Máire Treasa Ní Cheallaigh: Good weather doesn’t guarantee a sunny disposition – just look at the happy Nordics

We’re conditioned to think that a bright sunny day automatically makes us feel brighter and happier, but the research doesn’t really back that up. The influence of the weather on our day-to-day mood is either non-existent or subtle at most if you believe the data.

This is surprising, considering it has been drummed into us that we all feel better on a sunny day, and part of the reason for our collective Irish misery, coughs and colds is our dull and damp surroundings.

Meanwhile, other research tells us that sunlight can be a natural mood booster. Sunnier, brighter weather is said to be good for us as it helps nudge us outdoors, which encourages us to be more active. It’s well-known that regular exercise can help our physical and mental health. It also tops up our vitamin D levels, which is essential for our bones, muscles and immune system.

Due to our geographical location and lack of sunshine, the HSE recommends we take a vitamin D supplement during winter, and chances are a lot of us are deficient, which won’t help our health either.

Psychiatrists have published a multitude of papers over the years telling of the importance of sun and daylight to help regulate the wiring in our brains and our hormones to promote better moods, sleep and mental health.

Fewer people seem to suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in sunnier climes nearer to the equator. This is a type of depression that can be triggered by reduced sunlight during the winter months, and it’s treated in a variety of ways, including with light therapy.

We also can’t disregard our genetics. You’re more likely to be depressed if your parents were

With all this evidence, it would be easy to conclude that living somewhere sunny makes you happier. The Costa del Sol must be full of people joyfully jumping out of bed every morning, raring to go. There can’t be any depressed people in Sicily.

To assume this removes the human and lifestyle factors from our reasoning. We can’t ignore the impact of the world around us on our mental state.

We also can’t disregard our genetics. You’re more likely to be depressed if your parents were. Ireland has one of the highest rates of mental illness in Europe – around 12pc of us have a major depressive disorder like anxiety or depression and this is roughly three times the European average.

The reasons for this are multiple, but we can’t ignore that we also spend a lot less on mental health care than most of our European counterparts.

Maybe this is partly why Scandinavian and other Nordic countries often top world happiness surveys.

This is the conundrum I thought about last week as I sat in despair, staring out the window at the rain. Why, if sunshine is so good for us, are the people of Finland – who endure long, dark winters, with some regions going 50 days without any daylight at all – regularly the happiest in the world?

Hygge was shortlisted by the Oxford dictionaries as word of the year in 2016 following an interiors and lifestyle trend that spread worldwide. It’s a Danish term to describe a sense of cosiness, conviviality and contentment. It describes a culture of finding the joy in the simple things and being toasty among friends, and we wanted a bite of that cherry too, adopting it into our lexicon.

Maybe, it’s easier to appreciate the little joys in life in a country where there are no hospital waiting lists, paid holidays are longer, having a child in a creche doesn’t come with the risk of bankruptcy, and fathers get decent time off to help with parenting.

Another lesson from the Nordic nations is that there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes

The World Happiness Survey says the Finns are happier due to a multitude of factors including lower income inequality and high social supports. They probably don’t have to wait as long as we do to see a psychiatrist or get psychological supports, which may also contribute to a better sense of well-being.

On a lighter note, I do wonder whether the Nordic expectations are much more reason­able than ours, that they’re not expecting daily meteorological miracles.

Why expect sunlight when you know you’re going to have a long winter? Plan to live without it. Meanwhile, we’re aghast when we have a damp February. If only we had sun, our day would be better.

Another lesson from the Nordic nations is that there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes. Is it Irish optimism or denial that ensures we’re never properly dressed for rain and arrive soaked due to a flimsy jacket and a no-show bus?

It appears neither warm nor cold climates are better for our well-being. Ireland, where it rarely gets too cold or too hot, should be the ideal. A kind, inclusive society without worries about housing, health and other services with the odd sunny day shouldn’t be unattainable.