I admit that I haven’t looked to see if there’s a particular month (or season) that brings more clients than others. (However, I can tell you that it is rare that a client calls too early for help, especially couples clients. I am always wishing I had met my couples six months earlier.) Don’t wait – preventative mental well-being works the same as preventative physical well-being!
This did remind me though of a collection of facts I read in Psychology Today about sunny days and good moods.
- Sunshine makes us want to help others: People tip more and answer street surveys more often.
- Sunshine helps us regulate our self-control: we buy more on cloudy days as a result of low mood making us vulnerable to temptation. We also use more alcohol, coffee, cigarettes, and sugar to stimulate our moods.
- Sun sharpens our differences: suicides increase during warmer months, possibly because seeing others enjoying themselves reinforces depression. The sun also can give depressed people energy to take action.
- The weather affects qualities we value. Cloudy weather makes students who are strong academically more likely to be admitted to college, and sunny weather means students who are strong socially are more likely to be admitted. Cloudy forecasts apparently prime people to think about academics.
The correlation here is that the various researchers were using sunshine = happy mood. Some things you can consider are trying extra hard to be optimistic or happy on cloudy days, and using the weather to help you reach goals that require energy, studying, or sociability.
