Weather and Mood
It turns out, weather may be more related to your mood and levels of depression and anxiety than you even realize. And, it’s not just sunshine that is the universal “happy” beacon in weather terms that everyone thinks it is. Some people actually are more prone to be crabby when it’s sunny! Of course, to each their own, but I know I’m in the prior class. I love when it’s sunny.
Sunshine just does something to my mood that I can’t explain. I have a more positive outlook on life. Now, if it’s opressively humid and disgustingly hot and sunny, that tends to change it a little for me. But if it’s a winter day, cold and crisp but sunny, or it’s in the tolerable seventies or low eighties and sunny, I’m basically a different person.
You’ve probably heard of a common condition that comes over a lot of people during the cold, dreary, dark and sunshine lacking months of winter time in the east, north and northeastern parts of the US. It’s a condition called SAD. It is aptly named because it describes the way people tend to feel during these months when the sunshine is at a premium.
The cold, combined with the lack of sunshine, does something to our bodies. The lack of light and warmth definitely suppresses many of the feel good chemicals and hormones that circulate when these two valuable commodities are plentiful. For this reason, SAD or Seasonal Affective Disorder, is often treated with light therapy.
In fact, some doctors even recommend tanning beds to patients with SAD, both for the light and warmth therapy and for the additional infusion of vitamin D. One must be careful if using this as a treatment though, as some tanning beds do not provide any UVB exposure, they just offer UVA exposure, which does not produce Vitamin D in the skin like UVB does.
Studies have found that there are few people for whom the opposite is true when it comes to mood and weather. Few people actually don’t prefer the sunshine as opposed to the cold and darkness of winter. These people actually exhibit more anxiety, anger and depression during the sunnier months of the year!
It seems counterintuitive, but these people actually feel better when it’s darker and potentially colder. Interesting how us humans are so diverse that even something as seemingly universal as this can vary amongst us. Look at yourself and see when you feel better, can focus better, and are generally happier and see what you come up with.