By Ed Vasicek on
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Featured Poll

Poll Results

Does Spring Fever get to you? Do you believe it is a real phenomenon?

It gets to me sometimes, my moods do funny things Votes: 2
It doesn’t get to me, but I see it around me and believe the phenomenon exists Votes: 2
Nonsense; if spring fever is real, the moon is made of cheese Votes: 2
Undecided: there might be something too it Votes: 0
Atmospheric changes affect us all, but there is no particular spring pattern Votes: 2
Some years it gets to me, some years not Votes: 0
Other Votes: 0
You have to be half looney to even create such a poll Votes: 2

(Migrated poll)

N/A
0% (0 votes)
Total votes: 0

Discussion

Tue, 04/26/11
Most Springs my counseling load goes crazy.

I feel spring fever too. I am driving on a country road and want to keep going. I am moody in the spring. People tend to switch churches in the spring.

What about you? Made any personal observations about spring patterns?

Sociologically, European studies show that rainy Mondays in April mean a rise in suicides. More illegitimate children are conceived in May than any other time.

So spring fever —anything to it?

"The Midrash Detective"

Wed, 04/27/11
I went with the atmospheric changes choice- humidity and air pressure do affect us physically (my son and I usually end up with head colds) and there is no doubt that sunshine has an affect on our health and sense of well-being.

I don’t know if it’s Martha Stewart’s fault or not, but in the spring I want to clean everything in sight, and the windows stay open as long as the temp outside is above 65F. But I don’t get ‘moody’ based on the weather- I sleep like a log during severe weather, and there’s nothing better than curling up in a wing chair with some hot chocolate and a good book on a blustery day. I guess guys don’t really ‘curl up’ in chairs though- ‘ensconce’ would be a better verb for the men, eh?

Edited to add: OK, I Googled. Here’s an article in Scientific American- http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=spring-fever-means-lig…] Fact or Fiction: Spring Fever is a Real Phenomenon
Clearly, there are marked correlations between moods, behavior and the lengthening days of spring, but the precise cause for our renewed energy remains elusive.

Scenescape Media

Wed, 04/27/11
[Susan R]…the windows stay open as long as the temp outside is above 65F.
Wow, I’m really the opposite of you in the climate department. Our bedroom windows stay open all winter, and once the outside temperature is above 60, the windows stay closed. As soon as the internal house temperature goes above 70, we go into air conditioning mode until the Fall…

Fall and Spring are my favorite seasons, but once the temperatures are above highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s in the Spring, that pretty much constitutes Summer for me, which is a season I just try to survive until Fall.

Dave Barnhart

Wed, 04/27/11
[Ed Vasicek] People tend to switch churches in the spring.?
My wife and I have observed this phenomenon over the last several years. We have taken to praying in advance against the spiritual challenges that seem to hit the church between February and April.

I’ve never looked into how it happens, but there’s no doubt that it does happen.

Michael Osborne
Philadelphia, PA

Thu, 04/28/11
I’m in the “doesn’t effect me but I see it in others” column… though now I’m thinking maybe it does effect me also.

Anyway, I see it most in the kids—in my family and at church. There’s a definitely-not-imaginary restlessness that increases as spring approaches, and they want to just go crazy, preferably outdoors.

But some of the other posts have me thinking I experience a bit of it as well. It’s more than just being really tired of winter (though that’s a major component up here where the winters can really be long). There’s a restlessness and openness for change that is definitely not at the same level in, say, mid-January. More temptations to spend money.

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.

Thu, 04/28/11
[dcbii]
[Susan R]…the windows stay open as long as the temp outside is above 65F.
Wow, I’m really the opposite of you in the climate department. Our bedroom windows stay open all winter, and once the outside temperature is above 60, the windows stay closed. As soon as the internal house temperature goes above 70, we go into air conditioning mode until the Fall…

Fall and Spring are my favorite seasons, but once the temperatures are above highs in the 70s and lows in the 50s in the Spring, that pretty much constitutes Summer for me, which is a season I just try to survive until Fall.
Dave, sounds like you’d really like Wisconsin (or Minnesota). You must have descended from Vikings.

Views expressed are always my own and not my employer's, my church's, my family's, my neighbors', or my pets'. The house plants have authorized me to speak for them, however, and they always agree with me.

Thu, 04/28/11
[Aaron Blumer]

Dave, sounds like you’d really like Wisconsin (or Minnesota). You must have descended from Vikings.
Not too far from the truth — I am a quarter Norwegian. I moved to NC for the job market (the Research Triangle Park area here is a slightly smaller version of Silicon Valley). I certainly didn’t do it for the weather, although early Spring and late Fall are really nice. Most others I know that moved here have acclimated, but it never seems to happen for me. We’re already having high 80’s here with pretty high humidity, and I’m thinking it will be a looooong summer. Makes me wish the summer church outfit for guys was Aloha shirts — I’ve been wearing those to work since March.

Dave Barnhart

Fri, 04/29/11
OK, I Googled. Here’s an article in Scientific American- http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=spring-fever-means-lig…] Fact or Fiction: Spring Fever is a Real Phenomenon
Clearly, there are marked correlations between moods, behavior and the lengthening days of spring, but the precise cause for our renewed energy remains elusive.
Yes, I did some research on this over 15 years ago. My counseling load would go crazy from Mid-February (if it warmed early) through Mid-May and then almost screech to a halt. Not so much anymore (I think, having been here 28 years, most of the unstable people in the community have already come and gone here). Still, the church switching happens this time of year. I have long discouraged people from making decisions in the Spring. I say wait till the end of May or early June and then decide.

"The Midrash Detective"