Science Explains How You're Mood Changes Based on Weather

A study carried out by researchers from the  Leuphana University Lüneburg, investigates how morning weather affects the stress levels, mood, and well being of people in their workplace. The study was published in the  IAAP's Applied Psychology journal 

(Photo : Andrea Piacquadio)

According to Laura Venz, one of the researchers, the idea to carry out the study arose from a dull day she and her team were having themselves due to bad weather. "Everyone was sluggish and talking about the weather," she said. 

There is no doubt that mood can significantly affect general productivity in the workplace. The morning weather sometimes dictates our energy levels throughout the day. A sunny morning translates to an energetic day for some people, Whereas a rainy morning would mean a dull and lazy day. We might feel more optimistic to leave the house, ride to the bus station, or hang out outdoors when the weather is bright. 

In the past, there have been studies of the effects of weather on general mood but none so far on how weather can directly affect one's output in a professional or work environment. 

READ MORE - How Weather Affects Mood 

(Photo : RF Studio)

The Aim and Method of the Study

The primary aim of this study was to determine whether or not morning weather can influence the mood and wellbeing of employees daily. 

The researchers hoped that the outcome of their study would instigate other researchers to probe further, the role of environmental factors such as weather on the behavior of people at work.

While trying to ascertain their hypothesis, Venz and Pundt carried out a diary study. Employees answered two survey questions everyday on working days. They answered one question in the morning before working and one at the end of their shift. 

As time passed by, the researchers also developed a pictorial scale-a diagram that shows different intervals or phenomena. The pictorial scale represented the illustrations that are used to summarize weather forecasts.

Venz explained that participants in the study were made to choose the icon that represented the weather they experienced at the moment. At the end of the day's work, they also answered questions to measure their current wellbeing. These questions determined job satisfaction, vigor, and burnout. "This measure enabled them to relate morning weather to same-day wellbeing after work," Venz said. 

The study was conducted using 115 employees as samples within a total of 457 workdays. Venz and Pundt conducted the study in April, the month when Germany experiences fluctuating weather. 

The Result 

At the end of the study, the result showed that morning weather was related to the state of positive well-being and not negative. This suggests that employees feel energized and pumped up at work when the morning weather was good, the reverse is the case on a day with bad morning weather. 

There was no correlation between bad weather and negative emotions associated with work like burnout or stress. According to Venz, this discovery was unexpected as they had expected a connection between the two variables. 

From their findings, it was deduced that environmental factors do play a role in mood and energy levels in the workplace. They suggested that to be more energetic, the workers can incorporate physical activities such as bike riding or walking to work when the weather is good. She and her team plans to conduct more research to fully understand the link between weather and the well-being of workers.

RELATED ARTICLE - Here Comes The Sun: How The Weather Affects Our Mood 

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