What temperature is happiness?

Somewhere in the past week I read a small article that maintained that satisfaction was found at C 13,9°.

Unfortunately my brain didn’t start thinking about that premise until several days later and I can’t find the article although I have searched high and lo (and on internet). I am pretty sure that it was a written article on paper, and in French so spent an hour going through the paper basket…) Then of course that thought became rather important as I walked to and fro (loaned the car to my older son) the past few days.

So why would they determine that one is most satisfied at C 13.9°?

This is rather cool, does it have to do with not sitting still (if one did at that temperature, one would quickly become rather cold)? Does it have to do with being out on a lovely fall day, sunny, but cool?

No matter as I can’t find the original explanation: it still led to my thinking about my favorite temperature.

It isn’t one temperature, in fact, the more I thought the more  “ideal” temperatures or the temperatures with which I am “happiest” for various reasons, I came up with:

·       19°C (or 68°F – one conversion that I know by heart as there was a little liquor store in my youngest sister’s town the fall I spent four months there, which posted both!) is often deemed the best temperature for a room: not so cold that one freezes, not so warm that it costs a lot to heat

·       10°C – if I am out walking I need a light jacket

·       11°-15° C – again, if out walking start with a sweater that I usually end up taking off after having walked uphill for 10 minutes

·       17-18°C best for gardening and housework as that involves both effort and moments of non-effort.

·       20°C is the temperature I prefer for my bedroom: this is warm enough so that I only need the light duvet, yet cool enough so that I don’t wake up feeling stuffy

·       21°C is o.k. for about a half hour if sitting still

·       23-24°C my personal “ideal temperatures for sitting around

·       25°C upper limit of my own personal comfort zone, anything beyond that becomes “warm, let’s not make too much of an effort

·       26-29°C bearable, but again I am more likely to not want to move too much

·       30° and above: I become somewhat (now, now, really – don’t contradict me on that somewhat) cranky.

·       35°C I am definitely not much fun to be around as, if I am not complaining about the heat, I am saying that it’s too hot (I do make an effort for my family and friends – the rest of you I ignore at that temperature).

Then of course there are all the temperatures of items/food in my daily life…

·       Just to be contrary, my favorite bath temperature is around 40°C : I did say contrary.

·       Love my sparkling wine as slush (not sure of the temperature).

·       Try and keep the freezers at 19°C and the refrigerators at 5-10°C (I think)

·       Love my hot drinks HOT and my cold COLD, but don’t always put ice in the cold ones.

·       Same with food – if it’s meant to be hot, it had better be hot: I am more lenient with warm and cold

Who knew that thinking about the temperature where one is happiest could produce so many diverse thoughts?

 

How about your own list?

living room

bedroom bookshelf

bathroom