BEHOLD SPRINGTIME!
Soon the temperature gets pleasant, the buds come out, our clothes get shorter, and casual conversation turns to Spring. Our moods lighten like the extended days and as the Beatles sang, “The smiles returning to our faces.” Spring fever, we’ve all heard the term. There’s a spring in our steps, our energy increases, and we, dare I say, turn amorous? But is there any truth to the notion of Spring Fever? Is it a cultural myth or is there a biological component that drives us forward in the springtime? The experts say yes! Let’s explore.
While a simple Google search can lead you to a bevy of articles about the phenomenon of spring fever, there are notable scientific studies that report an actual change in mammalian neurochemistry in the spring. As melatonin, an energy-producing and mood-enhancing neurotransmitter, is released when the days get longer, the mating patterns of men, women, and animals increase. Our sex drive grows, our reproductive mechanisms are released, and general mood and happiness guide us to socialization and reproduction. Even our thoughts are better. It is common to think about love in the springtime with the hopes of getting more of it, only intensifying our activity.
So, as our conversations turn to pleasant things this time of year, are the feelings real, or is it just conjecture? More studies validate your gut instincts. A nature and nurture perspective makes it plain to see that biology drives us and socialization is more prevalent when the temperatures increase and we come out of hibernation like the bears. Want more proof? Live it! Get outside this time of year, exercise, explore and hang out with friends and you will see that spring fever is not just a myth but something to take advantage of when you live a full life.
