Does Weather Really Affect Our Mood? According to Rich Maloof, columnist for MSN's Health & Fitness, it does. But let's not get ahead of ourselves. Maloof clarifies, "...our emotions are not casualties of the weather. The rain can be guilty by association, but not causation." Indeed the link is not a science, but rather an art of observation. Research has commonly sought to diagnose this hypothesis. Confirmation of an association between an inclination of better spirits and sunny skies cannot be ignored in sample surveys over the past decade.
In my own experience, I cannot tell you how many times I "didn't feel like doing much that day" or "feel like getting out of bed" when the sunshine was in temporary hibernation. Whether an excuse or eerie connection, it is hard to distinguish.
Our bodies give us more insight. The recognition of light produces serotonin and darkness triggers melatonin production levels to change, affecting higher energy and our sleep cycles respectively. (So maybe this is my justification to wanting to sleep through dreary, rainy days?)
In my opinion, Ani Kalayjian, Ed.D., R.N., professor of psychology at Fordham University in New York leaves us with the best advise to err on the side of sunny: "We tell people to take advantage of the sunny days. Leave the computers and the indoor games and get out there in the sun. That's when they can recharge their batteries—recharge their serotonin—and maintain higher mood."
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