Latest news with #FeifeiBu
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
People most happy in morning, study finds
Never mind the grumbles and groans that accompany a clock alarm, along with a lunge for the snooze bar and murmurs of "five more minutes." People generally wake in their best frame of mind, enjoying peak mental health and wellbeing in the morning, researchers reported in a new study published Tuesday in BMJ Mental Health. They also tend to feel worst around midnight, with the day of the week and season of the year also playing a role, researchers found. "Generally, things do indeed seem better in the morning," concluded a team led by Feifei Bu, a principal research fellow in behavioral science and health at University College London. These results don't just give a better insight into how people's moods change throughout the day, researchers said. They also can help guide future efforts to track and treat people's mental health, since the time of day can influence how a person might feel. "Our findings indicate the importance of considering time, day and season in mental health and well-being research," the team wrote. "These factors should also be considered for the design and delivery of interventions, as well as the planning and provision of public health services." For the study, researchers analyzed data from more than 49,000 people who participated in a social study related to the COVID-19 pandemic. The study, which began in March 2020, tracked participants through March 2022. Participants were given questionnaires that posed direct questions, such as these: "In the past week, how happy did you feel; how satisfied have you been with your life; and to what extent have you felt the things you are doing in your life are worthwhile?" Time stamps on the completion of each survey gave researchers an idea when people answered these questions. Analysis revealed that people generally wake up in the morning feeling their best. They have their lowest levels of depression, anxiety and depression, and highest happiness and life satisfaction scores. On the other hand, people tended to feel unhappiest around midnight, researchers found. Day of the week played a less clear-cut role in a person's mood and well-being, researchers found. Happiness and life satisfaction all tended to be higher on Mondays and Fridays than on Sundays, but happiness also was higher on Tuesdays, researchers report. There was no evidence that loneliness differed across days of the week. But there was clear evidence that the season can influence a person's mood. People tended to have higher levels of depression, anxiety and loneliness in winter compared to other seasons, as well as lower levels of happiness and life satisfaction. Overall, mental health was best in the summer, results show. Changes in mental health and well-being throughout the day might be explained by the biological processes associated with the body clock, researchers said. "For example, cortisol peaks shortly after waking and reaches its lowest levels around bedtime," researchers wrote. Given these results, researchers suggested mental health providers and agencies consider beefing up their services around midnight, during the middle of the week and in the midst of winter. More information The Sleep Health Foundation has more on the body clock. Copyright © 2025 HealthDay. All rights reserved.
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Are mornings best for your mental health? What a new study says.
We've all heard of seasonal affective disorder — the phenomenon that explains why so many people feel more depressed during the winter. But can our mental health fluctuate at different times of the day, too? As it turns out, your mom was right when she said that everything would look brighter in the morning. A new study published in the BMJ Mental Health journal reveals that people tend to have a brighter, more optimistic outlook in the morning, with mental health and well-being at their lowest around midnight. The observational study analyzed self-reported data on mental health and well-being from the University College London COVID-19 Social Study, which began in March 2020, was regularly monitored until November 2021, then had additional monitoring up to March 2022. Using data from 49,218 adults, researchers looked at whether time of day, season or year was associated with variations in mental health (i.e., depressive and/or anxiety symptoms), life satisfaction, a sense of life being worthwhile and loneliness. They found that: See for yourself — The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and feel-good stories. By signing up, you agree to our Terms and Privacy Policy. People generally feel in the best frame of mind in the morning, and feel the worst around midnight. There's 'some inconsistent evidence' that the day of the week is associated with mental health and well-being. Mental health is overall best in the summer. Depressive and anxiety symptoms and feelings of loneliness are highest, and happiness levels and life satisfaction levels are lowest in the winter. The study authors write that the changes in mental health and well-being throughout the day could be explained by the physiological changes associated with the body's biological clock — for example, cortisol peaking shortly after waking and reaching its lowest levels at night. 'We repeatedly saw mornings align with better mental health and well-being, and midnight with the lowest — a pattern that held even when accounting for variations in individual characteristics,' Feifei Bu, lead author of the study and a research fellow at University College London, tells Yahoo Life. While Bu says the COVID-19 pandemic 'undoubtedly shaped many aspects of daily life, and its toll on mental health is well-documented,' those conditions were carefully factored into the analysis of the data. 'It is reassuring that our findings match pre-pandemic studies on mood cycles,' she says. 'This suggests that the time-of-day association may be more than just a special case of the COVID-19 pandemic.' Still, Bu acknowledges that further research in non-crisis settings and in other countries is needed. Bu says the knowledge that people's mental health and well-being can fluctuate throughout the day may have important implications for future research, as well as for mental health support and services. But she also warns that the study's results should not be expected to explain specific individual circumstances. 'On average, people do seem to feel best in the morning and worst late at night,' Bu says. 'But our analyses also revealed how much individuals can vary around the overall trend. What's true for the group is not always true for every individual.' Chloe Carmichael, a clinical psychologist and author of Nervous Energy: Harness the Power of Your Anxiety, tells Yahoo Life that the study's findings align with what she often sees in her professional work. That said, there's certainly some variety. 'For many people, mornings are generally best — we're fresh and at least somewhat rested,' Carmichael says. 'However, of course, there are people who absolutely 'don't do mornings,' but they get very creative, social or focused in the evenings.' Experts say it helps to get to know your own mental health peaks and valleys — and to prepare accordingly. Here's what they suggest. Get to know your daily and seasonal mood rhythms. Carmichael says that many people are intuitively aware of their own daily and seasonal mood patterns. But if you need help determining them, you can make a point to observe yourself with that issue in mind. 'For many people, just being intentional about noticing your patterns is very helpful,' she says. 'If you need more help, make a list of recent ups and downs. Do you notice any patterns?' Anticipate when you're likely to feel down — and plan accordingly. We can experience 'anticipatory anxiety' when we know something stressful is on the horizon, Carmichael says. 'Autumn blues,' for example, can precede the winter blues for many people. Kirk Schneider, a psychologist and author of Life-Enhancing Anxiety: Key to a Sane World,tells Yahoo Life that in his own work, he has noticed that "anniversary reactions" — like dates of significant losses, deaths or trauma — are particularly difficult for people to deal with, and knowing that can help you cope. 'Anticipating anniversary reactions, holidays and periods like dark winter days can help people to prepare themselves and others for potential stress and thereby assist them to make more informed choices about what they take on or whom they engage,' Schneider says. Prepare and make adjustments as needed. According to Carmichael, identifying your mood rhythms can be helpful on the practical level of self-care, and also give you a sense of control. 'If an obligation arises that forces you out of your comfort zone, prepare as best you can,' Carmichael says. 'For example, consider a short afternoon nap if you are an 'Early to bed, early to rise' type but you must attend an evening meeting.' Take some time to check in with yourself. Schneider says that 'Pause, reflect and respond' can be a helpful mantra when you feel a challenging mental state coming on. 'Such a process may also lead one to contact a friend, engage in mindful meditation, take a walk or, if necessary, contact a therapist,' he explains. 'Any of these activities can help us to gain a new perspective on our anguish, so that we begin to see more options than just our sadness, anger or fear.' Share your mood rhythms with others. Try what psychologists call "narrating your experience," which Carmichael says just means letting others know if you recognize that factors such as time or season are affecting your mood or mental state. This, she adds, is a much better alternative than bailing on someone because you're feeling out of sorts. Carmichael explains: 'Most people can be sympathetic if you say, 'I'm sorry, this is a lot for me to digest right now. I'll be much fresher in the morning, and I'd like to give this the attention it deserves. Could we plan to talk at 9 a.m.?'"
The Independent
05-02-2025
- Health
- The Independent
Everything really does seem better in the morning, scientists say
There is no better part of the day than that early morning alarm, scientists assessing the mental health of Britons have claimed. The mental well-being of people appears to degrade throughout the day with the lowest moods detected by midnight. 'Generally, things do seem better in the morning,' the University College London (UCL) researchers determined after analysing data from 49,218 adults over two years. People in the study answered questionnaires, including questions such as: 'In the past week, how happy did you feel?', 'How satisfied have you been with your life?', and 'To what extent have you felt the things you are doing in your life are worthwhile?' Researchers added: 'There is also an association with day of the week and season, with particularly strong evidence for better mental health and wellbeing in the summer. 'Measures of mental health were worst mid-week, with morning relief from depressive and anxiety symptoms not found on Tuesdays and Wednesdays' For the study, researchers looked at variations in mental health (depressive and/or anxiety symptoms), happiness, life satisfaction, the sense of life being worthwhile, and loneliness. Factors such as age, health conditions and whether people worked were taken into account. The results showed that happiness, life satisfaction, and worthwhile ratings were all higher on Mondays and Fridays than on Sundays, and happiness was also higher on Tuesdays. The researchers suggested that changes in mental health and wellbeing across the day might be explained by physiological changes associated with the body clock. 'For example, cortisol (a hormone that regulates mood, motivation and fear) peaks shortly after waking and reaches its lowest levels around bedtime,' they said. However, they said the differences noted between weekdays and weekends may be driven by things such as the sequence of daily activities, which are likely to be different between weekends and weekdays. Dr Feifei Bu, from UCL's department of behavioural science and health, said: 'Our findings suggest that on average, people's mental health and wellbeing are better in the morning and worst at midnight. 'However, this pattern could reflect when people choose to respond to the survey, rather than a direct effect of time of day. For example, those already feeling better in the morning might be more likely to engage with the survey at that time. 'While these findings are intriguing, they need to be replicated in other studies that fully account for this potential bias. 'If validated, this could have important practical implications. Researchers investigating people's mental health and wellbeing should take into account the time of day people respond. 'Mental health support services might consider adjusting resources to match fluctuating needs across the day – for instance, prioritising late-night availability.'
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
Things really do seem better in the morning, scientists say
People often tell their loved ones 'everything will be better in the morning', and now scientists have shown this is likely to be true. A large study found the mornings are often the time of day people are at their best and report the greatest feelings of wellbeing. The research also reinforced what people often believe to be true – that the summer months make people feel happier than the winter ones. Experts analysed data from 49,218 adults drawn from the University College London (UCL) Covid-19 Social Study, which followed people for two years from March 2020 to March 2022. The findings showed that people generally woke up 'feeling best' but, by midnight, they were 'feeling worst'. Researchers added: 'There is also an association with day of the week and season, with particularly strong evidence for better mental health and wellbeing in the summer.' The team, writing in the journal BMJ Mental Health, concluded: 'Generally, things do seem better in the morning.' They also noted that people tended to have more varied mental health during weekends while things were steadier during the week. For the study, researchers looked at variations in mental health (depressive and/or anxiety symptoms), happiness, life satisfaction, the sense of life being worthwhile, and loneliness. People in the study answered questionnaires, including questions such as: 'In the past week, how happy did you feel?', 'How satisfied have you been with your life?', and 'To what extent have you felt the things you are doing in your life are worthwhile?' Factors such as age, health conditions and whether people worked were taken into account. The results showed that happiness, life satisfaction, and worthwhile ratings were all higher on Mondays and Fridays than on Sundays, and happiness was also higher on Tuesdays. But there was no evidence that loneliness differed across days of the week. The researchers also suggested that changes in mental health and wellbeing across the day might be explained by physiological changes associated with the body clock. 'For example, cortisol (a hormone that regulates mood, motivation and fear) peaks shortly after waking and reaches its lowest levels around bedtime,' they said. However, they said the differences noted between weekdays and weekends may be driven by things such as the sequence of daily activities, which are likely to be different between weekends and weekdays. Dr Feifei Bu, from UCL's department of behavioural science and health, said: 'Our findings suggest that on average, people's mental health and wellbeing are better in the morning and worst at midnight. 'We drew on a large sample of repeated data – nearly a million survey responses from 49,000 participants over two years. 'However, this pattern could reflect when people choose to respond to the survey, rather than a direct effect of time of day. 'For example, those already feeling better in the morning might be more likely to engage with the survey at that time. 'While these findings are intriguing, they need to be replicated in other studies that fully account for this potential bias. 'If validated, this could have important practical implications. Researchers investigating people's mental health and wellbeing should take into account the time of day people respond. 'Mental health support services might consider adjusting resources to match fluctuating needs across the day – for instance, prioritising late-night availability.'
Yahoo
05-02-2025
- Health
- Yahoo
What time of day you feel your best and worst, according to research
By the time the day is over, you may be at your most irritable, sad, or anxious self—even if you started the day feeling bright-eyed and bushy-tailed. And it turns out, many people are likely experiencing the same pattern in their moods, a new study says. Researchers at the University College London found that people tend to rate their feelings of happiness, life satisfaction, and sense of life being worthwhile highest in the morning, and lowest around midnight. The findings, published in BMJ Mental Health, drew upon data from 49,218 people who answered the University College London COVID-19 Social Study. They were based on questions answered between March 2020 and March 2022, which included, 'In the past week, how happy did you feel? How satisfied have you been with your life? To what extent have you felt the things you are doing in your life are worthwhile?' 'Across a large, diverse sample, we repeatedly saw mornings align with better mental health and well-being and midnight with the lowest—a pattern that held even when accounting for differences in individual characteristics,' says lead author Feifei Bu at the Research Department of Behavioural Science and Health, University College London. Happiness, life satisfaction, and sense of life being worthwhile ratings also varied based on day of the week and season, according to the study. Researchers found that people were happiest Sunday mornings, with Saturday coming in at a close second. Life satisfaction and sense of life being worthwhile ratings were also at their highest on weekend mornings. The authors point out that this could be due to socialization and employment patterns. Their findings are supported by previous research, which has linked dips in mental health and well-being during the week to work stress. Another study found that even unemployed people had improved well-being on weekends likely due to increased social time. Researchers also found that anxiety symptoms were lowest on Sundays, which researchers attribute to the 'sequence of daily activities,' that vary on weekends versus weekdays. Feelings of satisfaction, that life was worthwhile, and happiness, however, plummeted to their lowest at midnight across all days of the week. Similarly, loneliness, was consistently lower in the morning and higher at night, regardless of the day of the week. Researchers' suspect that circadian rhythms, which cause cortisol to peak shortly after waking and decrease to its lowest levels around bedtime, play a role. 'Cortisol is just an example of how physiological processes may explain why time of day may affect mental health and wellbeing,' Bu tells Fortune. 'Many other factors such as environmental factors, patterns of daily activities may also play a role.' It wasn't just time of day or day of the week that influenced mood—the time of year also impacted respondents' well-being, researchers found. Winter is associated with the highest levels of loneliness and symptoms of anxiety and depression. Respondents had lower levels of loneliness, depression and anxiety symptoms in other seasons, and had higher levels of happiness, life satisfaction, and feeling that life was worthwhile. The researchers hypothesize cold, dry weather in the winter, low levels of sunlight, and even 'sociocultural cycles, including cultural holidays, norms, and employment patterns' affect mood in the winter versus non-winter seasons. This likely won't come as a surprise to people with seasonal affective disorder (also known as SAD), which is a type of depression that can be caused by a drop in serotonin—the hormone that regulates mood—due to less overall daylight in winter. Additionally, the hormone melatonin, released before sleep, is triggered by darkness and can make people feel sleepy earlier, in turn affecting mood and mental health. With this study, the authors are hoping that medical professionals will be better understand when and why mood can fluctuate. 'Mental health researchers or clinicians should take into account that people's mental health and wellbeing could be affected by when they are assessed,' Bu says. 'Mental health support services may consider adjusting resources to match fluctuating needs across the day—for instance, prioritizing late-night availability.' More on mental health: Workplace well-being is at an all-time low. Here are 5 ways employers can actually help The world's 'winter depression hotspots' may surprise you. Here are the top 15 countries 8 surprising, subtle signs you have high-functioning anxiety Stigma keeps many men from seeking mental health support. These 3 shifts in thinking can help This story was originally featured on
