption, the research says otherwise. Marcus
Huibers J.H. abstract studies states, “Weather
conditions were not associated with mood,
and did not explain the seasonal variation we found. We conclude that, contrary
to popular belief, weather
conditions and sad mood or
depression do not seem to be associated.”
This is the most common finding in the Google Scholar
searches. Their hypothesis is that the effects of weather are all in the
person’s mind. The person subconsciously associates an emotion with a current
type of weather. Whether this is true are not is up for debate.
Another theory is the belief that weather doesn’t affect a
person’s mood, but rather certain weather aspects have an effect on mood.
The main aspects of weather that affect mood are:
1.) Humidity
2.) Temperature
3.) Sunshine
Jeffery Sanders and Mary Brizzolara’s
“Relationships Between Weather and Mood” says that, “The pattern in inverse
relationships suggests a general state of enervation characterized by feelings
of diminished physical energy, reduced interest in social interactions, and
somewhat flattened effect.” Basically, during days when it’s really humid,
generally people have a tendency to be less active and stay home. Low energy
levels have bad effects on mood. That is also the reason why cold weather could
have a lowing effect on mood. The less active you are, the lower your mood
tends to be.
The last aspect is sunshine. According
to Deborah Kotz from health.usnews.com,
“When the sun's UV-B rays hit the skin,
a reaction takes place that enables skin cells to manufacture vitamin D.” The
article goes on to say that fair skinned individuals only need 10 minutes in
the midday sun to get enough radiation to produce about 10,000 international
units of vitamin D. The article also says that dark-skinned individuals produce
less vitamin D (possibly because of the higher concentration of melanin in the
skin) so they would need more time in the sunshine to produce the same amount. Kotz goes on to state, “The darker the skin,
the more it's protected against skin cancer, but the less able it is to absorb
UV-B rays.” Maintaining your vitamin
levels is a big factor in mood and in health. Generally, the healthier you are,
the happier you are.
Most of these findings say that there isn’t a correlation
between weather and mood. Rather, it’s the correlation between energy levels
and mood. So next time when you find it raining outside or it’s a gloomy day,
maybe try working out. Working out causes your body to release endorphins;
which gives you a positive feeling. It might just change
your mood for the better.
- Just a thought, Devonte Hill
Resources:
http://health.usnews.com/health-news/family-health/heart/articles/2008/06/23/time-in-the-sun-how-much-is-needed-for-vitamin-d?page=2
http://www.webmd.com/depression/guide/exercise-depression
Relationships Between Weather and Mood
by Jeffery Sanders and Mary Brizzolara
Rec Center Employees
No comments:
Post a Comment