Is the Grass Always Greener?
I read a short article a while back that really interested me. Unfortunately, I didn’t save it as I didn’t have a blog and didn’t think I’d use it for anything. So this is not scientific and I don’t have any source or statistics. Basically, the article asked the question if people living in warm climates are happier than those that don’t.
It interested me because I hate winter and cold weather. I don’t think I would ever miss snow or slush. I certainly feel different in the winter; I almost feel like hibernating at times. I can almost feel my endorphins rise when I see a palm tree, even in a photo. The one thing I look forward to about aging is having a “winter home” in Arizona or New Mexico or someplace similar. My Mom, who lived in Arizona for about 20 years, referred to part-time residents as those damn snowbirds.
Unlike my folks, I could never leave the Chicago suburbs permanently because I now have grown children and grandchildren here. I have friends from 6th grade and high school that I still see regularly. And unless the real estate business changes dramatically in the near future, it isn’t a job that requires retirement at a certain age.
There is some documentation that weather does have an effect on a person’s mood and we’ve all heard about SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder). But the question was alluding to the fact that some people that feel depressed might think if they lived someplace else that they would no longer be depressed. In other words, let’s say a depressed, or just an unhappy person that lived in Chicago felt that if they moved to Phoenix, AZ they would be cured, or at least be happy.
The article pointed out that there are depressed and unhappy people in every single state, including Hawaii and California. Same with different countries in different climates. It does make sense when you really think about it.
I also tried to read through some really technical studies on the subject and what I gleaned was that in an area where seasons don’t change as dramatically as others, such as Chicago, there isn’t the “boost” associated with entering a definite Spring season coming out of an extreme winter. So people in an area of very similar weather throughout the entire year don’t get any type of weather associated mood upswing that others might experience when one climate changes into another.
Weather definitely does affect our moods and some people can be affected more dramatically than others. But living in a nice, warm, or even-tempered climate does not prevent depression nor does it guarantee happiness.
