Recently, I feel as though Virginia weather has been a bit garbage. Mother nature has never been the most reliable, as the weather forecast often seems to be the exact opposite of reality. So, this past week surprised me in that I woke up to sunlight and pleasant temperatures. Going from days straight of slush and flinching at the idea of going outside to actually wanting to spend my free time in the park was quite the switch.
That being said, having a few nice days in a row has had a shockingly noticeable effect on my overall mood. It got me thinking if something as simple as having the opportunity to go out in the sun will increase my happiness levels, why is it not easier to stay in that state of relaxed bliss? This curiosity prompted a bit of research, and in an attempt to cure myself of any potential unhappiness, I spent far too long learning about the weather.
To start off, I am aware that there is nothing inherently good or bad about any type of weather (outside of perhaps a tornado or similarly destructive natural disaster). I know that some people actually enjoy rainy days and overcast skies. However, the majority of research on the subject seems to view “good” weather as warm and sunny and “bad” as anything you would be horrified to go out in. A 2008 study found that weather’s effect on mood isn’t quite as simple as cloudy days bring you down, and something brighter does the opposite. Instead, good weather only seems to improve the moods of people who were already feeling a bit down in the dumps.
If someone’s already in a good mood, no level of sun is really going to improve that and won’t provide them with much beyond maybe some extra Vitamin D. According to a German Study done in 1983, weather has also shown to affect a person’s momentary mood rather than their overall wellbeing. I remember when I first read this, I definitely felt a sense of relief. I’m pretty sure that the humid and muggy Virginia weather would not lend itself to assisting my mental health if that were the case. So, while the weather does affect a person’s mood, it tends to be more of a temporary change. Taking that into account, if mother nature continues to hit us with dreary skies and barely frozen rain, this change could feel a bit less temporary.
The slightly more intensive version of this temporary effect on mood is Seasonal Affective Disorder. The acronym for this being “SAD,” which I find both funny and very appropriate. This is a diagnosis available in the DSM, as is a subset of depression that tends to come and go with the change of the seasons. According to the DSM-5, SAD isn’t considered a separate disorder from that of a depressive disorder.
Instead, it is viewed as having similar symptoms and effects but on a schedule. Just as with other mood disorders, SAD has been shown to have a strong genetic component. It’s also more common than people may think, with 10-20% of depressive cases found to be in more of a seasonal pattern. SAD most commonly begins in the fall, last through the winter and then becomes slightly less relevant in the spring and summer.
So that brings the point, why does the weather have such an effect on mood? One reason is simply that we associate good weather with good things. According to a 1979 study, most outdoor activities such as swimming, picnics, or mini-golf (I thought this was a strange and random activity to be listed) are often paired with blue skies and pleasant temperatures. On the other hand, rain and snow generally foreshadow canceled plans or a disappointingly soggy mini golf session. Another reason is linked to our physical needs.
While vitamin D isn’t necessarily to be happy, a deficiency of this specific vitamin has been linked to depression. Not being commonly found in food, the majority of people must get their supply from the sun. This means that while sunning yourself might feel like a silly way of improving your life; there’s a fair amount of science behind why this might actually work. That being said, I’m also not saying that any level of seasonal depression will be cured by going out to photosynthesize along with the plants—just that long-term exposure to enough vitamin D could be beneficial.
Although all of this is interesting, I also ended up slightly frustrated to know that being made aware of the weather’s effect on my mood doesn’t necessarily mean I can control it. So, now I will be able to appreciate the logic and reasoning behind my potential sadness at overcast skies while still very much feeling the sadness. As unfortunate as this is, I hope it has also served as a solid reminder to make sure you get your daily dose of vitamin D and sunshine in.