Weather Affects the Mood and Behavior

 

After the weeks of scorching heat, weather became pleasant in Islamabad due to the heavy rain. Children and adults got crazy and came out of their houses. Everyone was happy and enjoying the rain that pushed me to do some research on the effect of weather on the mood because same people were feeling low and tired yesterday due to extreme weather conditions. I came up with the interesting findings that weather actually affects the mood and it is proven by scientific studies.

Winter Season

Prolonged weather conditions make people dull and lethargic especially the winter season. Short winter days and gloomy weather causes the depression and anxiety among various people which is also known as seasonal affected disorder (SAD). SAD has similar symptoms as other depressive disorders however, the feelings go away with the seasonal changes. This affect is more prevalent in Western countries due to the prolonged winter season. Vitamin D consumption is also associated with the depression and low intake of vitamin D during winter also aggravates the depression.

Spring Season

Spring brings happiness due to the mild weather conditions (beautiful flowers as well!). The soothing sunshine gives energy to work, play and roam around. Contrarily, it is also found that the suicide rate increases during the spring season and that is really strange. It usually happens because some people feel alone when others are having good time with friends and family and this makes them more depressed. Also, the suicidal ideation requires certain amount of energy that is provided by the spring season. This indicates that weather is not the only factor that influences mood and behavior and various other factors work in coordination. Moreover, different seasons affect the people of diverse geographical regions in dissimilar ways.

Summer season

Summer season is highly welcomed in the areas where people experience the prolonged winter period so they feel energetic during sunny days. Increased consumption of vitamin D leads to decrease in the depression and related disorders. Due to summer vacations, people tend to go to beaches and hilly areas which also help to elevate the mood and bring about the positive change.

Whereas extended summer season in Asia and Middle East makes people exhaustive and drained. Scorching heat provokes the aggressive and violent behavior and it has been observed that crime rate increases during these days. Moreover, people ignite over pity things and argue with each other.

Although, weather affects the mood, however, these changes are transient and can be reversed with the time. Therefore, we must learn to avoid the bad outcomes of weather change. In the next article, we will discuss about the ways to avoid such consequences, therefore, stay tuned!