Can weather really affect our mood?
Now, beyond the obvious inconvenience of getting caught in a downpour, many people believe that bad weather directly affects their mood and health. And some people are more sensitive than others. These individuals are known as weather sensitive.
How do you distinguish between weather-sensitive people and the rest of the population?
Experts say that weather sensitivity refers to physical or psychological sensitivity to weather changes. For example, studies from Canada and Germany have shown that fluctuations in humidity, temperature and atmospheric pressure can trigger migraines, fatigue, joint pain, dizziness, and even depression in weather-sensitive people.
However, these reactions vary widely and depend on the individual. They seem to be most prominent in people with adrenal gland or thyroid fragility.
Grumbling about the bad weather is a long-standing British pastime, but in reality, weather-sensitive individuals make up only a small fraction of the population, estimated between 2 and 4%. This chronic condition has well-defined symptoms and is partly explained by a decrease in the secretion of happy hormone serotonin.
Are you saying that for most people the weather has no impact at all on their mood then?
Despite popular belief, no study has definitively proven that weather affects our mood. The real explanation is likely a simple one. Bad weather tends to make us go out less, thereby leading to us having less social interactions and being less physically active.
Staying indoors all day can lead to feelings of sadness and gloom, which can become a vicious circle and self-fulfilling prophecy. You might notice a correlation between rainy weather and feeling down and mistake it for causation. That kind of observation can easily bias our perception, causing us to ignore other positive or negative personal context which might be affecting our well-being.
What's the best way to deal with feeling down in bad weather then?
Ultimately, it's not the weather itself, but the light that has a direct impact on our bodies. Light regulates our biological and seasonal clocks, helping our brain adjust serotonin levels in response to changes. A lack of serotonin can lead to anxiety, mood swings, insomnia and other issues.
In other words, to boost your serotonin levels, make sure to get outside and get some fresh air. Even if the weather isn't ideal, you still need to expose yourself to sunlight. It's also important to go out, see friends, exercise and generally enjoy yourself as far as possible, even when it's raining. There you have it.
词汇表
downpour [ˈdaʊnpɔː(r)] n. 倾盆大雨，暴雨
weather-sensitive people 天气敏感人群（对天气变化反应更敏感的人群）
weather sensitivity [sensəˈtɪvəti] 天气敏感性（对天气变化产生的生理或心理敏感反应）
fluctuation [ˌflʌktʃuˈeɪʃn] n. 波动，起伏
atmospheric pressure [ˌætməsˈferɪk] 气压，大气压力
migraine [ˈmiːɡreɪn] n. 偏头痛
joint pain [dʒɔɪnt] 关节疼痛
dizziness [ˈdɪzinəs] n. 头晕，眩晕
prominent [ˈprɒmɪnənt] adj. 显著的，突出的
adrenal gland [əˈdriːnl ɡlænd] 肾上腺
thyroid [ˈθaɪrɔɪd] n. 甲状腺；adj. 甲状腺的
fragility [frəˈdʒɪləti] n. 脆弱，虚弱
grumble about [ˈɡrʌmbl] 抱怨，发牢骚
long-standing adj. 长期存在的，由来已久的
pastime [ˈpɑːstaɪm] n. 消遣，娱乐
a small fraction of ['frækʃ(ə)n] 一小部分的，少量的
chronic condition [ˈkrɒnɪk] 慢性病，慢性病状
well-defined [ˌwel dɪˈfaɪnd] adj. 定义明确的，清晰的
secretion [sɪˈkriːʃ(ə)n] n. 分泌；分泌物
happy hormone [ˈhɔːməʊnz] 快乐激素（指能让人产生愉悦感的激素，如多巴胺、血清素，催产素，内啡肽）
serotonin [ˌserəˈtəʊnɪn] n. 血清素（一种神经递质，与情绪调节密切相关）
physically active [ˈfɪzɪkli] 身体活跃的，积极运动的
gloom [ɡluːm] n. 忧郁，沮丧；昏暗
vicious circle [ˈvɪʃəs] 恶性循环
self-fulfilling prophecy [ˌself fʊlˈfɪlɪŋ ˈprɒfəsi] 自我实现的预言（个人预期引发相应行为，使预期成真的现象）
correlation [ˌkɒrəˈleɪʃn] n. 相互关系，关联
causation [kɔːˈzeɪʃn] n. 因果关系，起因
bias one's perception [ˈbaɪəs][pəˈsepʃn] 使认知产生偏差，扭曲认知
biological clock [ˌbaɪəˈlɒdʒɪkl] 生物钟，生理钟
seasonal clock [ˈsiːzənl] 季节钟（调节季节性生理变化的机制）
mood swing [muːd swɪŋ] 情绪波动，情绪起伏
insomnia [ɪnˈsɒmniə] n. 失眠（症）
expose oneself to [ɪkˈspəʊz] 使自己暴露于，使自己接触（光线、环境等）
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