By Vasiliki Theodosiou,
Calm before the storm, feeling gloomy or under the weather, to enjoy the rainbow first enjoy the rain…
Our language is more than enough to indicate how much weather influences our lives to the point where we have created words not only to describe it but also to visualise our feelings, thoughts or even to deliver a piece of advice.
However, is it possible that it also influences our mood? After a short heatwave that a significant part of Europe experienced in the previous weeks, life in England has returned back to its ‘normal’ rainy days along with an unbelievable temperature drop, that has prevented most Brits from being able to go out and enjoy a beer under the ‘reopening hospitality’ scheme. It goes without saying that it failed to prevent every single person from doing so as it appears that often the will to catch a pint and meet up with friends has overcome the far-from-being-ideal conditions, with entertaining pictures coming up online from creative solutions that people have found in order to do so.
Assuming that this constitutes the exception rather than the rule, it could be stated, that a significant number of people do not particularly enjoy rainy days, especially when they seem to be endless. And indeed a variety of studies have proved that a rainy day can have a negative impact on peoples’ moods as much as a sunny day can lift our spirits up. Some believe that this entirely boils down to the fact that a sunny weather allows room for social interaction and outdoor activities, nevertheless, taking into account that most parts of the world have experienced a ‘stay at home’ practice for over a year now, it becomes evident that this is not entirely the case.
The same applies for temperature, having studies associating extremely high or low temperatures with extreme uneasiness experienced by individuals. For example, a snowstorm has the ability to affect traffic as much as a heatwave can affect crops or the human body. Thus, if cloudy days, accompanied by a set of covid restrictions, are getting a bit ‘too much’ to handle, try not to let them change your mood to the worse by a few simple actions.
Listening to upbeat music, scheduling a videocall with your friends, enjoying a hot cup of tea, are all things that have the ability to make you feel a tiny bit better. If you are up for something more extreme, feel free to enjoy your pint in the wet beer garden, and potentially make it to the local news with your friends as a ‘true spirit drinker’. In case you wish to play safe though, feel free to simply open your curtains, focus on your work, enjoy the sound of the rain and ultimately appreciate the sunny days that will come ahead. Because, as the pandemic has taught us, nothing is to be taken for granted, not even the presence of the sun as the English weather is here to remind us that on a daily basis. Whe(a)ther it is here to contribute in us developing trust issues or exclusively to teach us a lesson about life, it is in your discretion to decide. In the meantime make sure to secure your Vitamin D intake and your serotonin levels by availing yourself to the sun and to the pleasure of being outdoors as much as possible.
References
The conversation. Here comes the sun: how the weather affects our mood. Available here.
Psychology today. Why Weather Affects Mood. Available here.
Mirror. Thirsty punters brave torrential rain to have pub pint in ‘true British spirit’. Available here.
