does the weather affect your mood essay

24/7 writing help on your phone

To install StudyMoose App tap and then “Add to Home Screen”

The Effect of Weather to Our Mood

Save to my list

Remove from my list

The Effect of Weather to Our Mood. (2017, Mar 21). Retrieved from https://studymoose.com/the-effect-of-weather-to-our-mood-essay

"The Effect of Weather to Our Mood." StudyMoose , 21 Mar 2017, https://studymoose.com/the-effect-of-weather-to-our-mood-essay

StudyMoose. (2017). The Effect of Weather to Our Mood . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/the-effect-of-weather-to-our-mood-essay [Accessed: 5 Sep. 2024]

"The Effect of Weather to Our Mood." StudyMoose, Mar 21, 2017. Accessed September 5, 2024. https://studymoose.com/the-effect-of-weather-to-our-mood-essay

"The Effect of Weather to Our Mood," StudyMoose , 21-Mar-2017. [Online]. Available: https://studymoose.com/the-effect-of-weather-to-our-mood-essay. [Accessed: 5-Sep-2024]

StudyMoose. (2017). The Effect of Weather to Our Mood . [Online]. Available at: https://studymoose.com/the-effect-of-weather-to-our-mood-essay [Accessed: 5-Sep-2024]

Weather and Mood Pages: 6 (1686 words)
The Influence of Weather on Mood: Exploring Seasonal Variations Pages: 2 (524 words)
How Clothes Can Affect Our Mood? Pages: 7 (1981 words)
Willy Russell Create Mood and Atmosphere in the Summer Sequence Pages: 6 (1689 words)
Heroes Robert Cormier Atmosphere and Mood Pages: 2 (354 words)
Importance of Intestinal Microbiota Effects on Mood Pages: 6 (1714 words)
Literary Sound Devices To Create Mood: Onomatopoeia Pages: 9 (2634 words)
Mood Of Animal Farm By Orwell Pages: 7 (1997 words)
The Devil and Tom Walker: Mood to Theme Pages: 2 (442 words)
How does Steinbeck create mood and atmosphere in section 6? Pages: 5 (1295 words)

👋 Hi! I’m your smart assistant Amy!

Don’t know where to start? Type your requirements and I’ll connect you to an academic expert within 3 minutes.

Essay Service Examples Business Weather

Is Your Mood Affected By Weather?

Introduction, problem statement, literature review, advantages and disadvantages, ethical concerns.

Proper editing and formatting
Free revision, title page, and bibliography
Flexible prices and money-back guarantee

American Psychological Association (2017). Ethical principles of psychologists and code of conduct. Retrieved from http://www.apa.org/ethics/code/index/aspx
Guzman, A., Tonelli, L. H., Roberts, D., Stiller, J. W., Jackson, M. A., Soriano, J. J., Yousufi, S., Rohan, K. J., Komarow, H., … Postolache, T. T. (2007). Mood-worsening with high-pollen-counts and seasonality: a preliminary report. Journal of affective disorders, 101(1-3), 269-74
Hansen, A., Bi, P., Pisaniello, D., & Xiang, J. (n.d.). Health Impacts of Workplace Heat Exposure: An ... Retrieved December 21, 2013, from https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC4202759/
Peng, Y., Tang, J., Fu, Y., Fan, I., Hor, M., & Chan, T. (2016). Analyzing Personal Happiness from Global Survey and Weather Data: A Geospatial Approach. Plos One,11(4). doi: 10.1371/journal.pone.0153638
Timmermans, E. J., van der Pas, S., Schaap, L. A., Sánchez-Martínez, M., Zambon, S., Peter, R., Pedersen, N. L., Dennison, E. M., Denkinger, M., Castell, M. V., Siviero, P., Herbolsheimer, F.,
Wagner, A. L., Keusch, F., Yan, T., & Clarke, P. J. (2019). The impact of weather on summer and winter exercise behaviors. Journal of Sport and Health Science,8(1), 39-45.doi: 10.1016/j.jshs.2016.07.007

Our writers will provide you with an essay sample written from scratch: any topic, any deadline, any instructions.

Cite this paper

Join our 150k of happy users

Get original paper written according to your instructions
Save time for what matters most

Fair Use Policy

EduBirdie considers academic integrity to be the essential part of the learning process and does not support any violation of the academic standards. Should you have any questions regarding our Fair Use Policy or become aware of any violations, please do not hesitate to contact us via [email protected].

We are here 24/7 to write your paper in as fast as 3 hours.

Provide your email, and we'll send you this sample!

By providing your email, you agree to our Terms & Conditions and Privacy Policy .

Say goodbye to copy-pasting!

Get custom-crafted papers for you.

Enter your email, and we'll promptly send you the full essay. No need to copy piece by piece. It's in your inbox!

Bipolar Disorder
Therapy Center
When To See a Therapist
Types of Therapy
Best Online Therapy
Best Couples Therapy
Managing Stress
Sleep and Dreaming
Understanding Emotions
Self-Improvement
Healthy Relationships
Student Resources
Personality Types
Sweepstakes
Guided Meditations
Verywell Mind Insights
2024 Verywell Mind 25
Mental Health in the Classroom
Editorial Process
Meet Our Review Board
Crisis Support

How Weather Changes Can Affect Your Mental Health

Camilo Fuentes Beals / EyeEm / Getty Images

Effects of Cold Temperatures on Mental Health

How do nordic countries combat sad, effects of warm temperatures on mental health, impact of extreme weather events, how to cope with weather and climate change.

A variety of factors influence your mental health including weather. While you can’t control the weather, you can learn about how weather and climate might affect you. You can also gain knowledge on how to cope with its negative effects on your mental well-being.

Changes in the seasons can affect our moods. For example, we might associate summer with family vacations and trips to the beach. We therefore have positive expectations when the season arrives. The danger is we might fall into the expectation vs reality trap .

When we meet with bad weather or obstacles such as lack of money to travel, we can become stressed . The reality doesn’t match up with what we had anticipated. Seasonal changes impact our moods and behaviors in complex ways.

While the weather certainly does affect us, it’s good to look at the science about how it influences us so we know how to prepare for these conditions.

While you might associate cold temperatures with dangerous physical conditions like frostbite and hypothermia, colder temperatures make it easier on our mental health.

A recent study called “Temperature and mental health: Evidence from the spectrum of mental health outcomes" determined that colder temperatures reduced negative mental health outcomes while hotter temperatures increased them. Higher temperatures, for example, was associated with an increase in emergency room visits for mental illness and also increased suicides.

Seasonal Affective Disorder

You might have suffered from or know a friend who, every year, gets Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) , formerly known as major depressive disorder with seasonal pattern. This is a form of depression that generally begins when the fall season starts and light diminishes. SAD worsens in the winter and occurs again the same time annually.

It’s important to note that SAD is due to lack of sunlight and the days getting shorter. While it occurs during fall and winter seasons, it’s not due to the cold temperatures.

According to The Cleveland Clinic, about 75% of those who get seasonal affective disorder are women. SAD begins early on, too, usually during young adulthood. It throws off your sleep and darkens your moods. The milder version is known as simply “the winter blues.”

While feeling cooped up at having to be indoors or down because your activities are now curtailed, SAD is a real thing. Although the exact cause is unknown, there are several biological factors that are thought to contribute to it including disruption to our circadian rhythm, overproduction of melatonin , lack of serotonin (the “feel-good” neurotransmitter) and not enough vitamin D.

The good news is treatments are readily available. They include light therapy , vitamin D supplements, change in lifestyle habits and antidepressants.

We can also learn from Scandinavian countries , often ranked as the happiest countries in the world. In addition to conventional treatment, those from Norway keep SAD at bay through long dark winters by having a positive mindset. Their cultural philosophy is to accept and celebrate winter.

They use this period as a time to get cozy and rest. And they also remain active in nature. Those living in the Nordic nations stay content and grateful . This mindset becomes valuable as darkness prevails.

Weather affects our moods, temperaments, depression and outlook. It can also affect people’s personalities. While mildly warm temperatures might be pleasant, soaring hot temperatures can cause people to become aggressive.

Aggression and Violence

If someone in your family is more prone to losing their temper during terribly hot days, there’s science behind that.

According to research published in an article in The Association for Psychological Science , people are more likely to become irritable and behave aggressively, or event violently, when exposed to excessive heat. In fact, even controlling for factors like age, race and poverty, those cities in warmer regions tend to experience more violent crime than in those located in cooler regions.

One study was conducted to analyze the link between weather and daily shootings in Chicago from 2012 to 2016. Researchers found a definite correlation between crime and higher temperatures.

Shootings were more likely to occur on warm days, especially during weekends and holidays, while people were outside. When temperatures rose 10 degrees higher than average, researchers found a 33.8% higher rate of shootings.

Everyday weather, be it rain, snow or abundant sunshine, directly affects our lives. Extreme weather in the form of tornadoes, massive flooding or hurricanes, for example, also directly has an influence on us. But we must remember to pay attention to the indirect effects, too.

People Are Concerned About Climate Change

Scientists have recently discovered the indirect consequences from extreme weather and changes in the climate. Children and those with pre-existing psychiatric conditions can be more at risk after being exposed to news about climate change or disasters.

In a 2018 study, scientists found that Australian children were very concerned about climate change. They are also at risk of psychological harm after even indirect exposure. The negative impact on mental health included PTSD, depression, anxiety, phobias, sleep disorders, attachment disorders , and substance abuse.

In another study, which was the first large-scale investigation of its kind on climate anxiety in children and young people globally, scientists also found a negative impact of indirect exposure.

This study surveyed 10,000 children and young people in ten countries. Participants were 16 to 25 years old. About 59% were very or extremely worried while 84% were moderately worried about climate change. More than half reported feeling sad, anxious, angry, powerless, helpless, and guilty.

Almost half of respondents reported these feelings about climate change negatively impacted their functioning and daily life. Additionally, 75% said that they think the future is frightening.

As people grapple with the impact of extreme weather and climate change on mental health, a new word has come into our lexicon: “eco-anxiety.” This chronic fear of environmental doom or catastrophe can especially affect those who are already vulnerable, as exemplified by the two studies on children and young people.

We must remind ourselves that people often come together after environmental crises to help each other. This has been demonstrated after wildfires, hurricanes and tornadoes in the United States and across the world.

Another thing to remember is that a groundswell of support has developed for slowing down and stopping climate change and thus decreasing the incidents of extreme weather.

Ways to Cope With Weather Changes

Here are specific ways to cope with worry, anxiety , and fear about the impact of extreme weather and climate change:

Take action by volunteering for a local organization
Reach out to others by getting involved in environmental or political groups
Attend a climate cafe . Modeled after death cafes, these are safe spaces to talk about your fears. (More information can be found here .)
Contact the nonprofit Good Grief Network to help you transform your anxiety into meaningful action
Informally connect with like-minded people
View problems in perspective
Cultivate a habit of positive thinking
Practice nature therapy
Immerse yourself in forest bathing
Begin mindful meditation
Foster your own sense of resilience
Seek out the help of a mental health counselor or therapist

Mullins JT, White C. Temperature and mental health: Evidence from the spectrum of mental health outcomes . J Health Econ . 2019;68:102240. doi:10.1016/j.jhealeco.2019.102240

Cleveland Clinic. Seasonal Depression .

The World Happiness Report. The Nordic Exceptionalism: What Explains Why the Nordic Countries Are Constantly Among the Happiest in the World .

The Association for Psychological Science. Global Warming and Violent Behavior .

Reeping PM, Hemenway D. The association between weather and the number of daily shootings in Chicago (2012-2016) . Inj Epidemiol . 2020;7(1):31. Published 2020 Jun 22. doi:10.1186/s40621-020-00260-3

Burke SEL, Sanson AV, Van Hoorn J. The Psychological Effects of Climate Change on Children . Curr Psychiatry Rep . 2018;20(5):35. Published 2018 Apr 11. doi:10.1007/s11920-018-0896-9

Hickman C, Marks E, Pihkala P, et al. Climate anxiety in children and young people and their beliefs about government responses to climate change: a global survey . Lancet Planet Health . 2021;5(12):e863-e873. doi:10.1016/S2542-5196(21)00278-3

By Barbara Field Barbara is a writer and speaker who is passionate about mental health, overall wellness, and women's issues.

Here comes the sun: how the weather affects our mood

Professor of Psychology, The University of Melbourne

Disclosure statement

Nick Haslam does not work for, consult, own shares in or receive funding from any company or organization that would benefit from this article, and has disclosed no relevant affiliations beyond their academic appointment.

University of Melbourne provides funding as a founding partner of The Conversation AU.

View all partners

The weather supplies many metaphors for our changeable minds. Moods can brighten and darken, dispositions can be sunny, futures can be under a cloud and relationships can be stormy. Like the weather, our emotions sometimes seem like fickle forces of nature: unstable, enveloping and uncontrollable.

Weather provides a vivid language for describing our emotional atmosphere, but does it also influence it? Do grey days bring grey moods? When the mercury rises, does our blood boil ?

Of the many aspects of weather, sunshine is the most intimately tied to mood. Although the link is weaker than many people imagine, sunlight has repeatedly been found to boost positive moods, dampen negative moods and diminish tiredness.

Anything that alters our moods can affect our behaviour. Happy people are more favourably disposed to one another, and accordingly people are more helpful when the sun is out. One study found that Minnesotan diners tipped more generously on sunny days. Investors may benefit in the same way as waitresses; American studies have observed better daily stock returns in sunny weather.

The sun may melt hearts as well. In a 2013 study by French psychologist Nicolas Guéguen, an attractive male confederate approached unaccompanied young women and solicited their phone numbers. “I just want to say that I think you’re really pretty”, he cooed. “I’ll phone you later and we can have a drink together someplace”. “Antoine” achieved an impressive success rate of 22% on sunny days but only 14% when it was cloudy.

Guéguen’s finding of sun-assisted flirtation followed up his earlier studies on the effects of exposure to flowers (2011) and pastry aromas (2012) in priming women for seduction. Can we expect future studies on chocolate (2014) and puppies (2015)? Rarely have psychologists lived up to national stereotypes so well: the Americans study money, the French study romance.

And the Australians study shopping. Research by Sydney’s Joseph Forgas shows that sunshine can also affect our mental sharpness. Shoppers exiting a boutique were quizzed about ten unusual objects – including a toy tractor and a pink piggy-bank – that had been placed in the check-out area. They correctly recalled seven times as many objects on cloudy days as on sunny ones.

This effect accords with other findings that negative moods induce careful and systematic cognition. Grey weather may similarly induce sober, grey-flannelled thinking. In a paper titled “ Clouds make nerds look good ”, Uri Simonsohn showed that university admissions officers weighted the academic credentials of applicants more on overcast days, and their non-academic attributes more on sunny ones.

Temperature can also affect our mind and behaviour, independently of sunshine. The more it departs from an ideal of around 20°C the more discomfort we feel. One study found that rates of helping declined as temperatures dropped below or rose above this value.

In addition, the higher the temperature, the more people are likely to act aggressively . Rates of aggression are higher in hotter years, months, days and times of day, a pattern observable for murders, riots and car-horn honking. Baseball pitchers are more likely to hit batters on hot days, an effect that isn’t merely a result of having sweat-slick fingers.

Heat may also increase verbal aggression. A recent study of news media coverage of the 2008 Beijing Olympics 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.

Aspects of weather beyond heat and sunshine have also been shown to affect mood. Humidity tends to make people more tired and irritable. Barometric pressure fluctuations can alter moods and trigger headaches, some studies finding a link between low pressure and suicide. On rainy days people report lower satisfaction with their lives.

Weather influences our psychology in myriad subtle ways. Why this might be the case is not entirely obvious. One possibility is that the effects of weather on mood are primarily physiological. Excess heat causes discomfort by taxing our capacity to thermoregulate, and this causes irritability and aggression.

Exposing skin to sunlight produces vitamin D, promoting the brain’s production of serotonin, which lifts mood. Exposure to bright lights, a treatment for people affected with the Winter depressions of seasonal affective disorder (SAD), also enhances the mood of unaffected people.

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

Indeed, the effects of weather on mood depend on our behaviour and on how we think. Most basically, weather will only influence us if we expose ourselves to it. On one estimate, people in industrialised societies tend to spend only 7% of their time outside.

A study by US psychology researcher Matthew Keller and colleagues showed that beneficial effects of warm and sunny conditions on mood were only seen in people who had spent more than 30 minutes outdoors that day. Good weather even had negative effects on mood for people confined indoors, who perhaps gazed enviously outside at the solar fun they were missing.

It is hard to argue with Dr Keller’s prescription: “If you wish to reap the psychological benefits of good springtime weather, go outside.”

Mental health
Positive psychology

Want to write?

Write an article and join a growing community of more than 189,200 academics and researchers from 5,037 institutions.

Weather Can Affect Your Mood — but How?

If rainy days and gray skies sound like a big bummer, you’re not alone. For many people around the world, weather can affect mood — and for a variety of reasons.

Cold, rainy, cloudy days seem to be the epitome of dreary. Authors have historically used them to convey an ominous setting or a time during a story when things take a negative turn. There’s a reason why we call these “bad” weather days.

Precipitation, blustery wind, and extreme weather shifts can shut down planned activities. Despite that fact, for many people, gloomy weather means a gloomy mood for no apparent reason.

How does the weather affect your mood?

Weather can affect your mood for a variety of reasons and in a variety of ways.

In 2013, preliminary research from the Seventh International AAAI Conference outlined how temperature, humidity, atmospheric pressure, and precipitation can all play a role in daily mood.

In the research, low mood was generally associated with:

temperature extremes below 50°F (10°C) or above 70°F (21°C)
high humidity
precipitation

High mood was associated with:

temperatures between 50°F and 70°F (10°C and 21°C)
clear skies
high atmospheric pressure

Not everyone is noticeably affected by the weather, however. If you’re significantly impacted, you may be considered “meteoropathic,” or “meteorosensitive,” an experience first recognized and documented by the Ancient Greeks.

Meteoropathy often features weather-induced:

severe headaches
poor concentration
irritability
old injury pain flare-ups

How does the weather affect your mental health?

Weather can have specific effects beyond feeling positive or negative about the day. It can have lasting mental health impacts, contribute to stress , and may even make you more likely to feel aggressive.

Seasonal affective disorder

When you live with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), you experience bouts of depression that align with the winter or summer months.

Researchers aren’t clear on the exact causes of SAD, but the way weather affects certain biological processes in the body is thought to play a part.

Shorter days and less sunlight exposure in the winter months, for example, can alter levels of certain chemicals in the body associated with mood, sleep, and circadian rhythm regulation.

Stress levels

Stress occurs when your body faces a challenge, and extreme weather can stress the body both mentally and physically. Not only does your body have to adapt to being hot or cold, but you also have to mentally adapt to the changes weather brings.

If you’re in a flood zone, for example, heavy rain might naturally cause some anxiety . Or, if you had important travel plans, certain weather conditions might cause stressful delays.

A 2020 literature review in the United Kingdom suggests that extreme weather events are associated with an increase in common mental health challenges like depression.

Hot temperatures appear to be linked to higher rates of aggression in what’s referred to as the “heat hypothesis.” Under this theory, being hot can promote aggression through:

impaired cognitive function
competition for local resources, such as water

One study from 2018 found rates of violence increased as temperatures got hotter. In addition, a study from 2023 in South Korea found hotter temperatures were linked to a greater number of assault deaths.

Suicidal ideation

For reasons unknown, suicide rates increase during the spring and early summer months, according to research . Experts believe this finding may be linked to:

sunlight-induced changes in brain chemicals
temperatures triggering mood episodes in mental health conditions like bipolar disorder
compounded brain inflammation from seasonal environmental exposures (like high pollen counts)

Why does weather affect mood?

Researchers aren’t sure exactly why weather affects mood, but biology, evolution, and culture could all be involved.

As seen in conditions like SAD, certain weather exposures, like sunlight duration, can affect biological processes in the body associated with mood and processes that affect mood — like sleep and circadian rhythm.

A study from 2024 investigated the “greenery hypothesis,” which suggests humans respond favorably to the color green because it’s associated with flourishing landscapes and favorable climate, which are important for survival.

In addition to biology and evolution, culture could also influence your relationship with mood and weather. If you’ve grown up in a culture that heavily associates rain, clouds, and cold with “bad,” it’s natural to be disappointed and down during that weather.

The connection between climate change and mental health

Climate change goes beyond daily weather fluctuations affecting mood. The climate you live in is made up of long-standing weather and atmospheric patterns that help shape a region’s overall environment.

Climate change, or the shifting and alteration of typical patterns, is a major environmental shift that can have significant mental health impacts.

According to a research review from 2023 , climate change is a major stressor for mental health and is linked to increased rates of:

anxiety disorders
post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD)
suicide ideation

Not only can climate change create severe weather events like fires and floods, it can have indirect effects like food insecurity and population migration. It can also create feelings of loneliness, separation, and a loss of identity or belonging.

For some people, climate change is also a source of despair. Environmental grief and ecological grief are two forms of grieving linked to the natural world:

Environmental grief : the mourning of lost ecosystems
Ecological grief : a sense of lost connection with nature

Some experts combine these two types of grief under the banner of “climate grief.”

Coping with shifts in mood due to weather changes

The weather isn’t within your power to change, but you can be proactive about reducing its effects on your mood.

Tips to help you cope with weather-related mood changes include:

watching the forecast so you can prepare for weather changes
practicing gratitude to promote a positive mindset regardless of the weather
keeping a symptom journal so you can pinpoint specific weather changes that affect your mood the most (humidity, temperature, precipitation, etc.)
adding daily stress reduction and wellness strategies like mindfulness , meditation, or mind-body arts
create a cozy space in your home where you can enjoy indoor hobbies

If weather is significantly impacting your mood, your doctor may be able to help. Not only can your doctor assess possible underlying medical conditions, but they can also discuss other therapy options, like phototherapy , that might make a difference.

It’s natural for the weather to affect your mood once in a while, especially if it ruins plans or makes going out physically uncomfortable.

When weather contributes to broader patterns of mood change, biology, evolution, and culture may be responsible.

Keeping an eye on the forecast, being proactive about mental wellness, and ruling out underlying medical conditions can help you cope with weather-related mood changes.

9 sources collapsed

Cruz J, et al. (2020). Effects of extreme weather events on mental health: A narrative synthesis and meta-analysis for the UK. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC7699288/
Dixon PG, et al. (2018). Where are weather-suicide association valid? An examination of nine US counties with varying seasonality. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/309799963_Where_are_weather-suicide_associations_valid_An_examination_of_nine_US_counties_with_varying_seasonality
Fukano Y, et al. (2024). Greenery hypothesis: An evolutionary explanation for why presence/absence of green affects humans. https://besjournals.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/full/10.1002/pan3.10619
Kim SE, et al. (2023). Positive association of aggression with ambient temperature. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10303254/
Park K, et al. (2013). Mood and weather: Feeling the heat? https://ojs.aaai.org/index.php/ICWSM/article/view/14451/14300
Rinderu MI, et al. (2018). Climate, aggression, and violence (CLASH): A cultural-evolutionary approach. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S2352250X17300647
Seasonal affective disorder. (2023). https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/publications/seasonal-affective-disorder
Walinski A, et al. (2023). The effects of climate change on mental health. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10154789/
Zikic MT, et al. (2018). Meteoropathy and meteorosensitive persons. https://typeset.io/pdf/meteoropathy-and-meteorosensitive-persons-4k59m9ubff.pdf

Can Weather Affect Your Mood?

A change in the weather can be a nice change of pace at times — or even greatly needed in some cases, such as rain during a drought. Other times, the weather can be...frustrating. Prolonged heat and humidity can take a toll on you, as can endless days of rain and the bitter cold during the winter months.

Less-than-pleasant weather that drags on (and on and on) can complicate outdoor plans, make traffic miserable and, honestly, feel like it's starting to affect your overall well-being.

So what's the deal? Can weather actually affect your mood, or is it just a figment of your imagination?

The link between weather and mood is murky

In terms of the science behind whether the weather might affect your mood, well...it's debatable. The research is limited, and it varies.

There's evidence to suggest a connection

The case for a link between the two began to emerge in the late '70s and early '80s.

For example, a 1984 study looking at a variety of mood variables (from anxiety and depression to optimism and aggression) in the context of several weather variables:

Amount of sunshine
Precipitation
Temperature
Barometric pressure

The study found that the amount of sunshine, temperature and humidity had the greatest effect on mood. In particular, it showed that high humidity lowered concentration and increased sleepiness — something many Houstonians can likely relate to.

Additionally, a 2005 study found that spending more time outdoors in pleasant weather is associated with higher mood and better memory. The study concluded that spring was linked to improved mood since people had been deprived of pleasant weather all winter, and that hotter weather was linked to lower mood in the summer.

But there's also evidence to suggest otherwise

While some of the science concludes that there is a link between weather and mood, not every study finds a clear connection.

For instance, a 2008 study found that weather had essentially no effect on positive mood. Explained another way, more sunlight and better temperatures didn't make a happy person happier. The study did find, however, that sunlight, wind and temperature could affect negative moods, like tiredness — although the impact was very minor.

Additionally, it's important to note that while the previously mentioned 2005 study did suggest a link between time spent outdoors in pleasant weather and improved mood, the impact wasn't consistently significant. In fact, the effect was very modest.

Taken together, it's unclear if weather truly affects mood

All in all, there's simply more we need to learn before we can claim a connection between mood and the weather.

Mood itself is very complex, and many, many factors affect and contribute to it.

What may be becoming more clear, however, is that how weather affects mood likely varies significantly from person to person.

Do we each have a weather type?

There's precedent for the theory that each of us is affected by the weather differently.

Take, for instance, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), which is defined as having significant mood changes related to the changing seasons. The most well-known example is winter SAD or the "winter blues" — a depressive mood felt only during the shorter days of the winter.

With only about 6% of the population diagnosed with SAD, it's a relatively rare mood disorder. However, the National Institute of Mental Health speculates that this disorder is actually much more common, especially its milder forms.

And a 2011 study suggests that weather may indeed affect mood — for some.

Similar to other studies, the overall association between weather and mood was barely, if at all, significant. However, the researchers noticed that while half of the individuals in the study weren't affected by the weather, the other half were significantly affected by it.

Taking these different subpopulations into account, the study identified four weather reactivity types:

Those unaffected by weather – mood is unrelated to weather
Summer lovers – mood improves on warm, sunny days
Summer haters – mood improves on cool, cloudy days
Rain haters – particularly bothered by rain

This suggests that some individuals are fairly resilient to the weather, while others are sensitive to it. Further still, those who are reactive to the weather can be affected by the various weather patterns differently.

Home / Essay Samples / Sociology / Weather / Analysis of the Effect of Weather Conditions on People’s Mood

Analysis of the Effect of Weather Conditions on People’s Mood

Category: Environment , Sociology
Topic: Climate Change , Natural Environment , Weather

Pages: 3 (1202 words)

Downloads: -->

--> ⚠️ Remember: This essay was written and uploaded by an--> click here.

Found a great essay sample but want a unique one?

are ready to help you with your essay

You won’t be charged yet!

Conversation Essays

Apology Essays

Effects of Social Media Essays

Hate Speech Essays

Effective Communication Essays

Related Essays

We are glad that you like it, but you cannot copy from our website. Just insert your email and this sample will be sent to you.

By clicking “Send”, you agree to our Terms of service and Privacy statement . We will occasionally send you account related emails.

Your essay sample has been sent.

In fact, there is a way to get an original essay! Turn to our writers and order a plagiarism-free paper.

samplius.com uses cookies to offer you the best service possible.By continuing we’ll assume you board with our cookie policy .--> -->