This blog post discusses how the weather can affect your mood. Click below to read more.
Have you ever noticed how people often seem to be happier when the sun is shining?
Or how you naturally feel more tired and sluggish when it’s grey or raining? Much as we’d like to believe we control our own mood, the weather can have quite a substantial role in it.
In fact, spending time outside in the sunshine is associated with feeling happier, improved memory and better thought process. It’s warmer so your circulation is working better, you’re detoxing anything harmful that your body may have been storing so your energy level is better and your serotonin levels (the body’s natural happy drug) are much higher thanks to increased amounts of vitamin D being absorbed through your skin.
Science has long since established that people who don’t get enough sunlight and Vitamin D can suffer from a form of weather induced depression. ‘SAD disease’ or seasonal affective disorder is commonly known as winter depression and occurs because the lack of vitamin D means that your body doesn’t produce nearly as much serotonin.
So what can we do to keep our mood up when the weather turns cold and grey?
Well, the first thing to note is that the weather inside is just as important as the weather outside. Even if it’s a beautiful 25 degree day with the sun shining and the birds singing, if you’re stuck in a dimly lit, air-conditioned office, your mood is likely to be far less pleasant than if you were outside.
Ideally, you should spend as much time as possible outside when the weather is warm, exposing as much of your skin to sunlight as you can. Make the most of your lunch hour break and get outside for a walk. This will also have added benefits of boosting your circulation and oxygenating your brain.
Even when the weather isn’t nearly as nice, nature can still be an excellent mood booster. A 50 minute walk outside in nature is known to improve mood, memory and even sleep as well as reducing anxiety and fatigue. If however, you are stuck in a dark office, simple things like a brighter light (feel free to ask me about the benefits of infra-red light) and even photos of green luscious landscapes and photos of nature can help to boost mood or at least cheer you up with the idea of possible holiday plans!