Nice spring day? Go outside

In spring, people who spent more time outside on pleasant days tended to be in a better mood and had better memory.

The study

Across two correlational studies and one experiment that changed how long people spent outdoors, pleasant weather in spring went with higher mood, better memory, and broader thinking as time outside increased. The same pattern did not show up at other times of year, and hotter weather went with lower mood in summer. The authors suggest pleasant spring days matter more after a winter without them.

Starting small

When the weather turns pleasant after a long winter, spending part of the day outside may be worth it. Lunch outdoors or a walk at the end of the day is an easy way to do that.