“Happiness depends on ourselves.”
~ Aristotle
According to the National Weather Service, June 2013 is the 10th rainiest June on record for us here in St. Thomas. It’s certainly felt more overcast than normal !!
And it’s a known fact that weather can and does effect our moods.
Research has proven that warm temperatures and exposure to sunshine have the greatest positive impact on moods. A report published in the British Journal of Psychology found that warmer temperatures lowered anxiety and skepticism, while more hours of sunshine increased positive thinking. The same study showed that high levels of humidity made it hard to concentrate, increasing fatigue and sleepiness. A friend of mine also has concluded that high levels of Sahara dust (or air pollution) also increases fatigue, as it makes it harder to breathe.
So the weather affects our mood. Now what? First, try taking note of it. By attributing a grouchy mood to a rainy day, you may be less likely to assume the bad mood is due to some other important aspect of your life, and blow things out of proportion.
Feeling down, not just because of the weather? Here’s two mood boosting resources I’ve run across recently ….
Happify.com – Activities and games designed to train your brain and help you build skills for lasting happiness. Optimism, self-confidence, gratitude, hope, compassion, purpose, empathy—these are all qualities that anyone can own. You just have to learn how.
http://www.happify.com/#slide1
LookForTheGoodProject.com – A gallery of gratitude. Expressing gratitude is surely one of the quickest ways to lift a somber mood.
http://www.lookforthegoodproject.org/#!gallery/c8te
Fortunately, this weather is supposed to clear on out of here quickly this afternoon. Here’s to the return of sunny days and happiness!
