If you’re like most people, you have probably found yourself blaming your winter laziness on the weather. You have probably also noticed that every time you ever used this reasoning, it was readily accepted, and completely understood, by whoever you told it to.
This phenomenon is real and it affects all people eventually. The ways in which this curious happening affects people varies from person to person; but at some point in everybody’s lives it does. This makes total sense considering we, as people, are also a part of the animal kingdom. The largest measurable differences between, we as humans and our animal counterparts, is our ability to reason, and the limitations our conscience puts upon us.
Biology has taught us for years that every living thing has the same basic needs in order to survive. We have also learned that what usually affects one species will most likely affect others in very similar ways.
So that tired lazy feeling that strikes us just as the days start to grow shorter and colder, signaling that winter is well on its way, is not just some random coincidence; it is our bodies fighting the natural urge to hibernate. Hibernating animals find a safe shelter and go into a deep state of sleep. While in this sleep, the animal’s heart rate slows, as does their breathing which helps eliminate the need to eat during the months that may be hard for them to find food.
As tempting as sleeping away the winter months is, it is not necessary for our survival like it is for some of our animal friends. Because we have the ability to get the food we need, and keep our bodies warm and sheltered from the cold, we can be as active as we want, but still we are less active, and tend to eat more in the winter.
In case you haven’t noticed, spring brings about some changes in people, and in animals, that are undeniably inspired by Mother Nature herself. The warm days and breezy nights of spring have every creature howling at the moon, and at each other. During this season many people willingly turn over their more civilized habits for the wild abandonment of feeding the animal side of their personality.
The hot scorching weather of summer finds animals and people seeking relief from the unrelenting months of punishing heat in a lot of the same ways. Animals migrate to cooler locations with lots of water, and humans go on vacations to places with lots of water.
Whether it’s lazing around pools of cool water to beat the summer heat, or eating a lot and staying in a semi dormant state during the freezing cold of winter; one thing is for sure, animal or human, we are all in this together.