Expository Essay Sample
How Can Weather Affect People’s Mood?
Have you ever felt like your mood is changing because of the weather getting hot or windy? Unpleasant weather can indeed affect human’s emotional system. Just a while ago, researchers found out several objective cases why some people can be affected by the atmospheric conditions and even distinguished a few categories people can fall into.
According to Klimstra (2011), half of the 415 teenagers were greatly influenced by climates shifts, although the other fifty percent were not. Later on, the investigation established 4 distinct types of personality: summer lovers, summer haters, rain haters and unaffected by the weather. It potentially reveals how climate can affect our state of mind. Moreover, being under weather influence can lead to a seasonal affective disorder, that is characterized by feeling low in line with a certain time of the year.
Basically, there are a few objective reasons why a person’s mood may downshift.
Firstly, a lack of sunshine. In Autumn and Winter, when people are exposed to less sunlight, their brains produce the lower amount of serotonin – a monoamine neurotransmitter affecting human’s appetite and emotions – and the higher level of melatonin, which makes people want to sleep. Furthermore, the lack of sunlight makes carbohydrate cravings increase and individuals suffering from seasonal affective disorder constantly reach for food. Judith Wurtman, a former scientist at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, points out that adding vegetables rich in vitamins and minerals to your diet will help pessimistic individuals feel more optimistic.
Secondly, low temperature may provoke apathy. Cool weather cuts down blood flow, sensory reaction and balance in general which affects the realization of complicated physical tasks. To prompt blood flow, try to do some stretching routine in the morning – this will help you to feel alive during the day. However, things can work vice versa. Some people are more susceptible to seasonal affective disorder in the summer due to excessive heat and humidity, which is quite challenging for researchers, as it is brought on by different factors.
The third factor is a reduction in atmospheric pressure. Atmospheric pressure can affect nerves and joints, which eventually might lead to back or knee pain. Here’s a way out – a good and balanced training as well which will help our bodies feel brand-new.
On the other hand, weather can lift us up. Those who enjoy hot sunny summer days are feeling joyful, happy and less fearful when there’s more sunlight and the temperature is high. Ernest Hemingway, a famous American novelist, once wrote: “When spring came, even the false spring, there were no problems except where to be happiest.” And he was absolutely right. A 2004 University of Michigan investigation discovered that individuals who devote around 30 minutes outdoors in pleasant weather — either by going on vacation to tropical countries during the winter months or by having a walk on a nice and sunny spring day — had good moods. Moreover, people are more contented when the days are longer and a few extra hours can be a game changer. Enjoyable climates can even boost our creativity. “Being outside in pleasant weather really offers a way to reset your mindset,” said Matthew Keller, one of the Michigan investigation scientists.
All in all, weather can leave negative as well as positive impact on human’s emotional well-being if we agree with the studies. By having a direct influence on our mood, warm days can raise a depressed person up and even bring better self-esteem, while rainy ones usually make people feel blue or inactive.
Ultimately, the weather seems to have an actual impact on human’s state of mind. However, any person experiencing seasonal affective disorder or feeling a bit blue when it’s rainy can overcome it by having good stretching and reaching out for some vitamin-rich food.
Written by: Grademiners.co