Dear Curiosity Journal,

The wind has been whipping up here on the ridge, triggering what Rufus and I have coined, “wind aggression”. If you’ve followed us for a while, you’re familiar with the term and its effects, irritability and aversion to being outside. Like clockwork, I took up unnecessary offense, snapped at Rufus (who was hunkered down in the greenhouse) and headed indoors. Out of curiosity, I did a little more digging on the subject and found the following. “Some research suggests that wind direction can indeed influence our mental well-being. Certain studies indicate that wind direction plays a role in our anxiety levels and energy. Specifically, warm, inland winds have been associated with lower energy levels and increased anxiety. Another experiment found that wind direction, even after accounting for other weather variables, had a notable effect on mental health. In particular, a southeasterly wind was linked to raised anxiety and lowered energy levels”. I’m not certain what direction the wind was coming from. It often feels like it’s coming from every direction. Nonetheless, if you’ve been feeling on edge from working in the wind, you’re not alone.

~Joy

Wind direction and mental health: a time-series analysis of weather influences in a patient with anxiety disorder – PubMed (nih.gov)