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Transcript

EP36 - The Seasonal Mind · Oh And One More Thing

0:35
Hey y'all, it's Rob. How you doing?
0:37
Welcome to ohh. And one more thing.
0:39
Hey everybody, I'm Brian. What is happening on this
0:42
glorious March day? Ohh it's beautiful.
0:44
Can. You believe it.
0:45
It's beginning of March already. Where has 2026 gone?
0:50
All two months of it, right you. Know the days are getting
0:54
longer? Yes, they are.
0:55
It's going to be spring very soon, and you know what that
0:58
means? Sneezing, watering eyes, allergy
1:01
season, right? But our winter mood should lift
1:04
a little with the extra sunlight, right?
1:05
Right. Back up spring soon.
1:08
So wait, are you talking meteorological spring which
1:11
happened a couple days ago or are you talking like the spring
1:14
solstice spring, which happens like in three weeks?
1:16
Totally Spring solstice. Oh yeah, what's the other one
1:18
hasn't? Happened meteorological spring.
1:20
What is that? So that's the calendar spring,
1:23
so. How is that different than March
1:25
20th? Do you not watch the Weather
1:27
Dudes or the Weather Gals or the Weather People?
1:29
I tell, I see them telling me it's going to be cold out or
1:31
they, they say it's going to rain, it's not going to rain,
1:33
you know, whatever. Sure.
1:34
So they, the, the, the, the weather people, they base it on
1:38
the calendar. So December, January and
1:40
February are winter in their world.
1:43
And then March, April, May, spring.
1:45
So it starts at the beginning of the month, right?
1:47
June. July.
1:47
August. The summer.
1:48
OK, September, October, November.
1:50
It's fall. In any rate, it's still spring.
1:52
Right, as it is spring it is. OK, yeah.
1:54
And yeah, yesterday's getting longer.
1:56
Did you know on average throughout the last couple weeks
1:59
in February and now into March, we're gaining 3 minutes of
2:01
sunlight a day? Really.
2:02
Yeah. Is that why I feel better?
2:04
That's absolutely And then coming up soon as daylight
2:07
savings. So it's like we're gaining an
2:09
hour of sunlight. I know we're not, but it.
2:10
Feels like it's not. It's not actually.
2:13
I know it's not. But it feels like it.
2:14
Does it though? Yeah, kind of.
2:16
Just makes me tired. Well, no 'cause you it, the
2:18
sun's out later at night now, so you can go for your evening
2:21
walks and have some sunlight. Oh, you mean all the walks that
2:23
I do now? Right.
2:26
I'm gonna start walking people. I really I am.
2:28
You're on it. I, I, I I have faith it's gonna
2:31
happen. Yes.
2:32
Hey, you know, what do you call a cold dog?
2:34
What? A chili dog.
2:36
That's lame. What?
2:37
Do you call a Penguin in the desert?
2:39
I don't know, lost? What do you call?
2:42
I'm kidding, I only have two. That is one depressed Penguin,
2:46
right? I never thought I had an issue
2:49
with the changing of seasons, though.
2:50
No, It's one of the things I like best about Minnesota,
2:53
though. Is that all the changes of the
2:55
seasons? But it does really have effect
2:57
on us. That's huge.
2:57
Effect on us, but I I funny. I had this conversation with
3:01
somebody at work a couple days ago.
3:02
I would not want to live anywhere else because of the
3:05
change of seasons. I love the change.
3:07
I like the change too. I love really cool.
3:09
Absolutely love it. Absolutely.
3:10
What's your favorite season? Probably fall, yeah.
3:13
I love all the leaves change. I hate the yard work, but I love
3:16
the Christmas in the air, the football season.
3:19
I love fires outside in the fall.
3:21
It's just, it's just fun. I would say spring and then
3:23
fall. I like the change of color and
3:25
everything, but I don't like football.
3:27
Sorry. Yeah.
3:28
I like summer 'cause we have lakes and boats.
3:31
Yeah, that's fun. I I like looking at the snow,
3:33
but I'm not a big fan of, you know, the snow.
3:35
I like the snow. Yeah, I like it.
3:37
I used to. Ski a lot.
3:38
Downhill ski or? Cross, yeah, downhill.
3:40
Actually, I did. I did race in high school for
3:42
when you did cross country racing.
3:43
Really. Yeah, I used to cross country
3:45
ski. Yeah, I was the best shape of my
3:47
life. I downhill skied once.
3:48
Did you do my face? I true story on my face downhill
3:54
gave it up after that. I I snowboarded once in my life
3:58
and didn't realize that when you're snowboarding you always
4:00
lean back. OK, never did it.
4:02
Yeah, I lean forward. And what happens when you lean
4:03
forward? What you face find really,
4:05
really, really fast and actually put my hands on to stop me and
4:08
my elbow went into my rib out and I had to go to the ER.
4:12
Oh no, did you break something? No 'cause that's why I had to go
4:14
to the ER 'cause it hurt that bad.
4:15
Oh, have you snowboarded since? I am not.
4:19
I did it once and one and done. Yep, that was it.
4:21
That's. Kind of my downhill skiing days.
4:23
One and done. Yep.
4:24
So, so our topic for today then, So that's going to be how the
4:27
season's changing really does affect us.
4:29
I think that's a fantastic topic.
4:30
Because it's a great. Idea Yeah.
4:32
So human cognition is deeply embedded in the natural rhythms
4:35
of the environment, of the seasonal cycles.
4:38
The predictable shifts in temperature, daylight, ecology
4:41
and social activity create some of the most profound and
4:44
measurable influences and how we think, feel and behave.
4:47
That's interesting. Across psychology, neuroscience,
4:50
chronobiology, anthropology, and even economics, a growing body
4:55
of research suggests that changes in seasons can
4:59
meaningfully alter your mood, attention, memory, creativity,
5:03
social cognition, and even moral judgment.
5:06
What I I have to agree with that.
5:08
What that's a lot. I mean, does it really affect
5:11
your moral judgement, right? That's odd, right?
5:14
I mean, I never thought I had an issue with this, right?
5:17
But the more I learn about this topic, you know, I think I
5:20
really do go through some winter depression and and anxiety.
5:24
OK for it. OK.
5:25
Yeah. And and I really think that
5:27
spring, because that's probably why I like spring so much more,
5:29
Yeah, is I'm coming out of that because it's brighter out.
5:32
It's nice out that leaves are coming out, right.
5:34
I think that's so weird. I think that's somewhat normal,
5:36
though, especially even where we live in this area of the
5:38
country, that cabin fever is a real thing.
5:41
Yeah. Yeah.
5:42
And you just, you just need to, I mean, because really only
5:44
times we see each other now in the winter, I mean, we go out
5:47
once in a while and we go and play cards, have dinner.
5:48
But we do a lot more in the other three seasons.
5:51
Which we haven't done that lately, so we never get on that
5:53
again. Right.
5:54
That's what I'm saying. Like I see you a coffee every
5:56
week. I see you at the podcast every
5:57
week, but it's not nearly as much as it is the rest of the
5:59
year, right? So cabin fever is real.
6:01
Well, why don't you tell me more about it?
6:04
Talk about what? Oh gotcha.
6:10
So a seasonal variations in photo period, which means length
6:14
of daylight, is one of the most significant factors affecting
6:18
cognitive function. OK, so melatonin, the sleep wake
6:21
regulating hormone, diminishes as winter persists.
6:24
A sustained lack of melatonin has been linked to lower
6:27
alertness, slower reaction times, increase sleepiness and
6:32
reduce cognitive flexibility. OK, so OK, wow, wow.
6:35
First of all, but what is melatonin?
6:37
Melatonin is a little pill I take sometimes at night.
6:40
Do you? Really take melatonin once in a
6:42
while. I do every.
6:43
It's really on the nights I'm really struggling to fall
6:45
asleep. Like if I'm laying in bed for a
6:46
couple hours, I'll pop up melatonin, but I'll get to that
6:49
in a second so. Does it help you sleep?
6:50
It does, yeah. I always get confused and I have
6:53
a hard time remembering between Melanoma and melatonin is this
6:58
Those are different right? Melanoma is like skin skin.
7:00
Cancer and melatonin to help you sleep.
7:04
Melatonin, sleep, Melanoma, skin cancer.
7:07
We'll lock that in. Slightly different.
7:09
Slightly different, right? Yeah, it's.
7:11
All so melatonin, OK, is a hormone your brain makes that
7:15
regulates your sleep cycle. I'm sorry, regulates the sleep
7:17
awake cycles. There's circadian rhythm
7:20
signaling it's time to sleep, especially as it gets dark.
7:23
So in the very far north and when it's dark for a long
7:27
periods of. Like 24/7.
7:29
And you must be months feel sleepy all the time, Yeah.
7:31
Or if you happen to work overnight for two years in a
7:33
row. Sure, sure that's an issue.
7:35
I know a guy who did that. Who was that, Rob?
7:37
That be me. And yeah, it didn't mess with
7:39
your sleep, dude. Like it's, it's weird.
7:41
So. Did you have the the blackout
7:43
shades then? So when you come home in the day
7:45
trying to, yeah, sleep, yeah, yeah.
7:46
But it's gotta totally mess with you.
7:48
And it's still hard because they still had, they're still during
7:51
the day there's active like garbage trucks and lawn mowers
7:54
and people knocking on your door to deliver packages.
7:56
And it's it's still, it's hard to get that full sleep even with
7:59
the blackout screens 'cause there's so much life going on
8:01
around you. So get together with you.
8:03
Yeah, crazy. Yeah, so said a little bit of
8:05
talk a little bit about this earlier about melatonin.
8:07
It's an over the counter supplement to help with falling
8:09
asleep. Those generally not for long
8:11
term use without a doctor's guidance, especially in kids due
8:14
to the potential side effects like headaches, dizziness, and
8:16
drowsiness. OK, here's a rub.
8:19
What's wrong? What's wrong now, Rob?
8:20
I took melatonin straight for like a year and a half.
8:23
And look how you turned out, right?
8:26
And because there was a while before I got on it, before I
8:29
found it, I did struggle to fall asleep every night.
8:32
And then I just got in the habit like I just took a little the 5
8:34
milligrams, a little pill every night and I was 1520 minutes
8:37
about. But does it the effectiveness?
8:39
Does it wear off if you for prolonged usage?
8:42
Well, see, I think that's what happened eventually.
8:44
Got to a point where I was still falling asleep, but I didn't
8:46
feel like I was getting a deep restful sleep after a while.
8:50
Have you used magnesium? I have not.
8:52
Magnesium also helps you sleep. It does.
8:55
Amy takes magnesium as it does. So how does that work?
8:58
So let me tell you about it. Sweet.
9:00
Magnesium helps sleep by calming the nervous system, regulating
9:04
sleep hormones like melatonin, reducing stress and relaxing
9:08
muscles primarily by activating calming neurotransmitters and
9:12
blocking stimulatory ones, easing racing thoughts and
9:16
physical tensions that disrupt. Rest OK.
9:18
It can improve sleep quality, help you fall asleep faster and
9:22
alleviate issues like restless leg syndrome or especially in
9:26
deficient individual. Oh, so the rest is like thing
9:28
like that Doesn't happen to be a lot, but it does happen.
9:30
I hate that. I know, isn't it the?
9:32
Worst. The worst?
9:33
Just you can't. Shake it.
9:34
It just doesn't go away. No.
9:36
Yeah, Like, I like want to get up in the middle night and start
9:38
running laps just to move, just to make it stop.
9:41
Oh, it's horrible. I didn't know about.
9:43
Yeah, I've never taken magnesium.
9:44
I did not know anything about that.
9:46
That is. Definitely.
9:46
You can actually then go some melatonin, some yeah, magnesium,
9:51
go on and off and maybe it'll help you.
9:53
Your melatonin will come back to you full again.
9:55
Yeah, kind of go off. Of it for a while.
9:57
Well, I've been over for a while now.
9:58
It's probably been almost a year I would probably say.
10:00
And I've been sleeping fine. That's every once in a while I I
10:03
take it back. I still take it when I travel
10:05
because I do not sleep outside of my own bed.
10:07
At home, it doesn't matter where I'm.
10:08
At You can't sleep well at all I.
10:10
Never have been able. To now, can you sleep?
10:12
If you have a night or two that of really unrestfulness you
10:17
like, you don't sleep well. By the third night, you're so
10:19
exhausted you just sleep. I mean, yeah, I mean I will
10:21
sleep, but not like I sleep when I'm at home.
10:23
Like I won't get 6 to 8 hours of good decent sleep.
10:26
I'll get a couple hours here and there.
10:27
OK, I'll just wake up just restless.
10:29
Oh it's too bad. You should try magnesium.
10:31
I should try. That I might.
10:32
I might do that. I might do that.
10:33
I might do that. OK, let's get back on our topic
10:36
because we're totally going off the rails here.
10:38
We are we on the same topic. I don't know what we're talking
10:40
about anymore. All right, So the second part I
10:42
was going to say is serotonin. It's a vital neurotransmitter
10:46
for mood and executive function. It often dips in the darker
10:49
winter months. Brain imaging reveals that there
10:51
is an increased binding of serotonin transporters during
10:54
the winter. This phenomenon effectively
10:56
reduces the amount of serotonin remaining in synaptic
10:59
circulation, which is then associated with poor
11:01
concentration and a lower mood. Oh.
11:03
My gosh, you're killing me. What?
11:05
Right. That kind of sounds like
11:06
somebody I know. Me.
11:07
Yeah, you. So so serotonin is a crucial
11:13
neurotransmitter that and hormone that regulates mood,
11:15
sleep, appetite, digestion, memory and more Little things
11:19
acting as a chemical messenger in the brain and the gut.
11:22
Low levels are linked to depression, anxiety and IBS.
11:25
Oh God, don't talk about IBS, about balance level support
11:29
well-being with sunlight, exercise and tryptophan rich
11:33
foods like nuts, eggs and poultry helping production
11:35
though food doesn't directly provide serotonin.
11:38
Oh my gosh, are you trying to make my head hurt?
11:41
OK, so melatonin and serotonin are the two things that I need
11:45
for my in my body to uplift my mood during winter, right?
11:49
Well, kind of, yeah. OK, I just want to be sure I got
11:51
that. Right.
11:52
Why didn't I just say that? Well, you did, but you said a
11:54
lot of other words with it and and I get confused when you talk
11:57
so much. Well, I just, you know, trying
11:59
to lay it all out for, you know, to have the.
12:01
Yeah, you're right. I just should have said that
12:02
way. I'm sorry.
12:07
Hey Brian, I was just outside trying to enjoy the yard and the
12:10
mosquitoes are driving me nuts. Oh, you got to call Spring Green
12:13
for that. Rob Spring Green I thought they
12:15
just did my fertilizer and weed control.
12:17
Oh, they do that, and our lawn looks amazing because of it.
12:20
But their mosquito control is a game changer.
12:23
We can actually use our patio. You know how bad the state bird
12:26
gets in Minnesota? Make sure that's the loon.
12:28
But point taken. So they do lawns and mosquitoes.
12:31
And total home pest control. My house is completely mouse
12:35
free. They even do liquid aerations
12:37
and lawn insect control. Wow, I'm only using them for
12:39
half of what I could be. You should fix that.
12:41
Go to springdashgreen.com and get a personalized quote today.
12:45
That's spring dashgreen.com. And tell them.
12:47
Oh, and one more thing sent you. OK, so now you mentioned the
12:53
circadian rhythm. What is that?
12:55
That's a band out of Guatemala. The Circadia.
13:02
The circadian rhythm so that that's your body's natural
13:05
internal 24 hour cycle that regulates physical, mental and
13:09
behavioral changes. Primarily controlling your sleep
13:11
wake pattern by responding to light and darkness, controlled
13:15
by a master clock in the brain. This rhythm influences hormone
13:18
release like melatonin, body temperature, appetite and
13:21
digestion, ensuring your body functions along with the day
13:24
night cycle. OK, so is that why that my body
13:27
will wake up at 6:00 in the morning without?
13:29
An alarm. Oh my God, every flipping day.
13:31
It is the worst, right? Even on weekends.
13:33
Even on weekends it. Drives me nuts.
13:35
But I do get up and make the coffee, so I.
13:37
Feel good about it. That's good, that's good.
13:38
It's good. It's good to have a purpose in
13:39
life. Right, Making coffee.
13:41
It's like that commercial. Time to make the doughnuts.
13:43
The doughnuts. They should, Duncan, they should
13:46
totally bring that back. They should.
13:47
It would be great. Those are the best.
13:49
All right, so back to our topic. Secondly, when it comes to our
13:52
mood changes, in some more extreme cases you could have
13:55
seasonal affective disorder. Or sad sad.
13:58
That is sad, SAB. That's sad.
14:00
A seasonal effective. Effective, effective, not
14:03
effective. Effective it was.
14:06
It was seasonal effective disorder, be said.
14:09
He said she said it would be seasonal effective disorder.
14:13
Sad, sad. I'll just say cool.
14:15
SAD. All right?
14:16
So SAD is a clinically recognized mood disorder
14:18
triggered by seasonal light reduction.
14:21
Some symptoms include poor concentration.
14:24
Got it. Slowed thinking.
14:26
Got it. Rumination.
14:28
What is? That what is that which is the
14:32
repetitive obsessive dwelling on negative thoughts problems stop
14:36
laughing or past mistakes getting stuck in a mental loop
14:40
without fighting solutions. I told you to stop laughing
14:44
which works since feelings like sadness, guilt and anxiety and
14:48
hinders problem solving. Oh my gosh this is me.
14:51
It's like a self portion. It's like, it's like replaying
14:57
scenarios in your head. Oh my gosh, I'm doing that all
14:59
the time. Focusing on what if or why
15:02
questions, but instead of of actions.
15:05
Seriously, you pull this out of the dictionary, There's a
15:06
picture of you next to Oh my gosh.
15:08
Did this and then of course the last one is memory impairments.
15:11
That's not as good as. Rumination but.
15:14
Those first 3 did that. Like totally explain who I am.
15:17
Totally did. Oh, I should see a psychiatrist.
15:20
God that is so funny. OK, so diving into this topic
15:25
involves more than just sleep. Patterns are a lack thereof.
15:27
Additionally, there are a few more factors that influence how
15:30
our moods change with the seasons.
15:32
And what are they? Well, number one, 'cause you
15:34
know, we're in Minnesota cold weather.
15:37
I We didn't pay for that drum sound, did we?
15:40
I am extremely talented. You are no exposure to colder
15:43
temperatures as mixed cognitans effects you think?
15:47
Yeah, some studies show enhanced attention and vigilance in cold
15:50
environments, Possibly an evolutionary adaptation to
15:54
harsher conditions requiring greater caution.
15:57
However, you've. Got to have great caution in
15:58
this past winter. Oh my.
16:00
Gosh it was 1 morning what 22 below like temperature wise?
16:03
And I know you can't just step out barefoot and get the mail.
16:06
God. Please don't.
16:08
Not not in below 0, but anything, you know, right around
16:11
freezing. I'll go outside barefoot.
16:13
Barefoot. Yeah, just to run and get the
16:15
mail and come back in. Oh.
16:16
It's exhilarating. Not barefoot.
16:17
No, no, no, no, no. But it's only 32°.
16:19
So I got invited to do the Polar plunge this year.
16:22
You didn't do it. Oh, God, it was hard.
16:23
No, no. Oh, God.
16:25
Not a chance. Not a chance.
16:26
No, that's way too cold. No, you people are nuts.
16:28
That would create a heart attack in my body.
16:31
Yeah, I I'm not doing it. It's for a good cause.
16:33
Special Olympics, but. Just give money.
16:35
I'd rather give you I'd. Rather just give you 10 bucks
16:36
and stay warm, sorry. Anyway, again, we're off topic.
16:41
Back to the topic. So however prolonged cold is
16:43
associated with reduced working memory performance?
16:46
Yep Doll. Decreased cognitive endurance
16:50
again and higher mental fatigue due to metabolic demands.
16:54
Getting tired of talking about this Let's we should talk about
16:59
hot weather. Yeah, let me let me talk about
17:01
hot weather. So with hot weather, excessive
17:04
heat generally impairs cognition more dramatically.
17:07
Apparently more than a cold, huh?
17:09
And you thought you had it all figured out.
17:11
It's a dry. Heat.
17:12
They say it's the. Heat still freaking hot.
17:15
It's not the it's the humidity, not the heat.
17:17
Oh my God. Yeah, whatever Hot is hot.
17:20
Heat waves correlate with slower reaction times, increased
17:23
errors, and reduced reason. Reasoning ability.
17:27
Functional MRI my studies show that heat stress decreases
17:32
activity in the prefrontal cortex.
17:35
Yeah, I said that right, right. And area and area of executive
17:39
function in the brain heat can impair sleep quality.
17:42
I don't that for sure. Try to sleep with the cabin once
17:45
with no air conditioning is terrible, creating indirect
17:49
cognitive deficits. What does that mean?
17:53
Indirect cognitive deficits refer to cognitive problems like
17:57
memory or focus issues that aren't the primary brain damage
18:01
but arises as a secondary consequence, often from our
18:05
health conditions like chronic pain, sleep disorders,
18:08
depression, or even factors like stress and inflammation which
18:12
indirectly impair thinking and processing.
18:14
These differ from direct deficits, where the impairment
18:19
stems straight from the brain injury.
18:21
So let's go back to the cabin for a second.
18:24
It's hot up there in the. Sun, you know, but the worst
18:26
part, you're right, it it does suck to sleep in the heat.
18:28
And but in that case, it truly is the humidity.
18:30
When I'm like literally sticking to the sheets 'cause it's so
18:32
damn humid. Yeah, and not having a dude, not
18:35
a chance. What, like when you look like
18:37
laying in your own sweat 'cause it's so hot?
18:39
Like the sheets are like just so because it's so humid out and so
18:43
hot and just sweating profusely and no amount of fan will do
18:46
anything. OK.
18:47
But now it's only spring and that's coming up.
18:49
I know it's coming up. And you're excited for it,
18:51
aren't? You I'm excited to sleep at air
18:53
conditioning on the Super hot days.
18:54
Oh my gosh. Yeah.
18:56
What a Nancy. Yeah.
18:57
We don't it I would agree. So we but I but I grew up
19:02
without AC. Now.
19:03
Now I'm old enough I have my own house and I have AC.
19:05
I'm using the damn thing and that really drives my wife nuts
19:08
because she would love to have the windows open all the time.
19:11
No, it's too hot. They're open for like a week in
19:13
the spring and the week in the fall.
19:14
Otherwise, the air's on or the heat's on.
19:15
Yeah, there's no in between. I only.
19:17
Like spring and and fall, you know that 70° weather, That's
19:21
what I like. Yeah, I I like the spring before
19:22
it gets humid. Yeah.
19:23
Yeah. And then, like fall once, once
19:25
all the corn is gone, the humidity is gone.
19:27
What? That's a fact.
19:28
Did you know that? No, that's a fact.
19:30
Is it really? Called what?
19:31
Oh, gosh, I, I, I, I'm not going to look this up.
19:33
I should totally look this up. It's trans, like transduction or
19:37
transduction or something like that.
19:38
That, that it, the corn is so much water, it evaporates.
19:42
Yeah. And that's what creates a lot of
19:44
humidity. As soon you will notice this, I
19:45
want you to pay attention this fall when we get to September,
19:48
October, they start harvesting the corn.
19:50
Boom, humidity is gone. OK, let's look up that word.
19:52
Hang on. OK, fine.
19:53
We paused it. I looked it up.
19:55
OK, So what is it? What is?
19:56
It now OK, so it's called corn evapotranspiration.
20:01
Because that's a long word. Corn evapotranspiration or for
20:03
short ET. That's absolutely what it says.
20:06
Corn ET. Corn ET.
20:09
Or commonly referred to as corn sweat.
20:12
OK. That's the process where corn
20:13
plants absorb soil moisture and release water water vapor
20:17
through the leaves, offering releasing 3000 to 4000 plus
20:21
gallons of Walker water per acre during their peak growth.
20:26
Oh my gosh, no wonder it's so. 4000 gallons of water per acre.
20:30
It's gotta be more humid in Iowa since that's the main crop,
20:34
right? But.
20:34
We have a lot of corn here too. We do have a lot of corn, yeah,
20:36
but not as much as Iowa. Not.
20:37
As much as Iowa, but yeah, it isn't it's a natural process
20:40
that cools the plants but significantly increases your
20:42
local humidity and heat heat index values in the Midwest.
20:45
So huh, that is a true thing. So when they say it's not the
20:47
heat, it's the humidity, it's and, and this I do know for a
20:50
fact because I, I did live in Iowa briefly and as soon as they
20:53
harvest, you could see you. Tell a difference.
20:55
A significant difference in the fall and they harvested.
20:57
That's fascinating, right? That's so cool.
21:00
Look at this stupid. Driver Learning.
21:01
I'm glad you looked that up, Cliff.
21:05
It's a little known fact. OK, so taking all this into
21:10
account, it's not just sleep that's affected.
21:13
Our bodies also respond to seasonal changes in several
21:17
ways, including attention and executive function.
21:20
OK, attention tends to be highest in spring.
21:23
I like a spring right when daylight increases in moods
21:27
improve. OK.
21:27
Well, that totally makes sense from everything we've talked
21:29
about so far. Right.
21:30
OK. So check.
21:31
Got that right with you. Early winter is associated with
21:34
the dip in sustained attention and planning abilities.
21:37
Well, that makes total sense. You're spending your entire time
21:39
getting ready for Thanksgiving and Christmas, and that's all
21:41
you can focus on. That's what you spend all your
21:44
time on. Well, my wife does, yeah.
21:46
I know you're watching sports. Go Vikings.
21:49
Anyway, summer heat reduces executive functioning more than
21:52
winter cold, so don't move to Arizona.
21:56
Got it. Yeah.
21:57
All right. Memory.
22:01
So seasonal patterns and memory have been observed across many
22:04
cultures. Some studies suggest that memory
22:06
formation peaks in autumn, perhaps due to optimal
22:09
temperatures and stable daylight patterns.
22:11
See my favorite season. And long term recall sometimes
22:14
worsens in the winter, possibly due to lethargy and mood factors
22:18
and cabin fever. I added the cabin fever but
22:21
that's that's just my opinion. I'm lethargic in the winter.
22:25
Surprise. Just the winner or?
22:29
Yeah, come on in Spring and fall, I'm good.
22:32
You are. You are.
22:32
I would, I would. I will concur.
22:34
Thanks. Thanks for being on my side,
22:36
Rob. You should take this one because
22:37
you. Are creative and you are
22:39
creative. Let's talk about creativity.
22:41
Yes, creativity appears to be influenced by seasonal
22:44
variations. Oh really?
22:45
Cool. In both mood and environmental
22:48
exposure is that. Why is that?
22:49
Why you paint more in the spring and summer?
22:51
Do I though? I don't know, do you?
22:53
Could we have a? I don't know if I I can quantify
22:55
that or not. Hmm.
22:57
Maybe I'll, I'll keep a journal. You should keep it.
22:59
I'll keep my 100th journal of all these things.
23:02
Journal. How many how?
23:05
How high is that stacked? Extra better.
23:06
Journals that I don't touch and write in, ever, right?
23:11
Anyway, back to creativity. Winter may promote creative,
23:14
introspective thought. Long, longer nights and indoor
23:17
time may foster reflection and generative thinking.
23:21
That makes sense. That's what I'm doing.
23:23
My gratitude journal because I've been indoors for so long.
23:26
To doing that journal. Just that one.
23:29
That's all dealer stacks too high to get into.
23:33
I can't get to the bottom of that step, right?
23:35
OK in spring and summer can enhance divergent thinking due
23:39
to greater sensory stimulation, outdoor exploration and social
23:43
interactions. Just what you said, more social
23:46
interaction in the spring and the summer because we see each
23:50
other more, right? And you're also more active
23:51
because you're swatting mosquitoes, unless you have a
23:53
spring greenhouse. Way to tie that back to the ad
23:55
we just heard. Right.
23:58
Convenient how it works. All right.
24:00
Emotion regulation. Light and temperature both
24:02
affect the neural substrates involved in emotional
24:05
regulation. Winter depression and
24:07
irritability correlate with low sunlight and reduce serotonin.
24:10
I can totally concur. Summer months often show
24:14
increased optimism and social motivation.
24:16
That's cool. Yeah.
24:17
Now. How about social behavior?
24:19
OK, seasonal rhythms shape our attitudes towards others.
24:23
Did you know that? I I I do now.
24:26
I'll just say I'm sorry right now.
24:29
On it. People tend to be more socially
24:32
outgoing in the summer. Yes, we are, partly due to
24:35
increased outdoor gatherings and higher dopamine level.
24:39
What do you like better than like an outdoor summer party in
24:41
a backyard or an outdoor bar? It depends what the temperature.
24:44
Is. Well, that's true.
24:45
In the spring I love. It right, there's that.
24:50
Winter fosters inward focused social cognition, smaller,
24:54
tighter social circles, more introspection, and sometimes
24:59
increased conflict due to indoor crowded.
25:03
Family. I love family.
25:08
All right, empathy and moral judgement.
25:09
Some studies report intriguing seasonal shifts.
25:11
People make harsher moral judgements in cold environments,
25:14
possibly linked to the cold equals harsh conceptual
25:17
metaphor. Warm temperatures can enhance
25:19
pro social behavior but may also lead to irritability when
25:22
extreme. Yes, when it's super super hot,
25:25
irritable. Very irritable.
25:26
I mean, when you got sweat in places, you did a lot sweat.
25:30
It's the worst, right? So our thinking is closely
25:33
connected to the world around us.
25:34
Changes in the environment and the traditions we follow
25:37
throughout the year can affect how we focus, learn, and process
25:40
information. Seasonal routines and cultural
25:42
practices shape the way we think and experience each season.
25:45
This is. Cool, learning all this stuff
25:49
right makes us smart. Seasonal activities and
25:51
cognitive load. Agricultural and educational
25:55
calendars rooted in historical seasonal cycles still shape our
26:00
cognitive thinking today. How?
26:01
Do they know way back when? Well, obviously they were paying
26:03
attention, right? Somebody was writing it down,
26:06
right? Is the.
26:07
Maybe in a journal the. Julian Calendar.
26:08
That's one we use, right? The Julian.
26:10
Julian Calendar. Julius Caesar, right?
26:12
Didn't he create? Is that what that?
26:13
Yeah. Oh yeah.
26:14
You know what? I think we talked.
26:15
We talked about that, Yeah. So Julian Caesar Guy is pretty.
26:18
Smart. The Romans were smart For
26:20
students, cognitive performance often peaks in late spring but
26:24
dips in midwinter influencing. I I debate that comment full
26:28
heartedly. Students cognitive performance
26:30
often peaks in late spring. Have you not heard of
26:32
senioritis? Well, right.
26:34
But that's when they're they're technically supposed to be
26:36
smarter, but they dip in midwinter, influencing academic
26:40
calendars worldwide. It happens across the.
26:42
Globe, I think they dip 9 out of nine months.
26:46
Well, back when we were in school, maybe there was a bigger
26:50
dip. Now they're just.
26:50
I'm not going to say. I love you all.
26:55
Yes, our daughters are teachers. It's there.
26:58
In agricultural societies, seasons dramatically affect
27:02
cognitive demand through planting and harvest cycles.
27:06
So cultural practices like holidays, rituals and seasonal
27:09
festivals shape cognitive framing.
27:11
Spring rituals reinforce themes of renewal and possibility.
27:15
Yep. Autumn festivals emphasize
27:16
reflection, harvest and community sharing and drinking
27:19
beer and drinking beer. And what do you don't?
27:21
They all drink. We drink beer.
27:22
All of them. Saint Patty's Day, I.
27:23
Know, but I'm just thinking about the the fall Oktoberfest.
27:28
October fest thing. Yeah, stiffed on fest.
27:30
Yeah. I look forward to Summer Shandy
27:32
in the spring. Oh, I like I love a good summer.
27:35
Shandy, especially on tap. Yeah.
27:37
Where can we get one of those? The bar and winter Winter
27:42
holidays promote social bonding, which can buffer cognitive and
27:45
emotional stress. This interplay between
27:47
environmental culture and culture amplifies seasonal
27:50
cognitive effects. From an evolutionary viewpoint,
27:53
seasonal cognition may have been adaptive.
27:56
OK. For winter, conserve energy,
27:58
engage in long term planning, reduce risky behavior.
28:01
OK, so. I can paraphrase that and so
28:04
conserve energy, eat more. What?
28:08
Yeah, eat more. Eat more.
28:09
Yeah. To build on.
28:11
Put on fat. Well, yeah.
28:12
For the winter, yeah. Cold winter months, Yeah.
28:14
For summer. Explore, cooperate, pursue
28:17
social opportunities, Gather resources, exercise.
28:20
Exercise more. You're bringing in the the food
28:23
gathering resources, There you go.
28:24
And spring and autumn is a transition and preparation
28:27
periods requiring flexible cognition, right?
28:29
Current seasonal effects may reflect these ancient adaptive
28:33
rhythms, right? So I'll throw on the modern
28:35
disruption. So urban life, technology and
28:37
climate change, right, Right. So modern life reduces our
28:39
exposure to natural seasonal cues through constant artificial
28:43
light. Yeah.
28:44
You can't call fluorescent anymore because it's really like
28:45
banned. It's all LEDs now.
28:47
It's. All but that's still artificial.
28:48
Yeah, but fluorescents were really, really, really bad on
28:50
you. So they said.
28:51
So they said. That's what I hear.
28:53
That's what we read. Indoor climate control, which I
28:55
love and but. You're not getting the true
28:59
effects of being outdoors. Yeah, that's close enough.
29:02
And irregular work schedules and screen time.
29:04
That one I do agree with, yes. Sometimes too much screen.
29:07
Too much screen time and I'm just as guilty as anybody else.
29:10
So these I disrupt natural circadian rhythms, reducing but
29:13
not eliminating seasonal cognitive shifts.
29:16
So OK, you can have a seasonal cognitive shift.
29:18
So each time the season we change and change and change.
29:22
And then you're saying that the screen time kind of messes with
29:26
that, jacks it all up, not all. Of it.
29:29
Yeah, Jackson. I like my screen time.
29:31
Of course you do. That's why we're all addicted to
29:33
it. But it yeah, it messes you up.
29:34
How many hours do you do a week? Do you get the little message on
29:36
your phone? Nope, I refuse to have that
29:38
little setting on my phone. No, come on, I was only three
29:42
hours and 55 minutes last week. For the week.
29:45
Average, yeah. I think that's per day dude.
29:48
No, no, no. Yeah, that's a day.
29:50
Oh, a day, OK. Yeah, that's the average of a
29:52
day. Yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah, yeah.
29:54
That's that's too much. I'm saying it's in general, not
29:56
saying for you. I'm just saying in general.
29:57
That's yeah, that's just too much.
29:58
No, no, we can back up. You talking screen like screen
29:59
time on your phone or like screen time watching TV?
30:01
You're working. Sorry, that was all on my phone
30:05
that does not include any of this computer that I'm looking
30:07
at right now, so. You're thinking more like 16
30:09
hours a day, more than that, right?
30:12
All right, So one thing to add, though.
30:13
Climate changes may also increase cognitive stress.
30:16
Extreme heat can make it harder for people to think clearly.
30:19
Yes. And unpredictable seasons can
30:21
cause anxiety and make time feel less stable or predictable.
30:24
And I do agree with the unpredictable seasons.
30:26
Not not even seasons, but the unpredictable weather because
30:29
it's our, I'm not going to get on a political soul box, but our
30:31
whole global warming, whether you believe it or not, our but
30:34
the patterns are distinctly changing.
30:36
Yes, our weather, our weather is more extreme than it has been
30:40
ever, I know in recent memory. So.
30:42
But there are some cases that show or some signs that show
30:46
that is it is cyclical. Yes.
30:49
So yes, the Earth is just going through.
30:51
A thing? Yeah, Going through a thing.
30:53
Yep, well, that's deep. So it took conclude our topic
30:55
here on the seasonal mind. The seasons collectively
30:59
influence human cognition through an intricate network of
31:02
biological, emotional, environmental, and cultural
31:05
pathways. While modern environments have
31:07
dampened some of these cyclical effects, they remain embedded in
31:11
our psychology and Physiology. Seasonal cognition is best
31:15
viewed as a dynamic rhythmic system shaped by solar cycles,
31:20
temperature changes, social rhythms, evolutionary history,
31:24
cultural practices. I feel better already.
31:28
Knowing this information. Yeah, yeah, that was a good
31:31
topic. Cool, that's awesome, I like it.
31:33
As always, please follow us on the socials at Owen One More
31:36
Thing Pod on Facebook and Instagram for highlights and
31:38
news of our upcoming shows. And if you have a show idea for
31:42
us or just want to give us some feedback, shoot us an e-mail at
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owenonemorethingpod@gmail.com. We would love to hear from you.
31:48
Plus, we still have some merchandise, T-shirts and caps.
31:51
They're going fast, so if you're interested, just send us an
31:53
e-mail. They are.
31:54
Well, that's what I like to tell people.
31:56
Yes, they are. They are.
31:59
Teachers now. Oh, and one more thing, far from
32:01
being a backdrop to human life, the seasons are active
32:04
participants in the way we think, feel, connect and
32:07
imagine. So when you are feeling changes
32:09
within yourself, remember that they are all part of a rat
32:11
natural rhythm, one that divides growth, reflection and renewal.
32:16
That's a nice way to put it. Sweet.
32:18
Bye everybody. Bye everyone.