According
to research, various weather patterns can affect our emotions and moods. For
many years, people have been diagnosed as suffering from SAD (seasonal
affective disorder), while many experts also believe that cold or hot
temperatures can drain our energy and tamper with our sleeping patterns,
respectively along with the pressures life throws at us each day.
So,
what’s the truth? Here, we’ll look at how different weather patterns can affect
how we feel and whether there’s any proof to back up the claims that climates
can alter our behaviour and moods…
Sunshine
A
lowering of moods during winter has apparently been recorded as far back as
1845. Now named seasonal affective disorder (SAD), the condition is a type of
depression that happens to sufferers at certain times of the year with it most
notably autumn and winter. According to research,
6% of UK adults have the disorder, and it can even affect children — although,
the average age of SAD sufferers is 27 years.
So,
does sunshine equal happiness? It may be the case for most of us. Those
studying SAD have found that the rate of vulnerability rises the further from
the equator you live. Reports also show that sunshine boosts our moods easily
by raising the level of a certain brain chemical called serotonin which is
believed to regulate our anxiety, mood and social functioning that is also used
in many antidepressants. Less sunshine means a weaker production of serotonin.
Similarly,
it seems that sunny weather makes us get a better night’s sleep and we all know
how great an effect that can have on our moods the following day, nothing beats
a good nights sleep. Research carried out at the University of Rochester Sleep
Laboratory in New York discovered that good weather caused participants of the
study to sleep more soundly. This could have something to do with the fact that
being exposed to bright light during the day encourages our bodies to produce
more melatonin which is a hormone that acts as a detoxifier, rejuvenator and
sleeping agent when the sun sets. In fact, a Finnish study discovered that
rodents that were given daily sun exposure produced a great deal more melatonin
at night than those that received only artificial light. Evidently, natural
sunlight and a good night’s sleep seem to go hand in hand.
With
the fact that less sunlight means your body generates lower levels of vitamin D
which we all know is essential to good health and a subsequent happy mindset so
it’s important to look for ways you can increase your exposure to sunshine. To
help your body get plenty of sunlight, save up for a winter-sun holiday and
spend as much time outdoors when the weather is fine as you can.
Rain
Looking
outside and seeing rain lashing against the window rarely puts people in a good
mood. But is there more to it than just that? Experts believe that rain could
actually negatively affect our social lives, leading us to feel isolated,
frustrated and downbeat.
A
study
of more than 11,000 adults, led by Dr. Alan Teo, found that digital
communication (e.g. emails and phone calls) offered little protection against
participants developing depression over a stretch of a two-year period unlike
face-to-face contact. The people who met up with friends and family member
three times every week showed the lowest rate of depression after two years only
6.5% developed the condition compared to those who met up one a month (11.5%
development rate). If it’s raining heavily and consistently, we may be more
inclined to cancel plans to physically meet our friends and family, or have
them cancel on us, which could leave to a less fulfilled social life.
Also,
getting drenched in a downpour could lead to us feeling unwell, which may also
cause our moods to lower. An experiment, carried out by researchers at the
University of Freiburg, found that mice injected with a virus similar to human
flu showed signs of despair, lethargy and sadness when battling the infection.
According to the researchers, this is because our bodies react to an infection
by releasing a protein that doesn’t respond well with our hippocampus a region
of our brains that controls mood.
Rainy
mornings can also lead to bad traffic conditions, a tougher commute and more
accidents. So, to avoid letting the rain dampen your spirits, make sure you
stay as dry as possible and set off for work earlier to avoid delays that cause
frustration and anger.
Temperature
How
hot or cold the day is can also impact our feelings of happiness or sadness.
During colder months, our bodies are forced to work harder to keep us warm,
which includes raising our heart rates. This means that more energy is diverted
to achieve this aim, causing us to potentially feel lethargic and less willing
to participate in socialising and activities when the temperature drops. But
why is this important? Mental health organisation, Mind, states that getting
exercise is a contributor to sound mental health, while another scientific study
found that getting active holds ‘the promise of better mental health outcomes’.
Typically,
our immune systems are under more pressure during cold seasons, and so, are
less capable of fending off illnesses and it doesn’t help if you have children
and they pass it around the whole family which can contribute to low moods. On
top of this, chronic conditions such as back pain are more likely to flare up
due to winter weather, which may make you feel frustrated. But what about hot
weather? Apparently, one UK study
predicted that higher temperatures due to climate change will cause 9,000 fewer
deaths in winter by 2050, while other US studies have shown that there may be a
link between crime and rising heat levels!
It
seems that hot and cold weather also have an impact on how we feel and our
behaviour but try not to let a chilly day stop you from getting out and about.
With
experts predicting further changes in weather patterns as climate change
progresses, what can we expect from how weather will affect our psychology in
the future?
This
article was researched and created by Fulton Umbrellas an industry leader and
premium supplier of clear umbrellas.
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