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These podcasts answer the question why a listener Christina gets ruffled by a stiff breeze and if she’s alone in her wind rage. After listening to the podcasts, I have a new knowledge that there is a relationship between weather and people’s mood.

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This article explains how lack of sunlight affects people’s mood in a simple way “Our bodies are built with an internal clock that has been conditioned through evolution to coincide with the rotation of night and day...A lack of sunlight prompts the body to produce melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep...Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, appetite, and sleep.”

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Everyone is familiar with the way the weather can influence wellbeing. This can vary from person to person depending on preference and associations. For example, one person might feel happier on sunny days because they love to go the beach, while another may enjoy the nostalgia of snow during Christmas time. Aside from personal taste, however, there is scientific evidence backing the various ways weather influences mood and mental wellbeing. Understanding the science behind the relationship between weather and mood can help us to better prepare for environmental changes that may influence the way we feel. For those struggling with depression or addiction, paying attention to weather changes and sunlight exposure can go a long way in maintaining motivations and working towards recovery.

Darkness and Depression

A lack of sunlight has always been associated with sad emotions, but only over the last few decades has research been able to better explain why this is. Our bodies are built with an internal clock that has been conditioned through evolution to coincide with the rotation of night and day. In other words, we are programmed to feel alert when the sun is up, and drowsy after it goes down. During the winter months, when days become shorter and it may become dark before you even leave work, this internal clock, known as the circadian rhythm, causes some inconvenient effects. A lack of sunlight prompts the body to produce melatonin, the hormone that induces sleep. Feeling drowsy at work or when you still have tasks to complete in your day can be frustrating and lead to irritability. At the same time, your brain begins to produce less serotonin. Serotonin is the neurotransmitter that helps regulate mood, appetite, and sleep. Without adequate amounts of serotonin while awake, it can be difficult to experience a sense of wellbeing.

Now that a wealth of data has been collected on the effects of sunlight, or lack thereof, experts have classified the associated negative symptoms as a mood disorder. This condition, known as seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, especially affects people living in areas of the world with long winters and entire months without sun. It can, however, occur in any climate. SAD is characterized by symptoms of depression that return around the same time every year. A rare form of SAD is found in people who experience chronic depression during the summer months, but most people with this condition experience symptoms during short days and cold weather.

Rain, Appetite, and Pain

Rainy days are known for contributing to the blues, but science confirms rain may be responsible for several unpleasant bodily changes. The dip in serotonin levels caused by the lack of sun on rainy days can create food cravings, especially for comforting carbohydrates such as bread and pasta. This may in part be a response to symptoms of depression associated with gloomy weather, as carbohydrates temporarily boost serotonin levels and improve mood. This effect, however, is short-lived, and not an advisable way to regularly combat symptoms of depression.

In addition to the changes in appetite associated with dark, rainy days, rain comes with a change in atmospheric pressure that can have painful affects in the body. Pressure in the nerves and joints caused by a shift in bodily fluid in response to the environmental pressure can cause aches and a lack of mobility. This can contribute to a lack of motivation to exercise, which only exacerbates depressive symptoms.

Sun, Cognitive Function, and Creativity

As you may have guessed based on the many negative effects of a lack of sunlight, healthy amounts of sunlight can have various positive effects on mood and brain function. Despite the temperature, spending time outdoors when the sun is shining can increase serotonin production, improve memory, and even spark the creative process. A recent study took a closer look at the exact chemical process in the brain in response to UV exposure from the sun and found that, while there is still much to learn, there is a definite connection between the production of critical neurotransmitters and exposure to sunlight. With more research we may be able to better understand how people who spend a great deal of time indoors or live in low-sun areas are more vulnerable to mental illness, problems with memory and cognition, and addiction. While we may not be able to control the weather, we can walk fully informed into rainy days and winter months, and take steps to better preserve our mental health and improve mood.

Those with SAD are particularly vulnerable to substance abuse, as is anyone living with depression. If you or someone you love is struggling with addiction and mental health issues, now is the time to seek help. At Burning Tree Ranch, we specialize in long-term care that produces real results, especially for those who have experienced relapse. Here you will find a team of qualified and compassionate professionals, ready to help each client through a customized treatment program that addresses all aspects of addiction, including the identification of co-occurring disorders. We know that the journey towards recovery doesn't end with the conclusion of an inpatient program, which is why we provide extensive aftercare programs to best support our clients during their transition into lasting sobriety. We also know that addiction affects the whole family, and therefore loved ones are encouraged to participate in the recovery process and take advantage of all our support resources. For more information, call us today at 512-285-5900

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Everyone is familiar with the way the weather can influence wellbeing. This can vary from person to person depending on preference and associations. For example, one person might feel happier on sunny days because they love to go the beach, while another may enjoy the nostalgia of snow during Christmas time.

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Hot weather affects mood and memory (2019)

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Hot weather affects mood and memory (2019)

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This article reveals the relationship between hot weather and human behavior. According to a study from Arizona, higher temperatures contributed to more aggressive driving behavior.

When people are hot and uncomfortable, they become irritable and cranky, but sitting in the summer heat makes some people aggressive, offensive, and violent.

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Does the Weather Affect Your Mood? (2016)

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Does the Weather Affect Your Mood? (2016)

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This blog is a research about how weather affects someone's mood. According to this research, serotonin levels are elements which are associated with mood elevation, increased with brightness and decreased with a lack of sun exposure. This article answers the question that weather does affect mood. It makes me think about my research as a science topic.

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I have always been fascinated by the weather. I grew up just outside New York City and every season brought it's own ups and downs. Each day was unique in that type of climate, and I quickly figured out what kind of weather I preferred. I dreaded the rain and wind but loved sunshine and snow, both in moderation. My sister on the other hand, loved the rain and hated the snow, in any kind. That always puzzled me- how people living in the same conditions could have such different preferences on the weather. For both of us, the different types of weather seemed to impact our outlooks on those days. I wondered if these outlooks were indeed because of the weather or based on some confounding variable. It made me ask the question, how does weather affect someones mood?

Null Hypothesis: The weather does not affect people's moods in any way

Alternative Hypothesis: The weather affects people's moods in different ways, depending on confounding variables

I began to research this topic, and came across a March 2016 article written by Dr. Joseph Mercola. In his research, Mercola sought out ways in which the weather was in fact related to someone's mood. The first thing that stuck out to me had to do with serotonin. Serotonin levels, which are associated with mood elevation, increased with brightness and decreased with a lack of sun exposure. Dr. Mercola stated that this was one explanation for why people who suffered from SAD (seasonal affective disorder) benefited from bright light therapy. Later in the article, Mercola stated established research on this topic was gained from two primary factors: the season and how much time is spent outside. He went on to list many ways in which the weather and moods were indeed related. These included:
-A research study published in The Journal of Finance associating sunshine with higher stock returns, but not rain or snow
-Department of Justice records stating crime rates increase during the summer months
-Research taken on 682 actual university admissions showing favoritism towards academics over extra-curricular activities on cloudy days as opposed to sunny days
The list went on and on. From all of Mercola's research, I concluded that I should reject the null hypothesis. It seemed clear to me that weather had some sort of impact on a person's mood.

A second study I examined was done by John M. Grohl. Like Mercola, Grohl sought out to prove that their was a clear relationship between weather and mood. One major piece of work he covered was that of Klimstra (2011). In his experiments, Klimstra studied 415 adolescents and the change of their moods with the weather. He found that about half of his subjects were impacted by the weather, while the other half were not. He accredited this to different types of personality regarding the weather. He further broke this down by assigning four groups linked to weather personality: Summer lovers, summer haters, rain haters, and unaffected by weather. These groups were based on statistics showing that the summer caused the most drastic behavioral changes among seasons, and the same of rain in terms of precipitation. What he found was that:
17% of people were summer lovers. "Happier, less fearful, and less angry on days with more sunshine and higher temperatures. More hours of precipitation was associated with less happiness and more anxiety and anger."
27% of people were summer haters. "Less happy and more fearful and angry when the temperature and the percentage of sunshine were higher. With more hours of precipitation they tended to be happier and less fearful and angry."
9% of people were rain haters. "Angrier and less happy on days with more precipitation. By comparison, they were more happy and fearful, but less angry, on days with more sunshine and higher temperatures."
And lastly, 48% of people were unaffected by weather. "Largely un-impacted by changes in the weather."
Based on this experiment, Grohl concluded that weather seemed to have a real impact on a person's mood, but that it was dependent upon many factors.

After researching this topic through the works of two different people, I've concluded to accept the alternative hypothesis. I think the majority of people can agree that the weather does have some type of impact on most people's thoughts or moods. After the research backed up that, I was quickly able to eliminate the null hypothesis. At that point, I narrowed in on the idea that confounding variables could be responsible for the affect of weather on people's moods. Through the studied research it was clear to me that other variables such as time spent outside, climate, and age all play huge roles on the other variables of this study.
Works Cited
http://psychcentral.com/blog/archives/2014/08/29/can-weather-affect-your-mood/

http://articles.mercola.com/sites/articles/archive/2016/03/31/weather-affects-mood.aspx

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SiOWfa16: Science in Our World: Certainty and Controversy

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I have always been fascinated by the weather. I grew up just outside New York City and every season brought it's own ups and downs. Each day was unique in that type of climate, and I quickly figured out what kind of weather I preferred.

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VERIFY: Does weather impact our mood? How? (2018)

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VERIFY: Does weather impact our mood? How? (2018)

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This news verified that darkness affects our mood by a Hennepin Healthcare Psychologist. As a recommendation, we can go to the doctor to get vitamin D or something simple to change the habits to feel better.

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VERIFY: Does weather impact our mood? How?