Does the Weather Affect Your Mood?

Winter is here, and we all know what that means!

Shorter days, longer nights, and colder weather. For many of us this is our least favourite time of year, except you know.. the holidays!! But for some of us the winter weather affects our moods and lifestyle.

We all know that coldness and darkness cause hibernation, but what exactly is the coldness and darkness doing to our internal chemistry? We know what happens to our brain on drugs, but what happens to our brain on sunlight?

A lack of sunlight can cause Seasonal Affective Disorder. Also known as SAD, this mood disorder usually affects people from October through April when daylight becomes more scarce.

When exposed to less sunlight, your body produces more melatonin, the hormone which makes you feel sleepy. Just as your body begins craving mid day naps, your brain begins producing lower levels of serotonin, which is the neurotransmitter that affects mood, appetite, sleep, and sexual desire. So yes, SAD can make you feel sad!

On cold mornings, do you find that you have less motivation and don't feel like crawling out of bed? That's because cold weather can reduce blood flow, muscle strength and balance, which can impact your daily physical activities.

The lack of sunlight on rainy days can cause your serotonin levels to drop, which can cause an increase in carbohydrate cravings. When eating carbs it can immediately make you start to feel better do to the spike of serotonin. However this won't last long.

As pressure in the atmosphere decreases, it allows bodily fluids to move from blood vessels to tissues, causing pressure on the nerves and joints, which leads to increased pain, stiffness, and reduced mobility. So us people who live with chronic pain, absolutely hate rainy days!!

If you're someone who notices that your mood drops on rainy days, its not just you, most of the population feels the same way! Its scientifically proven!