September sun

How lucky are we to have beautiful sunshine in late September?  

The sun gives me such a feeling of warmth and brightness. This isn’t just the physical feeling of it but the wonderful feeling I get inside that makes me feel alive and happy – it lifts my mood! I notice this in other people too, who seem to be perkier with a bit of bounce in their step when the sun is out.

This isn’t surprising given some research that found people had higher serotonin levels on bright sunny days than on cloudy ones.  Furthermore, this effect remained no matter how cold or hot the weather was when the sun was shining. 

Why is this important and what does it have to do with our mood? Well, serotonin is a chemical in the brain that’s linked to mood, higher levels of serotonin correlate with better mood and feelings of satisfaction and calmness whereas lower levels link to depression and anxiety. We all love a mood lift and what a simple way to get one! So get out and enjoy the sun!

 I’m certainly wishing for more sunny days into October. :)