As the days get shorter and the cold weather rolls in, we all want to curl up in a blanket and sleep until spring rolls around. But making time to get outside in the sun, even when it's cold outside, could have bigger mood benefits than you might realize. New research finds that sunlight exposure is by far the greatest weather-related factor determining mental heath. In other words, more sunshine, more happiness.
For the study, a psychologist, a physicist and a statistician from BYU teamed up to compare daily environmental data from the university's Physics and Astronomy Weather Station with emotional health data archived by day for 16, 452 adult patients who were being treated at the university's Counseling and Psychological Services. Other weather variables(可变因素) including temperature, pollution and rain were not found to have an impact on mental health.
"We were surprised that many of the weather and pollution variables we included in the study were not significantly related to patients' scores once we had accounted for sun time, "said Dr. Mark Beecher, a professor of psychology at the university and the study's lead author.
Exposure to sunlight is a significant factor in seasonal affective disorder. Research has shown that the brain produces more of the feel-good neurotransmitter serotonin on sunny days than it does on darker days. What's more, lack of sunlight is linked with lower vitamin D levels, which in turn has been correlated with depression and low energy.
In addition to seeking professional help if you need it, taking a walk in the sun can help. Walking in nature is known to reduce stress, improve cognitive function, lighten the mood and even put the brain into a peaceful state.
