Is the May weather getting you down? You may be “weather sensitive”

Is this rainy month of May depressing you? You definitely are.” climate sensitive » be particularly sensitive to atmospheric conditions, both physically and psychologically.

And for good reason, this spring of 2024 has been (very) not very sunny in France, with only 452 hours of sunshine on national averagecompared to around 508 hours in normal times, underlines the specialized website La Chaîne Météo.

The sun, like a hormone of happiness

So the depression should persist for a few more days. However, natural light is essential for maintaining morale. “ It helps secrete neurotransmitters, such as serotonin, the famous happiness hormone. », explains the clinical psychologist to his colleagues at BFMTV.com Johanna Rozenblum. “ Vitamin D, which helps regulate mood, is also favored by exposure to the sun »continues the specialist.

Thus, thanks to the sun, people stock up on melatonin, a hormone that is released at the end of the day to promote sleep. “ If we don’t see enough light, we don’t secrete enough melatonin and our circadian cycle is disrupted. As a result we sleep poorly, we are tired and we are not in a good mood. », continues Johanna Rozenblum.

As June approaches, weather-related depression can also be explained by an unfulfilled expectation. “ There is a disappointing side. Many of us have difficulty facing the end of winter and we place a lot of hope in these beautiful days that are returning. It's like a reward you don't see coming », observes Johanna Rozenblum.

To remedy this, the psychologist advises expose yourself to natural light as much as possible, even on days when the weather is not niceand maintain physical activity.

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