In high school, a friend wrote a paper on seasonal affective disorder. She told me about this “disorder” and I remember not buying it. It didn’t seem possible to me that the weather could have such an effect.
But. Here I am. Confessing that the weather does in fact affect me. When it is soggy out, I feel more quiet and tired and philosophical. When it is sunny, I feel bold and provocative. When it is very cold, and I can see my own puffs of breath, I feel strong. When it is sticky hot, I’m not going to lie – I get kind of pissy.
It’s interesting to see that my girls do not appear to be so affected by the elements. If it’s raining, they get pumped that they get to don their beloved boots and tote their favorite borellas (how cute is that “word” from the Rowley girl fictionary?) When it’s sweltering, their cheeks get pink, but their smiles don’t fade. And when it’s snowing? Don’t get me started. Snowman heaven. I’m wondering if adulthood makes us more sensitive to the seasons? Alas, why can’t we just be young again? Wouldn’t that make everything much easier?
Anyway, I’ve just had the good fortune of spending a very sunny several days in Cape Cod and it was a wonderful time for many reasons – the family, the food, the freedom – but I’m not going to lie – the fact that the weather was so postcard glorious added considerably to the week’s magic.
Are you affected by the weather? What is the weather like where you are? Would you prefer consistently good weather or the flip of the four seasons? Would you rather be really hot or really cold?
I’ll agree that I didn’t used to buy into the idea of SAD (fitting acronym, no?), but definitely understand being affected by the weather now that I’m an adult. I also crave sunshine over rain, feel down when it’s cold and snowy. It influences my reading, too, and whether I feel the inclination to write. (When it’s nice out, I just want to run around and soak up the day. When it’s gray/rainy, I want to stay inside and… think.)
And since I’m confessing, I’ll also own up to being pissy when it’s sticky hot, haha! My town in Maryland is built on a literal swamp, so it’s humid and disgusting here in summer. Having just come back from California where it’s lovely and temperate, I’m hating it more than ever. Today’s high is 98 with a heat index of 105, and I will be hiding in my cool, dark office until this breaks!
So good to know that I am not alone in being affected by the weather. I am fascinated by the thought that the weather can literally affect who we are on a given day, what we feel like doing and not doing, how much energy we have to tackle life. I am also curious about how our vulnerability to the “elements” appears to heighten as we age; perhaps it is just that we are more aware of the vicissitudes of weather and kids are by nature more cheerful and oblivious? Thanks, Meg! Hope it’s been a good and cool day. xo
Definitely. I find winter exhausting and depressing, although (conversely) I find it easier to motivate myself to work long hours as it gets dark at 4 so I go home in the dark whether I leave at 4 or 9.
I think I’d rather it was really hot all the time – but then I have absurdly fair skin and get sunburnt looking at a picture of the sun.
The best kind of day? A bright, clear, mild day in the middle of a rotten week. Lifts the spirits so much.
Glad you had a good time at Cape Cod; may the weather suit your mood this week!
Bright, clear, mild = my idea of perfection. I do love the cold too though. I think I am most productive when the weather is nothing special – not depressing, but not so gorgeous it’s distracting. Oh, and I think we have the same skin. I am uber-pale. Thankfully, I think my girls have inherited my hubby’s ability to tan a bit. Thanks, Yvann!
Now this is interesting as I have always been fascinated by how much emphasis people place on the weather – and the effect it has on them.
Although I have a friend who suffers from SAD and needs to sit under her special lamp during the dark winter months, I am not affected too much by the weather. It certainly doesn’t affect my mood. The only conditions that don’t really suit me is when it is very hot and very humid, but this is more a physiological thing. I’m just not made for hot weather, as I sweat very easily and too much. This leads to headaches and fatigue, as a result of dehydration. I love the cold, I love snow, I love the rain, I love sunshine, I love, I even love wind. I absolutely love having four very different seasons and would rather live somewhere cold than somewhere hot.
Oh, and I absolutely love central heating and air conditoning !!!
Um, yes re: central heating and air. I had never lived with these things until almost two years ago when we moved into our home and now I am totally spoiled. Now you have me thinking of physiological versus psychological effects of the weather… Interesting. I am a big fan of the four seasons too and would pick cold as well. Thanks, Tessa!
The heat index here has been about 104-106 for days but I’m housebound and happy to stay inside which isn’t like me at all. I’ve stuck my toe out and thought, “Yuck” not going out there. Living in Chicago, I absolutely love every season and their changes as they approach. Each one means something different, makes me feel different, as you mentioned above. AND the thing you said that hit me the most was seeing your puff of breath. It makes me feel strong and energized as well too. That being said, I’m a warm weather girl and prefer it but would never want to live in a land of just 1 or 1.5 seasons.
Happy you had a glorious trip for the holiday. We are just now celebrating as we always do on the weekend just following if it falls during the week.
104-106? Oh man – don’t think I would survive
I adore Chicago as a city and I know that a lot of people complain about the extreme swings in weather, but I think there is something bold and dramatic and wonderful about a cold cold winter and a sticky hot summer. That said, I don’t live there so I can say these things, right? Thanks, Gina!
I always suspected that I am affected by the weather differently than most people. I love the spicy scents and crispness of fall, and the cold and snowy days of winter. I even love the coziness of a stormy, rainy day. I am my absolute best cheerful self during the fall/winter seasons, and generally find myself crabby and sluggish in the spring and summer. What can I say? I am an enigma
Enigmas are the best. Highly underrated
I am a fall/winter girl myself. My birthday is in October – maybe my favorite month of all and we picked a December wedding date and I loved it. Christmas time in NYC is dreamy to me and will be the backdrop of my third novel. (Need to finish the second. Alas.) Thanks, Sam!
I was just thinking how I get super bummed – even depressed, when it is hot out – I just feel lethargic and drained after I walk my dog in the morning and then just want to slug away the day sitting in front of my AC and watch a good movie. I would much rather have it be on the colder side as I can always bundle up and get warm.
Then again, me being a Northern California Girl and living in this Eastern humidity + heat is quite the challenge!
Yes, I would always prefer to bundle than to strip down and sweat. It seems we are of the same breed. Thanks, Elizabeth!
In northern climates, SAD is actually a living breathing She-Monster. We enjoy weather similar to Yakutsk (Siberia), here in Fairbanks, AK- since we are on a similar latitude. That means eight months of winter every year. After about the fourth week of -35F, with ice fog so thick you can stir your coffee with it, with darkness prevalent for 20 hours each day, yeah… a person could become just mildly depressed.
There is no humidity in the air, at those temperatures. The cold is a desperate, dry Thing that sucks the air from your lungs, even if you cover your entire face with a mask (which I do). I go out running at -35, -40, even -45F. I ride my fatbike until things start to snap in the cold (around -40). I train pretty hard, in general. I complete four martial arts workouts each week, go rock climbing indoors, swim, play kayak water polo in the swimming pool and pretty much push the edges of the envelope until they pop.
Yes, I deal with seasonal affective disorder every. freaking. winter. It’s a bitch. It’s not meaner than me, but it’s taken me to my knees on several occasions… and it has gotten more ferocious with each passing year (I’ve got 35 winters here, and counting).
I guess what I’m saying is this: until you’ve run a mile at minus 40 in a set of boots that weighs eight pounds, pushing crystaline snow with every stride… don’t be too quick to judge the things that affect mental health. Like darkness. Or light. A lot of folks come to the land of the midnight sun and lose their minds. In the summer. We have a rotating population of military folks who just about can’t function from April – August, due to the unending daylight. So… there’s that.
Like Sam (comment right above mine), I love a good rain. Especially when I’m climbing, biking, mountaineering or running. I don’t like spring at all- it’s my least favorite season. I love Fall. Everything about it is ME.
Seasonal affective disorder actually doesn’t have anything the weather, but rather 1) the length of daylight, and 2)whether the length of of daylight is increasing or decreasing. These two cues trigger hormonal changes, and in many animals, are crucial for signalling seasonal changes to prepare for things like mating seasons, hibernation, or migration. The same hormonal mechanisms obviously also occur in humans, although the time we spend indoors/outdoors obviously probably can affect this too. However, most indoor lighting is not strong enough to affect this (hence one of the standard treatments for SAD are special light boxes). Interestingly, people born in the spring have the highest rate of SAD. Many of the symptoms of SAD, aside from depressive symptoms, are actually what would be adaptive for the preparation of winter–increased appetite, particularly for carbs, and weight gain, increased sleep, less energy, loss of interest in work/activity. While the depression itself might be an unfortunate byproduct of what may have been a previously adaptive strategy, I wonder how much the depression is increased/exacerbated by the fact that our society requires working at the same hours throughout the year. If people who are prone to SAD were able to reduce their work hours and spend more time at home resting/relaxing and eating yummy carb-and-fat filled foods, would they still experience the same level of depression? They could probably compensate for this by increasing work hours, activity levels, and diet in the spring and summer.
I think weather definitely does affect mood as well, but on a more transient day-to-day level. I love sun and warm weather, but right now after nearly a week without regular power and temperatures around 100, the heat is making me pretty crabby. And although I hate rainy days if I have to go out and do things, I LOVE good stormy downpours when I can stay in because they are the perfect days for curling up with a book, a cat, and a cup of tea.
Well, thank you. For taking the time to chime in here and set me (and many of us?) straight on what SAD actually is. Leave it to me to post about something I know close to nothing about. This conversation honestly has me wanting to know more about all of this. For what it’s worth, I love a good downpour, too – as long as I’m cozy inside with nowhere to go! Thanks, Michelle!
Wow. Am so so thankful for your perspective here. Admittedly, my post was a light, if flip, look at this question and I am genuinely thankful that someone who has actually experienced this “she-monster” has chimed in. “until you’ve run a mile at minus 40 in a set of boots that weighs eight pounds, pushing crystaline snow with every stride…” What a powerful, powerful image. I hope you don’t think I was being judgmental of anything here; was just posing a question about something I patently know little about. Thanks, Titanium.
Happy the weather was glorious for you. I love summer and spring. Great time to be outdoors, to swim and to fish even in the heat. Winter makes me a little sad. The days are shorter and I tend to get a little depressed. I love sun kissed days.
Sun-kissed days? Yes, please. I know a great blog that has that in the name. Thanks, Ayala
Where I am from it is usually very hot during the summer months and very cold during the winter months. Yes, I am very affected by the weather, in the heat of the summertime I feel lazy and slothful, in the cold I feel hyper and energetic. In deep South Texas, we experience bipolar weather patterns instead of the 4 seasons. That explains alot about our human behavior, haha. I think I would enjoy 4 season weather, and I would most rather be not very hot or very cold, but in between. I love cloudy and rainy weather the most.
So so cool and intriguing that you like cloudy and rainy weather the most. Love that. Thanks, Monica!
Born and raised in LA so I am used to sunny skies more often than not. I love heat and don’t mind when it is in the 90s or hundreds.
Haven’t had to deal with snow more than about ten times in my life so I don’t really know if it would bother me.
Rain gets a bit old, but I am pretty good at ignoring it.
Love that you are good at ignoring the rain. There is something wonderful about this bit. Thanks, Jack!
Sunshine = dose of vitamin D. It’s just science.
Love the simplicity of this
Weather-yes it affects me!I used to say my photo was in the dictionary next to the S.A.D. description! We live on a peninsula near Tacoma and we LIVE for sunny warm days. (Right now we’re getting them and I’m reminded why we put up with all the rainy, gray days-it’s the most beautiful place…) I grew up in the Mid-west and love four seasons but have been out here in Washington State for about 16 years. We just returned from two years near Chicago and I didn’t mind the winters there because the snow was pretty, the skies were blue and the sun often shone. Out here in the Northwest if the sun isn’t shining it’s just plain chilly.
My mood is a bit too weather-dependent. I think vacations are always better if the weather cooperates. Thankfully my kids aren’t as affected by the rain as I am. Coffee, tea, candles, books (and blogs), and friends keep me going on gray days but I am much happier in sunshine. I hope all of you suffering in 100+ temps are staying cool. Maybe you should fly out here for a visit…
Thanks, Jane! Love what you say about coffee, tea, candles, books and blogs… So true that these things can make gray days more manageable. It has been sticky hot here which is no fun, but I have been oddly okay with it. Not sure why. Maybe it’s because our AC is fab. Maybe my kids’ upbeat outlook is rubbing off on me. Maybe I am just looking forward to the crisp coolness of fall. Who knows? Thanks so much for your words!! Hope to see more of them here at ADR
Oh, does the weather affect me!!! I wrote a post about it recently (http://www.but-then-i-had-kids.blogspot.com/2012/04/solar-powered.html) because I’ve noticed it’s gotten worse as I’ve “matured.” I am completely solar powered. If it’s rainy or cloudy or cold even for a few days, I notice the blues start sneaking in. I spend the entire winter (keep in mind I live in South Florida, for heaven’s sake!) complaining about wanting to move somewhere that I can wear flip flops ALL year. If it dips below 65 degrees, I whip out the UGGS and a frown. As far as the heat, I think the reason I love it is because I have the benefit of being off for the summer. We spend a lot of time on the beach or at the pool. I am NEVER ever happier than on the beach when it’s perfectly blue and sunny and it hits the 90s. (All this said, when I’ve gone on a trip to NY or Paris or Savannah when it’s cold, I really enjoy the change for the few days…and the opportunity to glam it up with some nice winter wear.)
Oooh – can’t wait to check out your link. (I was totally offline this weekend which was good, I guess…) I love the image of you whipping out your UGGs in mild weather
Just back from the beach, I am left wondering if I could do the beach/sunshine thing year-round and I am not sure I could. I think I have a broody side that does best in the chill. What would become of that broody side of ADR? Would it disappear if it was all sun all the time? Interesting to think about. And, yes, there is nothing better than fabulous winter clothes. I currently have an AMAZING shearling coat “on hold” at Helmut Lang. I will probably never purchase it, but I am indeed in love, and the thought of wearing it, clutching my cup of coffee, walking down the sidewalks of this city… oh, it makes me smile. Thanks, Liz!! xox
Im definitely effected by weather. I prefer the four seasons because brings it’s own unique joy. But boy do I hate the crazy heat. Especially if it’s humid.
To be honest, I have this theory that much of the unrest in the Middle East comes from the heat. It sounds crazy but honesty I’ve never met anyone who’s not at least a little grouchy when the temp goes over 100.
An interesting theory! You sound like me. I am a bit, okay A LOT miserable in the intense heat. Grouchy to say the least. Thanks, Suzanne!
Oh, how this post resonates with me! I have always been a strong proponent of living places with REAL seasons. I love love love the cold, but who doesn’t enjoy a warm sunny day? What I’ve come to realize is I HATE HATE HATE humidity. Living in Chicago is not the place to be if you detest humidity. And so, I yearn for the day when I can move to the mountains, where I can better enjoy the four seasons without the humidity!
I hate humidity too! ‘Tis the worst. Cheers to another 4-season-lover