From social connection to warmer days — why spring and summer really do make us happier

After an almost endless, typically Irish wet winter, May has arrived with (some) better weather. But is it true that the spring and summer seasons bring more energy and improve our mood?

Spend more time in nature to boost your mood. Photo: Getty

Camille Van Puymbroeck

Spring is good for us, both physically and mentally. It is no coincidence that many of us are in a better mood now that the days are longer and the sun shows itself more often. Seasons play a role in how we feel, clinical psychologist Ad Vingerhoets also confirms.

Seasonal depression, also called winter depression, is a common condition in the northern regions, which most of us experience to a lesser or greater extent and with a whole range of symptoms, from extreme fatigue to a disturbed eating pattern to sadness. “It affects everything, even down to how we tip the pizza delivery driver,” says Vingerhoets.