Seasonal Mood Enhancement
By Rich Bayer, Ph.D.
It’s
springtime. It's a time of change, a time of renewal. Just thinking about
the spring season brings cheer to most people’s minds.
With
spring taking hold, we can feel the changes. They start in the environment
around us and then spread to our own bodies and personalities. First we
notice that the days are getting longer. Then we notice that it is getting
warmer. Then we hear birds singing, we see trees budding, and the spring
bulbs emerge. As these changes take place, we can't help but feel better.
Why
do these annual changes affect us in a positive way?
“Spring
is nature’s mood enhancer,” says Sheila Murphy, counselor at Upper Bay
Counseling and Support Services. She has a Masters of Creative Arts in
Therapy (Non-Verbal Psychotherapy), and has studied the mind-body
connection.
She
states that three things change in humans in the spring. We show positive
increases in mood, in energy, and in self-awareness. It appears that
seasonal boosts in both light and temperature have a positive influence.
Even
the words we use to describe ourselves show signs of seasonal enhancement.
When spring is in the air, we tend to display a “brighter” outlook,
reflect a “sunny” disposition, and enjoy “warm” feelings toward
ourselves and others.
Murphy
notes a number of interesting and subtle changes too. In spring we start
revising our wardrobe. We wear fewer layers of clothing and less clothing
overall. Consequently we begin to feel freer in our clothes, like we are
lighter and looser, and more relaxed. Also we tend to wear fabrics that
are less dense and we go for the spring colors, which both create a
lighter, brighter feeling in our clothes.
Then
there’s the change of scents in the air. Outside there’s the smell of
flowers, the smell of earth and grass. And inside we begin to pop windows
and let the fresh air in.
All
of these changes, she says, have a noticeable and positive effect on our
mood, our self-awareness, and our energy level.
This
is the time of year too when many of us do a self-inventory and begin
setting some goals for ourselves. Perhaps even more important, we become
motivated to make some changes.
We
may start bicycling, gardening, going for walks, or doing spring-cleaning.
We may start exercising more, in part because we want to look better and
in part because we want to feel better. We may even become more social and
join a couple of groups or attend some local activities.
Spring
actually enhances our ability to do more. Consider the job of
spring-cleaning, for example. When we start out, we may not want to clean
that living room or that closet but we do it anyway. Then we feel better
for a few days because we accomplished the task.
The
amount of daylight in each day starts increasing after the Winter Solstice
on December 21. Soon after that, many of us get inspired to become more
active. George Patchell, Associate Director of the YMCA in Elkton, reports
that there’s a boost in attendance every year from January through
March. He believes attendance drops off after March as people begin doing
more of their activities and exercising outside. Melinda Bookwalter,
co-owner of the Curves fitness center in Elkton, reports a similar pattern
in attendance. She says the daily attendance remains strong from January
through April, then declines.
Murphy
states, “We as humans mirror the workings of the universe.” As the
days begin to have more light, we begin to feel more brightness in our
lives. As the world begins to warm, we begin to warm to everyone around
us. As the plants and animals begin to awaken from their winter sleep and
show new life, we begin to show new life and become more active day to
day.
Surely the natural changes in springtime do enhance
our moods. We experience it every year. The seasonal renewal plays a
powerful role in improving our mental health.
So enjoy it while it lasts.
----------------------------------------------
Rich Bayer,
Ph.D., is the CEO of Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc. and a
practicing psychologist.
# # #
For More Information Contact:
Upper Bay Counseling and Support Services, Inc.
200 Booth Street, Elkton, MD 21921
Tel: 410-996-5104
Toll Free: 877-587-7750
FAX: 410-996-5197
Internet: info@upperbay.org
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