This is how the sun really is making you happier
Have you ever wondered how the sun effects your mood?
Researchers at Brigham Young University, Utah, USA, have been looking into how the time between sunrise and sunset alters your behaviour.
Results prove that the amount of time the sun is out does genuinely effect everyone's mental state, even more so than other factors like temperature, pollution and rain.
The team at the university, who have published a study which discovered that people were more unhappy when days were shorter and there was less sunshine.
In contrast, people were more upbeat when daylight was more prolonged as opposed to how many rays were being absorbed.
Results were concluded when examiners studied meteorological data from the university's Physics and Astronomy Weather Station and pollution data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.
Patients mental health at Brigham Young's Counseling and Psychological Services Centre were also compared with the weather.
Study author Mark Beecher said in a press release:
"On a rainy day, or a more polluted day, people assume that they’d have more distress. But we didn’t see that. We looked at solar irradiance, or the amount of sunlight that actually hits the ground. We tried to take into acｃount cloudy days, rainy days, pollution ... but they washed out. The one thing that was really significant was the amount of time between sunrise and sunset."
So next time you are in the sun, appreciate it not just for your suntan but also your mental wellbeing.
Article Source: https://www.indy100.com/article/how-the-sun-makes-you-happier-weather-psychology-7797711
Image Source: https://static.independent.co.uk/s3fs-public/styles/story_large/public/thumbnails/image/2016/10/18/15/london-autumn-sun.jpg
VOCABULARY WORDS:
1. Alter (v.) ~ change or cause to change in character or composition, typically in a comparatively small but significant way
2. Genuinely (adv.) ~ in a truthful way
3. Upbeat (adj./ informal) ~ cheerful optimistic
4. Prolonged (adj.) ~ continuing for a long time or longer than usual lengthy
5. Distress (n.) ~ extreme anxiety, sorrow, or pain
6. Irradiance (n.) ~ the flux of radiant energy per unit area (normal to the direction of flow of radiant energy through a medium)
QUESTIONS FOR DISCUSSION:
1. Which do you prefer, sunny days, rainy days or cloudy days? Why?
2. How does the sunshine affect your mood?
3. Which do you prefer the sunrise or the sunset? Explain your option.
