Is this Tuesday the happiest day of the year? The psychologist answers

This Thursday, June 20, has been baptized as the happiest day of the year. The one known as Yellow Daywhich was born in 2005 as a contrast to the so-called Blue Monday (celebrated on January 15), arrives at the end of June, when the days are longer, there are more hours of light and it gets dark later.

More outdoor plans, vacations are getting closer, extra summer pay… All this influences experts to consider that June 20 is classified as the happiest day of the entire year.

But is it really like that? In ‘Health Guides’we spoke with Andres Calvopsychologist and director of the Persum Clinic in 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 it has nothing to do with the date we meet.

And this is precisely what happens, for example, with the depression. Negative feelings become omnipresent, they are the center of our daily lives, with a high intensity, which prevent us from carrying out daily life.

In fact, the World Health Organization (WHO) classifies this mental health problem as one of the most disabling in the world.

According to a report by Fundamed, three million Spaniards suffer from depression, making it the most prevalent illness in our country, ahead of anxiety and schizophrenia.

• “The non-integration of the rational and emotional part is what produces depressive or anxious symptoms. And the important thing, in addition to having a stable environment and a good economic situation, is essential to have a well-integrated brain, or in other words, to be neither a very emotional nor a very rational person.”

For this reason, 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 coming Friday we will welcome summer. Which means a general increase in temperatures, the days are longer and the nights shorter.

It is estimated that when the mercury reads 21 degrees, we are in a better mood, since our body does not need to do any extra work to maintain body temperature.

• “The production of serotonin (a neurotransmitter related to the control of emotions and mood) increases during the summer, while our brain generates less melatonin (a hormone that helps regulate the circadian rhythm).”

The serotonin It increases when we practice regular physical activity, make more outdoor plans, reduce 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 a statement that can be extrapolated to the entire population.

• “One of the essential treatments for symptoms of depression or anxiety is for patients to have more activities on a daily basis, which has an impact on 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, there are more consultations for relationship problems.

And the fact is that, during the holidays, the time spent together as a family and as a couple increases, which can lead to arguments and conflicts that can even end the romantic relationship.

What are the happiest countries in the world?

Ten years ago, the United Nations General Assembly declared March 20 as the International Day of Happiness.

And, since then, a World Happiness Report has been published every year. Despite the coronavirus health crises, the war in Ukraine, between Israel and Gaza, and global inflation, the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Through surveys carried out in more than 150 countries, this is the ranking of the happiest countries in the world:

• Finland

• Denmark

• Iceland

• Israel

• Netherlands

• Sweden

• Norway

• Swiss

• Luxembourg

• New Zealand

Spain falls for the third consecutive year in the table. We are in seventh place among the happiest countries in the world in terms of sustainable well-being. Our country is behind Vanuatu, Sweden, El Salvador, Costa Rica and Nicaragua, and tied with Denmark