When envisioning the summer in your mind, it is sunny, warm and, most importantly, fun. It is the time for holidays, barbeques and garden parties, but does the better weather actually improve your mood?
With summer fast approaching and the sun finally peaking through the grey winter clouds, many of us are anticipating the scorching temperatures and brilliant blue skies with sun cream and inflatable beach balls under each arm. Warmer months and longer days are the highlight of many people's year, making summer one of the most popular seasons for adults and children alike. For most, the summer is a break, relieving them from the stress that they may encounter at work or school and allowing them to go out with friends for a couple of precious months while basking in the sunshine.
Do you think that better weather and more sunshine makes you a happier person and overall improves your mood?
"One hundred percent. A definite. When the sun is out I feel happier and it makes me feel better because I can go out, meet my friends and have a social life outside of a building." - Madeline Ffitch, 16.
"I don't often go outside, but it makes me happy to know, when it's sunny, that the option is there." - Imogen Duke, 16.
"I genuinely think it does, purely because when there is good weather people go outside to parks and have picnics. People are more likely to socialise with new people because everyone is sharing the joy of sunshine. In winter, the days are shorter and less productive, making you feel sadder, especially because of the lack of flowers and green vegetation that is so present in the summer months." - Charlotte Brown, 15
"Yes, because when it is sunnier and warmer it means you are more likely to go outside and be at one with nature, but winter and colder temperatures also make me happy because it is cosier in the evenings."- Claudia Peter, 16
"I feel happier in the summer however I do not necessarily feel sad in the winter or when it rains."- Serena Hunt, 16
"Better weather definitely improves my mood, especially on a school day because it makes you feel more motivated to work hard." Emerald Wei, 15
Overall, we all seem to agree that warmer weather and less rain does improve our mood, but rather than the improvements to our happiness being due to just seeing brilliant sunshine and blooming flowers, it is more because of the increased level of social interaction and the productivity that longer daylight hours bring.
