How Weather Affects Your Mood
For those of you who are currently living in Toronto, I am sure that I don't have to inform you of the crazy weather we have been having for the past few weeks. The day can start off cloudy with temperatures of 9 degrees and then by noon, it becomes really sunny out, yet the wind blows in and drops, what would be, warm temperature. Making our way to the evening, we have thunder and lightening storms that lasts all of three minutes, only to return back to the windy breeze we had earlier that day. The following day's weather forecast is anyone's guess.
In working with people all day, I am always curious to hear how they're feeling about the weather. For starters, it's a great conversation starter. It's neutral, it's simple, and requires zero knowledge of the person. In my line of work, asking about weather is a great indication as to what I'm up against before session. I call it the "Litmus Test" for your mood. Sunnier days usually mean upbeat sessions and liveliness. Cloudy/rainy days usually mean that clients are not as enthused. I can even see a difference in clients when the blinds are open and natural light is shining through versus when they are closed.
It got me thinking... Does weather affect our mood?
The short answer is yes, but there are some conditions around this. Studies have shown that increased sunlight can change a negative mood into a positive mood, but, it does not enhance positive moods that are already present. So, if you're having a great day and operating at 70%, great weather is not going to make you operate at 100%. However, if you're feeling down and operating at 30%, sunny weather can enhance your mood. Now, remember how I say that too much of anything is a bad thing? This applies here too. In that same light [see what I did there?], too much sunlight and extreme rain has been shown to increase aggression and conflict. Which makes sense if you ask me. Too much sunlight means too much heat. Too much heat means too much discomfort. You are more likely to snap when you are uncomfortable than when we're having a cool summer evening.
So what do we do if we feel that crummy weather may be the cause of our crummy mood? Here are some tips to turn your day around despite outdoor conditions
1. Turn the negative into a positive - If rain has you stuck indoors, do something different/ out of character indoors. If that means snuggling in and catching up with your favourite shows, movies, dancing to some music, trying a new recipe, then do it.
2. Take it for what it is - A little rain never hurt anyone. Try something new by running outdoors and embracing the rain. Get wet! Experience the feelings of warm water droplets on your skin. Shake the droplets of water out of your hair! Eat ice cream in the rain! It's a whole new world out there.
3. Pretend you're in a music video- Look out the window the stare into the distance. Imagine you're Adele and you're imagining your distant lover. Perhaps you can be Billie Joe Armstrong singing a moody ballad. I personally prefer to be melodramatic like Justin Timberlake in Cry Me a River.
There you have it folks. Don't let this weather get the best of you. Show it that it won't get to you. Be like the clouds and be above it all, because, real talk, I'm so over this weather.