Weather and Mood: What’s Relationship?

What reserchers says about weather and mood

A growing body of research found a strong relationship between mood and weather.

One 2008 study showed that nice weather has a greater impact on boosting a person’s bad feeling than on a positive one.

Is there any link between weather and mood

A German study in 1983 was carried out to investigate how weather impacts our mood. In the study, people were called on rainy and sunny days to tell their mood and their general well-being. Respondents said that they had higher levels of momentary happiness on sunny days, and lower level on rainy days.

Investigating weather and mood, a 2013 study found that people surveyed on particularly sunny days showed higher levels of life satisfaction than those interviewed on normal days.

Although these feelings may seem fleeting and change from day to day, it does show that good weather can also affect our general mood.

Why Does Weather Affect Mood?

A study in 1979 indicated that good weather can affect mood through symbolic associations. Simply put, good weather can lift our moods by stimulating thoughts of activities like swimming or picnics, while cloudy days are often related to disappointment possibly caused by canceled plans and the discomfort of rain and snow.

The study done by Canadian researchers showed a strong link between Vitamin D and depression. Vitamin D is a necessary vitamin. However, many people simply aren’t getting enough of it. The lower the vitamin D level, the greater chance of having depression. 

Weather and Mood: What’s Relationship? 

Sunny days and moods

Research on weather and mood showed that sunlight has been found to positively affect moods, dampen negative moods and mitigate tiredness.

A study done by Sydney’s Joseph Forgas shows that sunshine can also have an impact on our mental sharpness. 

Shoppers coming out of a store were asked about ten unusual objects - including a toy tractor and a pink piggy bank - that had been placed in the checkout area. They accurately recalled seven times as many objects on cloudy days than on sunny ones.

This effect is also in line with other findings that bad moods induce careful and systematic cognition. Our minds and behavior are also affected by temperature.  The more the temperature departs from an ideal of around 20°C, the more uncomfortable we feel.

A study found that the higher the temperature, the more people are likely to speak and act aggressively. Aggression rates are higher on hotter days, months. 

Another best example of the relationship of weather and mood is the study of news media coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics. It found that stories filed by American journalists contained more negative words on hotter days, even when they were writing about China in general rather than the Games in particular.

A recent study of media coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics found that stories presented by American journalists contained more negative words on hot days, even when they write about China in general, not the Olympics in particular.

The strong link between weather and mood

However, the effect of weather on mood is not simply biological. They are also psychological and social. One reason why hot weather is associated with aggression is that people interact more in public during hot weather. 

Humidity and mood

Weather and Mood: What’s the correlation? Well, humidity can make people more tired and irritable. Fluctuations in atmospheric pressure can alter moods and cause headaches, and some studies have found a link between low pressure and suicide. On rainy days, people report lower levels of life satisfaction.

Rainy Weather and Mood

It’s completely understandable If you feel down during a downpour: Bad weather can negatively affect your emotions. 

According to one study, nearly 9 percent of people feels angrier and less happy on rainy days. Another study also showed that the number of negative posts published on social media increase. 

Weather and mood are a topic of interest

Tecsia Evans, Ph.D., a clinical psychologist in private practice in San Francisco says people are susceptible to lonliness and sadness when it gets dark and dreary.

It will come as no surprise if you find yourself sad when it rains. It’s is the relationship between weather and mood.

Don't worry, there is still a way to improve your mood when the rain is getting heavy. Instead of turning off the lights and getting into bed when it's raining and doing nothing, turn on the lights and do the things you love like reading a book or laughing at your favorite comedy. 

In the office, you can spend five minutes relaxing after every hour of work such as listening to a song, chatting with colleagues, etc. Research suggests that doing this can increase serotonin that boost excitement.

In addition, if you feel sad when the rain comes, get up and do some basic exercises and continue to sit at your desk or study. This is very beneficial for your mood as it increases the endorphins that make you feel a lot happier. Can you feel the link between weather and mood?

Research on weather and mood

And remember, never lock yourself in a room when it starts to rain. Connect with your friends, chat with them, make a date with your best friends to go out to watch the rain or even go dressed in spite of the rain. It sounds weird, but these things will improve your mood a lot.

The occasional rains over the past few days can make you more upset or even feel sad. The above article will help you better understand the relationship between mood and weather as well as great ways to deal with this situation.

Final thoughts

There is scientific evidence for a link between weather and mood. Indeed,  weather have an impact on how we feel. You can proactively change your plans when weather suddenly strikes, or create a list of activities and habits that can boost your moods such as meditation, practicing emotional conditioning techniques, or learn the essence of the world's lifestyles to live peacefully with the weather.