This Tuesday, June 20, has been baptized as the happiest day in the world. The one known as yellow daywhich was born in 2005 as a contrast to the call (which is celebrated on January 15), is celebrated because at the end of June the days are longer, there are more daylight hours and it gets dark later.
More outdoor plans, the holidays are getting closer, the extra summer pay… All this influences experts to consider that June 20 is classified as the happiest day of the day.
But is it really so? in we talk to Andres Calvopsychologist and director of Oviedo.
The specialist clarifies that, although there are circumstances that can help us feel better emotionally, “it doesn’t make much sense because, from a psychopathological point of view, to achieve happiness there must be a balance between reason and emotion”. And nothing has to do with the date on which we meet.
And this is precisely what happens, for example, with the . Negative feelings become omnipresent, they are the center of our day to day, with a high intensity, which prevent us from carrying out daily life.
In fact, the (WHO) classifies this mental health problem as one of the most disabling in the world.
According to a Fundamed report, three million Spaniards suffer from depression, making it the most prevalent disease in our country, ahead of anxiety and schizophrenia.
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“The non-integration of the rational and emotional part is what produces depressive symptoms or . And what is important, in addition to having a stable environment and a good economic situation, it is essential to have a well-integrated brain, or what amounts to the same thing, that is neither a very emotional nor a very rational person”.
For this reason, the psychologist Calvo explains to this newspaper that “the ideal thing to be a happy person is to be lucky enough to have had a childhood where reason and emotion have been well integrated.”
Are we happier in summer?
This time of year, which we will welcome this coming Wednesday and which will be accompanied by a general increase in temperatures, is characterized by longer days and shorter nights.
It is estimated that when the mercury reaches 21 degrees, we are in a better mood, since our body does not need to do any extra work to maintain body temperature.
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“The production of serotonin (a neurotransmitter related to the control of emotions and mood) increases during the summer season, while our brain generates less melatonin (a hormone that helps regulate the circadian rhythm).”
The serotonin increases when we practice physical activity on a regular basis, make more plans outdoors, decrease stress levels (especially during vacations) or sleep the hours recommended by experts.
Hence, Calvo emphasizes, that during the summer people can feel “greater happiness”. Although, obviously, it is not an assertion that can be extrapolated to the entire population.
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“One of the essential treatments for symptoms of depression or anxiety is for patients to have more activities on a daily basis, which affects their mood.”
However, this It does not mean that there are more psychological consultations in winter than in summer. Although the mood may improve during the summer season, there are more consultations due to relationship problems.
And it is that, during the holidays, the time of coexistence at the family level and as a couple increases, which can lead to discussions and conflicts that can even end the sentimental relationship.
What are the happiest countries in the world?
Ten years ago, the General Assembly of the United Nations declared March 20 as the International Day of Happiness.
And since then, a World Happiness Report has been published every year. Despite the health crises of the coronavirus, the and the , the world averages remain the same as those of the years prior to the pandemic.
Through surveys conducted in more than 150 countries, this is the ranking of the happiest countries in the world:
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Finland
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Denmark
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Iceland
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Israel
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Netherlands
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Sweden
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Norway
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Swiss
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Luxembourg
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New Zealand
Spain falls for the second consecutive year in the table. In position 32, below Estonia and ahead of Italy. At the tail, Afghanistan and Lebanon, devastated by war and crisis, are the least happy countries in the world.