The answer is sunshine and this is seriously scientific sunshine in a study which came about as a result of a ride on a bus.
Two professors were neighbors and often rode the bus together. One specialized in Physics and the other in Psychology. On a stormy day, the Physics prof asked the Psychology prof, "Do you get more clients on days like this?"
The Psychology prof didn't have a good answer nor access to the data to find one so then it clicked for them. The Physics prof has access to detailed weather data and the Psychology prof has access to data about emotional incidents so put these datasets together to discover what comes out. (Science Daily: Sunshine matters a lot to mental health; temperature, pollution, rain not so much)
It's the sunshine we need most of all. That likely feels intuitive but we also like to carry about the thinking of a bummer from rainy days, etc but that isn't what they found and it surprised them too.
"That's one of the surprising pieces of our research," said Mark Beecher, clinical professor and licensed psychologist in BYU Counseling and Psychological Services. "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."Therapists should be aware that winter months will be a time of high demand for their services. With fewer sun time hours, clients will be particularly vulnerable to emotional distress. Preventative measures should be implemented on a case-by-case basis.
- Science Daily
That cranks up some curiosity here and maybe it's nitpicking but I wonder if it matters how much sun comes during the day if you don't see it. For example, when Daylight Savings Time ends and you're a later sleeper, you won't see much sunshine in the day. Do they still get the bum out even when a lot of sun has been present.
The study doesn't go into whether the need is to feel the sun on our skin or just to know it can. Maybe that's interesting to someone to pursue or maybe it's just splitting hairs.
"I Don't Like Mondays" was famous when Bob Geldof wrote it because a kid got up on a Monday and started shooting kids across the street as they walked to school. When asked why, she just said, "I don't like Mondays."
That case has probably been studied up and down and she's got some deep psychopathy happening but maybe the weather had something to do with that as well.
This is all part of the thinking we're much more engaged with mother Gaia than we like to think in our city sophistication and the more distant we get the more we lose. No need for a sermon but it seems valid when multiple research papers give that implication and this is another.
Two professors were neighbors and often rode the bus together. One specialized in Physics and the other in Psychology. On a stormy day, the Physics prof asked the Psychology prof, "Do you get more clients on days like this?"
The Psychology prof didn't have a good answer nor access to the data to find one so then it clicked for them. The Physics prof has access to detailed weather data and the Psychology prof has access to data about emotional incidents so put these datasets together to discover what comes out. (Science Daily: Sunshine matters a lot to mental health; temperature, pollution, rain not so much)
It's the sunshine we need most of all. That likely feels intuitive but we also like to carry about the thinking of a bummer from rainy days, etc but that isn't what they found and it surprised them too.
"That's one of the surprising pieces of our research," said Mark Beecher, clinical professor and licensed psychologist in BYU Counseling and Psychological Services. "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."Therapists should be aware that winter months will be a time of high demand for their services. With fewer sun time hours, clients will be particularly vulnerable to emotional distress. Preventative measures should be implemented on a case-by-case basis.
- Science Daily
That cranks up some curiosity here and maybe it's nitpicking but I wonder if it matters how much sun comes during the day if you don't see it. For example, when Daylight Savings Time ends and you're a later sleeper, you won't see much sunshine in the day. Do they still get the bum out even when a lot of sun has been present.
The study doesn't go into whether the need is to feel the sun on our skin or just to know it can. Maybe that's interesting to someone to pursue or maybe it's just splitting hairs.
"I Don't Like Mondays" was famous when Bob Geldof wrote it because a kid got up on a Monday and started shooting kids across the street as they walked to school. When asked why, she just said, "I don't like Mondays."
That case has probably been studied up and down and she's got some deep psychopathy happening but maybe the weather had something to do with that as well.
This is all part of the thinking we're much more engaged with mother Gaia than we like to think in our city sophistication and the more distant we get the more we lose. No need for a sermon but it seems valid when multiple research papers give that implication and this is another.
2 comments:
Rainy days are therapeutic. Who diesnt love to play in the rain. Or even like to listen to it hit the windows. Or watch a great storm roll in
And it is the warmth the sun provides not just its ability to warm. Who goes to the beach and just looks out the window thinking I sure am satisfied knowing it could feel good.
I haven't forgotten the bliss at the rain breaking periods of frying heat. Blessed rain! That's worthy of a rain dance any time.
I've heard from more than one person thunderstorms are the best times for when 'I love you, honey' isn't enough and you need to make some thunder of your own.
From what I generally feel about it and what you're saying now, it seems to me just knowing the sun happens can't be enough. We've got to feel it or it doesn't count and then the bumout.
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