#133 How weather affects your mood (English)

How weather affects your mood

 Do you ever feel slightly down when there’s a cloud in the sky? For some reason everything just seems so much worse! If only it could be sunny all the time right? Well, it has been proven that weather actually does have an effect on your mood!

 First of all, a lack of sunlight can cause Seasonal Affective Disorder, otherwise known as SAD – appropriate right? Well, this lack of sunlight causes more melatonin to be produced than normal. This is a hormone that tends to make you feel very sleepy. So since more is being produce, you consequently feel more tired. Your brain then starts to produce less serotonin, a neurotransmitter affecting mood, appetite and sexual drive. In order to combat SAD (most common between the months of October and April) it may be worth while to put your bedroom lights on a timer to create the illusion of a sun rise.

 Colder temperatures can also lead to laziness as they reduce sensory feedback, dexterity, muscle strength, blood flow, and balance, impacting your performance of complex physical tasks. If you tend to stay in bed in the early, cold mornings, piling on the layers and doing a morning stretch will help to wake you up as the added warmth and movement will stimulate blood flow.

 As well as making us a little bit more lazy, rain makes us eat more too… The lack of sunlight on a rainy day causes serotonin levels to drop which in turn increases our craving for carbohydrates. Once we’ve stocked up on carbs we feel better as they spark an increase in serotonin levels. However this spike does not last long and soon levels drop again. If you’re worried about eating too much pasta go for some starchy veggies instead!

 Rain can also cause pain. The likelihood of clouds or rain appearing in the sky increases as atmospheric pressure decreases. This allows bodily fluids to move from blood vessels to tissues, causing pressure on the nerves and joints, which leads to increased pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. To help ease the pain skip the cardio for the day and do some nice relaxing yoga.

 On a positive note, research has shown that we spend less when there is less sunlight. Along with sun comes positivity and consumption so maybe you’ll be saving some money throughout the winter! Lucky you!

McA