Author Topic: How does winter affect your mood?  (Read 20496 times)

sky_northern

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #50 on: March 05, 2015, 09:49:28 AM »
I live in the arctic, we have a period of no sun, SAD is an issue. I seem to handle it  pretty good. I take vitamin D. My co-worker has a lamp, but i don't bother. I sleep a lot in the winter.
Defiantly get out more, especially since you are new to the cubical. Do you get breaks where you could pop outside for a short walk?

TheGibberingPotato

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #51 on: March 05, 2015, 10:11:31 AM »
You're kidding, right?
Try a Minnesota winter.
Yes, winter affects your mood.  Google Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and then go buy a Happy Light, which I have on my Minnesota desk, in my Minnesota home, in the state of Minnesota.
NE FL. Gimme a break.

No, I'm not kidding. How many days has it rained in Minnesota since December? And thanks for the support.

Oh sheesh, try out living through a Midwestern death winter and then see how bad a wet FL winter really is.

I grew up with mild winters and hot summers; i used to look forward to every seasonal change, including the winter.  Then I moved to the midwest; winters where there is no thaw until the spring.  Where when the temperature gets in the 20 degrees F people celebrate and wonder if they should start taking off their winter jackets.

Anyways, assholishness aside, yea, try the happy lamp thing.

gipsygrrl

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #52 on: March 05, 2015, 10:48:32 AM »
Yes. I am from Chicago and started to recognize symptoms like what you described when I was in college. The lift I got from just those first few days of spring were so pronounced that I read up on SAD... and then transferred to a school in Arizona! I've deliberately lived in mostly sunny places since then (Tahoe, Colorado), but still have a winter coping strategy that is similar to what others have mentioned:

-Vitamin D and B supplements
-Indoor light of some kind (sometimes I sit and read a book near the grow lights my husband has on his tomato plants!)
-Outdoor light whenever possible (walks or lunches outside on nicer days)
-Exercise for endorphins and yoga for "centering"
-And I try to plan a quick weekend trip in Feb or March to somewhere warm. This has been a lifesaver. Doesn't have to be a expensive or far... Vegas, Phoenix, South Florida. Just something I can look forward to throughout Dec./Jan. I lay in the sun there (with sunblock!) like a lizard for a few days and re-charge the solar cell. The rest of winter goes by more quickly after that!

Good luck!

JLee

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #53 on: March 05, 2015, 10:57:06 AM »
I love winter. It's my favorite.

Arizona resident. :D

Rural

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #54 on: March 05, 2015, 11:07:04 AM »
It may be hard to find much sympathy given how historically bad this winter has been in places that REALLY have winter. Anywhere in Florida is a cakewalk in comparison. 70 degrees?  We haven't seen that since a fluke day on October 29, and it rained that day.

Anyhow, while I'm not particularly sympathetic, I certainly understand how winter weather can affect someone. I personally despise it, and will be getting the hell out of here in 6 years and 3 months, max. Each day when I walk home from work in subfreezing temperatures I repeat to myself, "Six more winters, six more winters.".

I saw in the forecast next week that it's supposed to get up into the 40's for several days in a row. I got irrationally excited.

To be fair, I didn't come here for sympathy, or to play the "my winter is worse than your winter" game. I was mostly hoping for some tips on how other people deal with the effects that short, dreary days can have on one's mood. Thanks to those who suggested the Vitamin D supplements and the "Happy Light". I think I'm going to give it a shot. In October, I switched from a job where I was in the forest or driving for 50% of my time to being in a cubicle 100% of the time. I wonder if that's part the reason this winter has affected my mood more than most.


I bet 90% of your problem is a lack of natural light. I had a pretty serious problems with SAD for years, then we moved into our house. Suddenly, the last two winters have hardly affected me at all. I handle the cold better, I don't have the depression problem, I'm not counting the days until things get better. And I don't spend the summer dreading the winter.


The difference? South-facing windows, basically one entire wall of the house, and tons of natural light in every room. Well except for the bathrooms, but that's okay. Light was the difference. Try a "happy light" if you can't manage natural light.

Mississippi Mudstache

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #55 on: March 05, 2015, 11:35:06 AM »
I bet 90% of your problem is a lack of natural light.

Reading everyone else's coping strategies, I'm pretty much convinced that this is the issue. I doubt I got even an hour of natural sunlight on an average day during the winter. This is the first time in my life I've every been cooped up like this for a couple months at a time. This week, the weather has been gorgeous, and the days are now long enough that we've been able to spend at least an hour outside when I get home from work every evening. That's been a huge help. I'm definitely going to invest in the happy light for next winter.

Meggslynn

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #56 on: March 05, 2015, 12:14:14 PM »
Yes it does. I live in the Canadian prairies and its not the cold or the snow that brothers me as I love winter sports and if you dress properly its not a problem. It is the dark that brothers me.

Going to work in the dark and going home in the dark for 2-3 months out of the year really gets to me. I am tired very often from the lack of sunlight. Now it light out for an hour before work and an hour or two after work and I am finally starting to feel better.

I do have one of those sun lamps and it helps but not nearly as much as I would like it to. Maybe I just need to use it more.

MissMoneyBags

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #57 on: March 05, 2015, 01:41:25 PM »
I grew up in Denmark, and it didn't really effect me. Moved to London 16 years ago, and now couldn't face living through a Scandinavian winter. It's actually not so much the darkness that bothers me. It's the cold and the snow that turns to grey sluice instantly. Everything is just so much harder in winter.

My sister on the other hand has SAD in a bad way. It went undiagnosed for years, as we just didn't know about it. It ruined a lot of things for her, including her education. She failed all of her January exams, and aced the summer ones. She now gets by on vitamin D, a reading lamp, and occasional anti-depressants.

frugalnacho

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #58 on: March 05, 2015, 02:05:00 PM »
Didn't read the thread, but I fucking hate the winter and it negatively affects my mood.  I live in detroit at the last couple winters have been brutal. The days are short - The sun rises around 8am, and sets around 5pm, just in time for me to basically not see the sun for several weeks because i'm stuck in an office - if i'm lucky.  If i'm not lucky I get to go in the field and perform testing at a plant and deal with the ice/snow and extreme temps.  I also hate the snow and ice.  I like the novelty of snow - for about a day.  Then it's annoying.  I haven't seen a blade of grass (ok so I went on vacation and saw some grass) since november. I have to cut a "shelf" into the snow bank in order to set my garbage out because the damn snow is piled so high. My hands get chapped whenever I have to do anything outside.  Or even inside for that matter, because the air inside my house is dry as shit.  Very little ambient moisture left in the air when it gets so cold.

I hate it hate it hate it.  Seriously considering relocating to a warmer climate.  I think I would be significantly happier during the winter months some where warm, and I think I would deal with the sweltering heat of a warm climates summer ok.  Summer in southern florida would suck way less than winter in michigan.

yandz

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #59 on: March 05, 2015, 02:26:01 PM »
Also in Minnesota. I think the darkness (both when leaving for and coming home from work) bothers me much more than the cold and snow. Seems like a long list, but on my list of surviving:
-Vitamins D and B
-Make an effort to see daylight (even if not sun) even on office days and especially on weekends
-Pace and space my happy winter things rather than front loading them while I am still feeling romantic about snow. So when it is February and I feel like crying I can think "well, I haven't [ice-skated, sledded, snow-shoed, made hot cocoa] yet, so I it won't be too bad if it stays cold a bit longer."
-have plants in the house
-if it is even remotely tolerable outside, go to there
-take a hot yoga class (use a groupon. I am not a heathen)
-wear cozy socks and drink tea; embrace the dreary
-Move between eating comfort food and tropical food, depending on your current level of denial
-Weird, but I like my walls white. I think it helps brighten things up

I keep wanting a happy light and talking myself out of the purchase. I don't know.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2015, 02:29:19 PM by yandz »

startingsmall

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #60 on: March 05, 2015, 03:22:20 PM »
I'm a Floridian who moved up to North Carolina 9 years ago and I hate winter!!  Don't get me wrong, I love the few days of snow that we get each year and I really don't mind the cold.... what I hate is all the grey and brown.  Looking out my window right now, I see brown grass, brown leafless trees, soupy red mud, grey skies and drizzle.  So depressing.  HATE HATE HATE IT.  I think I'd do better if I were somewhere snowy, because then at least it'd be white outside instead of grey & brown. 

I've been thinking of trying one of those happy lights.  I have doubts whether it would help, though, because the real thing that I miss during the winter is the inability to do anything fun....  hiking, biking, kayaking, etc just aren't pleasant when it's wet and grey and muddy everywhere.  It isn't just the dreariness, but the fact that I don't really have anything during the winter that I enjoy doing.  So not sure if I need a happy light or more indoor hobbies :) 

RetiredAt63

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #61 on: March 05, 2015, 03:54:22 PM »
20 F = -7 C   At this time of year that is positively tropical - no hat, no gloves, coat hanging open kind of weather. 

Actually this year was definitely worse than usual, we set records not only for cold temperatures but for consecutive number of days to set record lows.  We usually have a February thaw - not this year.  Even skating on the canal in Ottawa was painful. 

And in the fall, going back to standard time hurts, it means that we get go to work in the dark and come home in the dark.  Right now everyone I meet is cheerful, we can see the days getting longer and feel the sun getting stronger.  Today the sun rose at 6:50 and is setting as I type. Bliss.  (Please note I am being positive here, our high was about -13C and we are going down to -23C again tonight, but we are supposed to be at +2 on Monday).

I grew up with mild winters and hot summers; i used to look forward to every seasonal change, including the winter.  Then I moved to the midwest; winters where there is no thaw until the spring.  Where when the temperature gets in the 20 degrees F people celebrate and wonder if they should start taking off their winter jackets.

HP

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #62 on: March 05, 2015, 04:15:35 PM »
I'm northwest of Seattle, and it doesn't get super cold here, but it's overcast 2/3rds of the year and drizzly quite often as well. I grew up here and always get depressed, lethargic, cold, and tired every winter. Vit. D and other supplements take the edge off, but I have to have actual sunshine to really make a difference. I speculate that it's a brain chemistry thing (seratonin/melatonin balancing) rather than a nutritional deficiency. The last few weeks have been uncharacteristically sunny around here--usually February brings a cold snap and our final/only snow-- and it's been heavenly. I'm dreaded another gloomy crash before it brightens up again in May per usual.

ruthiegirl

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #63 on: March 05, 2015, 04:35:22 PM »
Winter makes me a cranky bitch which is why I moved to a more accommodating climate.  60's and flip-flops today which is fan-fucking-tastic. . 

LiveLean

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #64 on: March 05, 2015, 04:49:29 PM »
Terrible. Here in Florida leaves fall in the spring. So I have to spend Saturday raking leaves and getting some chemicals for the pool, which I've ignored for the last couple of months. And if it gets much hotter, I might have to turn on the AC.

SisterX

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #65 on: March 05, 2015, 05:14:03 PM »
To the Minnesotans: yeah, keep whining about how cold and dark it is there.  :)  I'm playing my violin sadly for you.

It's not winter per se that gets to me, it's just the fact that it's so. damn. long.  We're in our fifth [edit: sixth] month of winter and know it's not going to let up any time soon so at this point everyone's a bit on edge.  (This time of year is, apparently, the worst for suicides, which is a huge problem in Alaska.)

However, we just need to hang on for another month or so.  Then it'll start getting up into the 50s during the day and we can all bust out our sandals and t-shirts, take off the longjohns, etc.  Then sometime in mid- to late May, the trees will all go from bud to full leaf-out in, I kid you not, a week and it will be summer.  I am hanging onto that thought so hard.

Still trying to enjoy what winter has to offer, though.  Took my toddler to the local ice park last weekend to play, and am planning to see the start of the Iditarod next Monday, going for long walks on sunny afternoons when we have them.  So there's that.
« Last Edit: March 06, 2015, 11:16:58 AM by SisterX »

Ricky

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #66 on: March 05, 2015, 06:03:36 PM »
I'd bet/argue that everyone experiences some form of SAD, just like everyone experiences depression. It's hard to imagine, and it feels like we are alone, but we aren't. The important distinction is to what degree are you depressed. I think people with severe SAD are already depressed in some way but then Winter irritates the condition much more.

The grass isn't always greener (figuratively, not literally). You could move to the few "hot spots" in the US but there are trade-offs anywhere you go. Places with mild winters have HOT summers, so even though you want to do all your summer activities year round, there will be days you'd otherwise do them, but won't because your excuse will be that it's too damn hot.

LA is literally probably the ideal climate/surroundings to be in from a natural standpoint, but there are many other downsides to living there besides cost.

All that said, I live in the NC mountains and I agree with the other poster about the "in-between" bullshit. Either snow or don't! Don't give me a pathetic excuse not to go outside because it's drizzly and gray and too cold to be truly comfortable.

Interesting map, for those wanting to know where the "grass is greener":

http://www.kellegous.com/j/2014/02/03/pleasant-places/

It gives the number of pleasant days/yr for lots of U.S. cities with "pleasant" being defined as below 85 and above 45, with avg. temp between 55 and 75.
« Last Edit: March 05, 2015, 06:12:15 PM by Ricky »

jrhampt

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #67 on: March 06, 2015, 06:56:29 AM »
  I think I'd do better if I were somewhere snowy, because then at least it'd be white outside instead of grey & brown. 

People keep saying this, but the snow piles are pretty grey and brown by now, even though, yeah, there's still a lot of white.  But it's not exactly this pristine, pure as the driven snow image that people have.

jba302

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #68 on: March 06, 2015, 07:30:14 AM »
MN checking in. The cold doesn't bother me so much since I bought the right gear (deep cold parka, gloves, snow pants, etc). We also took some ski lessons, which was super fun. The worst is the week-long grey when I feel like jumping off a bridge. Cloud cover from dawn to dusk, dirty weeks old snow on everything that isn't road, kill-me-now grey. We're considering replacing every light in our house (which are already LED but the shitty yellow "warm" nonsense) with full spectrum now that the prices aren't so bad.

SteveRyeCurd

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #69 on: March 06, 2015, 09:02:02 AM »
The Myth of Californian Happiness
  • Surveyed students from California and the Midwest had virtually identical overall happiness.
  • Both groups believed that people like them would be happier living in California.
  • Californians were much happier with their weather, but both groups vastly overestimated the effect of weather on overall happiness.
Source: http://econlog.econlib.org/archives/2010/04/the_myth_of_cal.html

powersuitrecall

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #70 on: March 06, 2015, 09:10:38 AM »
Ottawa (Canada) resident here.  We set a record for February with an average temp of -16 C.  Normally we are at about -8 C, which isn't great, but as a winter cycle commuter, every degree helps.  We are avid XC skiers, and it's been just too cold to get out. 

On the positive, we've seen a lot of sun, which can be enjoyed through our rather large south facing window.

I don't think we suffer from SAD, but I'm done with this fucking cold weather.  -20 C and against the wind for my ride in this morning. brrrrrrr.


golden1

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #71 on: March 06, 2015, 09:15:14 AM »
I normally dislike winter, but this year, I fucking hate it.  I live near Boston and until recently we were having 15"+ snowstorms every week for 4 weeks straight.  My house is leaking water and there are potholes everywhere.  It is also brutally cold so nothing is melting. 

Exhale

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #72 on: March 07, 2015, 09:14:02 AM »
Winters in Seattle are typically pretty dreary, although this winter has been pretty nice.

Main things I do to tackle it:
1) chug vitamin D
2) still try to get outside, especially on the nicer days
3) take a trip to somewhere sunny in Feb, when the dreariness usually starts to wear a bit

At least we don't have snow/cold weather to deal with
+1

Exhale

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #73 on: March 07, 2015, 09:29:42 AM »
To be fair, I didn't come here for sympathy, or to play the "my winter is worse than your winter" game. I was mostly hoping for some tips on how other people deal with the effects that short, dreary days can have on one's mood. Thanks to those who suggested the Vitamin D supplements and the "Happy Light". I think I'm going to give it a shot. In October, I switched from a job where I was in the forest or driving for 50% of my time to being in a cubicle 100% of the time. I wonder if that's part the reason this winter has affected my mood more than most.

Definitely try vitamin D + a light box

Other options for combating winter/SAD issues:
1) Full spectrum light bulbs throughout your house - I use Chromalux "Light Bulb 150 Watt" - a big help
2) Daily exercise - I walk 4 miles/day and take an exercise class w/music six days a week - a huge difference
3) In Seattle, some people go on antidepressants just for the winter. Don't let other judge you re: taking meds, if it can help then give it a try. If not for yourself, then do it because of the impact that your mood has on your kids.
4) Strategic travel - go where you can get the light you need. Even if "only" for a weekend. Maybe each parent gets a solo trip - that way the travel is less expensive than if you brought the whole family. I took advantage of a weekend deal to Phoenix and to Austin and was amazed at how long the boost lasted.

Good luck!

Kris

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #74 on: March 07, 2015, 10:29:47 AM »
Also in Minnesota. I think the darkness (both when leaving for and coming home from work) bothers me much more than the cold and snow. Seems like a long list, but on my list of surviving:
-Vitamins D and B
-Make an effort to see daylight (even if not sun) even on office days and especially on weekends
-Pace and space my happy winter things rather than front loading them while I am still feeling romantic about snow. So when it is February and I feel like crying I can think "well, I haven't [ice-skated, sledded, snow-shoed, made hot cocoa] yet, so I it won't be too bad if it stays cold a bit longer."
-have plants in the house
-if it is even remotely tolerable outside, go to there
-take a hot yoga class (use a groupon. I am not a heathen)
-wear cozy socks and drink tea; embrace the dreary
-Move between eating comfort food and tropical food, depending on your current level of denial
-Weird, but I like my walls white. I think it helps brighten things up

I keep wanting a happy light and talking myself out of the purchase. I don't know.

As another Minnesotan, i struggle with the darkness, too.  On the plus side, now that they've changed the dates for Daylight Savings, at least the darkness problem is not quite as bad.  DST starts tonight, and I'm practically giddy!!!

Trimatty471

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #75 on: March 07, 2015, 10:57:02 AM »
Normally my mood is very blue from January to April.  But this year was not so bad.  I live in a townhouse, my I believe my former neighbor did not use much heat.  Therefor, I was not getting much warmth in my house.  The new neighbors have small kids so I believe that they heat their house.  This year for the first time in 9 years, my house felt comfortable.  So visions of selling my house got replaced with how I am going to pay off my mortgage. 

In PA, we got more freezing rain than snow with some breaks in between. 


Zamboni

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #76 on: March 07, 2015, 11:12:13 AM »
It affects my mood so severely that two winters ago I told the boss I needed to move to an office with a window or I wasn't sure I could make it through another winter of work.  I thought he would think I was crazy, but instead he said his wife has the same issue, so he understood.  He promised me dibs on the next office that opened up with a window, then made good on his promise a few months later.  It makes a huge difference.

Ricky

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #77 on: March 07, 2015, 11:51:30 AM »
I live in a townhouse, my I believe my former neighbor did not use much heat.  Therefor, I was not getting much warmth in my house.  The new neighbors have small kids so I believe that they heat their house.  This year for the first time in 9 years, my house felt comfortable. 
I don't see the connection. Can't you just heat your own house?

clarkfan1979

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #78 on: March 07, 2015, 12:13:59 PM »
I live in Florida so I am happy in the winter. There is more traffic in the winter, which can be frustrating, but I try not to drive too much.

risky4me

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #79 on: March 14, 2015, 12:15:19 PM »
The forecast calls for a straight week of fog and drizzle starting tomorrow :'(
Oh My! fog and drizzle...how do you cope (just kiddin) 30 below F here in the interior of Alaska last week but back up to a balmy -10 now.

I have a different take on winter as I am always involved in some construction and home improvements, along with the midnight sun stuff (hard to go to sleep at a decent time when it is sunny even though it is 10 PM) I find I welcome the winter here as you definitely are limited to what you can do outside, work wise. Instead its time for hunkering down, inside home improvement and working in the wood shop. Always try to get out for vacation to a warm place each winter- a must do.
Two big negatives to Alaska winters- 1)It is expensive to maintain a home here making retirement more challenging, 2) There is a tendency to enjoy the winters less as you age.
My takeaway from the thread- No matter where you live there are always negatives and positives.

WynnDuffy73

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #80 on: March 14, 2015, 07:07:07 PM »
Yep this happens to me every year.  I'm pretty convinced it's all about the number of hours of sunlight because I find December to be the worst month for me.  By the time February rolls around I already feel myself coming out of it.  It's not the temperature it's the lack of sunlight.

 I go to other extreme in June when there's peak sunlight.  I find myself sometimes suffering from insomnia when it's starts to get light out before 5am.   I definitely could not live in Alaska.


gnomemom

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #81 on: March 14, 2015, 09:09:49 PM »
I just hate the cold.  I hate it.  I don't think I have SAD - and for me, I don't think it's necessarily a sunlight thing, but the cold just makes me miserable.  I can't stop eating carbs in the fall - and I hate going out at night.  Okay, it sounds a little SAD-ish when I type that out ;)  But seriously, so many of you are talking about the daylight, and I can't relate to that part as much.

For me, it's the layers of clothes.  The bloody hands from the dry air.  Having to scrape off the van every time we go anywhere (I have to park outside, we don't have a garage big enough for our two vehicles).  The salt all over the vehicles.  The mittens and snow pants and boots and hats and gloves and layers (we have three children that need all of that gear, and then bring it all into the house, dirty and wet).  It's the cold. 

Yeah.  I just hate it...  I can't wait to move.   We're in Chicagoland.

magickelly

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #82 on: March 14, 2015, 10:06:51 PM »
I'm with the dark/gray crowd... I hated winter in Chicago and it was even worse the year I lived in Grand Rapids MI, but it wasn't the snow or cold it was the awful, relentless lake-effect GRAY. I couldn't wait to move back to the northeast for the comparatively SUNNY winters.

In fact, winter might be my favorite. A brisk, cold, SUNNY day really gets me going. I especially love it when there's snow and it's sunny, with the snow reflecting the light everywhere. I walk over a mile and half each way to work and with layers, in the sun, the cold is just invigorating. I want to break into a sprint!

So... not to derail things but does anyone here hate summer like me? This is the season I dread most here in the Northeast. (I live/work in Center City Philadelphia.) Winter is quiet and contemplative. Summer is loud and oppressive. I cannot stand humidity. Everytime I'm in Atlanta or Orlando in the summer I think I'm going to just die from the thickness of the air and wonder how anyone can be happy there. As soon as the dew point hits 60 I'm feeling it, 65 I don't want to leave the house and if it goes over 70, I'm a shut in, perhaps more miserable than most here seem to be made by winter. In the summer, it can be 81 with a dew point of 69 and I'm dripping in sweat by the time I'm halfway to work. I can't even consider going for a hike. It's too humid. The constant change from crazy hot/humid to bitter cold a/c makes me buggers. I have to layer more at work in the summer than the winter because the damn office and places of business are so cold. I can never open a window if there's a break in the heat/humidity because people are out and about, holding noisy backyard parties, stumbling drunk on the sidewalks and blasting clown car stereos. Everything stinks more, there's nasty odor everywhere. I detest listening to my neighbors' rattly, old, energy-hogging a/c units. The list of reasons why I hate summer just goes on and on! Some of this is just the nature of city living but the city living provides my big fat corporate income, FIRE goals and MMM lifestyle. So I guess I should just shut up. ;-)

Can't wait to FIRE and move to a rural area of my beloved Colorado Plateau. Hot *dry* summers and cold *sunny* winters among beautiful red rock canyons and mountains with few neighbors. ~ 5 years until bliss!
« Last Edit: March 14, 2015, 10:08:59 PM by lkell »

Albert

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #83 on: March 15, 2015, 06:14:14 AM »
I live in Basel and winters are mild here temperature wise (1 week of snow on the ground this year, none at all last season), but it's still grey and in December/January I leave home at dark and come back in dark…. Now it's already very pleasant (+12 C) for this time of the year and spring is very much in the air. Definitely looking forward to that. Still compared to all the other places I've lived both winter and summer here is the most pleasant. Winter temperature are very rarely below -10 C and in summer very rarely above +30.

Neustache

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #84 on: March 15, 2015, 07:00:25 AM »
I'm in Missouri, and it doesn't matter if it's mild or not, I can't stand gloomy days.  I need sunshine on a regular basis to be happy.  I get mildly depressed in the winter, partially due to cold, but also due to what I perceive to be a number of gloomy days. 

This past week has been wonderful and my mood and energy levels are way high. 

gnomemom

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #85 on: March 15, 2015, 08:49:16 AM »

So... not to derail things but does anyone here hate summer like me? This is the season I dread most here in the Northeast. (I live/work in Center City Philadelphia.) Winter is quiet and contemplative. Summer is loud and oppressive. I cannot stand humidity. Everytime I'm in Atlanta or Orlando in the summer I think I'm going to just die from the thickness of the air and wonder how anyone can be happy there. As soon as the dew point hits 60 I'm feeling it, 65 I don't want to leave the house and if it goes over 70, I'm a shut in, perhaps more miserable than most here seem to be made by winter. In the summer, it can be 81 with a dew point of 69 and I'm dripping in sweat by the time I'm halfway to work. I can't even consider going for a hike. It's too humid. The constant change from crazy hot/humid to bitter cold a/c makes me buggers. I have to layer more at work in the summer than the winter because the damn office and places of business are so cold. I can never open a window if there's a break in the heat/humidity because people are out and about, holding noisy backyard parties, stumbling drunk on the sidewalks and blasting clown car stereos. Everything stinks more, there's nasty odor everywhere. I detest listening to my neighbors' rattly, old, energy-hogging a/c units. The list of reasons why I hate summer just goes on and on! Some of this is just the nature of city living but the city living provides my big fat corporate income, FIRE goals and MMM lifestyle. So I guess I should just shut up. ;-)

Can't wait to FIRE and move to a rural area of my beloved Colorado Plateau. Hot *dry* summers and cold *sunny* winters among beautiful red rock canyons and mountains with few neighbors. ~ 5 years until bliss!

No, sorry, I LOVE summer.  Chicagoland would be so much better if it were summer year round, LOL...  I love the way summer smells, how green everything is, I love thunderstorms.  I especially love when it's warm at night.  I can relate to the too cold AC, though ;)

Livewell

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #86 on: March 15, 2015, 09:25:05 AM »
The upside of living in HCOL area in CA is you get plenty of vitamin D in winter and there is really no slow down to outdoor activity!

Also a plus gas/electricity combined run $200 (tops) during the winter.   



magickelly

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #87 on: March 15, 2015, 10:03:01 AM »
No, sorry, I LOVE summer.  Chicagoland would be so much better if it were summer year round, LOL...  I love the way summer smells, how green everything is, I love thunderstorms.  I especially love when it's warm at night.  I can relate to the too cold AC, though ;)

I agree, the year I lived in Chicago, summer was a lot nicer. The year I lived in Grand Rapids (actually outside of GR in Caledonia), summer was wonderful - but then there's lower humidity, lower temps and I lived in a sorta-rural area backing up to a small farm, so there was no summer-associated noise other than my neighbor's cows mooing. I didn't even have a/c in the house I rented there and never once wanted for it. The intense green color was indeed wonderful.

I guess I just despise the east coast humidity and I can't even fathom how anyone survives summers in the sticky-ass humid of the southeast or Gulf areas. I'd take the bitter cold and snow of a Minneapolis winter over the sticky, sauna heat/humidity of an Atlanta summer any day.

Merlion

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #88 on: March 16, 2015, 10:17:45 AM »

So... not to derail things but does anyone here hate summer like me? This is the season I dread most here in the Northeast. (I live/work in Center City Philadelphia.) Winter is quiet and contemplative. Summer is loud and oppressive. I cannot stand humidity. Everytime I'm in Atlanta or Orlando in the summer I think I'm going to just die from the thickness of the air and wonder how anyone can be happy there. As soon as the dew point hits 60 I'm feeling it, 65 I don't want to leave the house and if it goes over 70, I'm a shut in, perhaps more miserable than most here seem to be made by winter. In the summer, it can be 81 with a dew point of 69 and I'm dripping in sweat by the time I'm halfway to work. I can't even consider going for a hike. It's too humid. The constant change from crazy hot/humid to bitter cold a/c makes me buggers. I have to layer more at work in the summer than the winter because the damn office and places of business are so cold. I can never open a window if there's a break in the heat/humidity because people are out and about, holding noisy backyard parties, stumbling drunk on the sidewalks and blasting clown car stereos. Everything stinks more, there's nasty odor everywhere. I detest listening to my neighbors' rattly, old, energy-hogging a/c units. The list of reasons why I hate summer just goes on and on! Some of this is just the nature of city living but the city living provides my big fat corporate income, FIRE goals and MMM lifestyle. So I guess I should just shut up. ;-)

Can't wait to FIRE and move to a rural area of my beloved Colorado Plateau. Hot *dry* summers and cold *sunny* winters among beautiful red rock canyons and mountains with few neighbors. ~ 5 years until bliss!

I agree! I didn't realize how much I agreed til I moved to Singapore...perpetual hot, humid summer. Low 90s every day, never cooler than 72 (though most nights are upper 70s), and a dew point in the high 70s. What is the standard thing to do on the weekend? Stay inside in the A/C. It's too frickin hot.

We plan all of our vacations to go to cooler places. We only go back to the US between late Sept and April. I was in NY in February and running around with a smile on my face in 5 degree, cloudy/snowy weather, my friends thought I was crazy.

Miss Prim

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Re: How does winter affect your mood?
« Reply #89 on: March 17, 2015, 06:05:10 AM »
I live in Michigan, but we just got back from 3 weeks in Florida where the sun was shining most of the days.  I feel like a totally different person!  I think I do have SAD and take anti-depressants year round, but from Sept. to Jan. I am at my worst!  I also agree that with a previous poster about being MAD!  I am more irritable than depressed. 

I am retiring in 2 weeks and my husband and I are already looking for somewhere to rent that is sunny for Jan, Feb and March next year.  He hates the weather here in winter.  I don't mind the cold, I just need light!

Maybe I will invest in a SAD light.  One of our neighbors (don't know him that well) at our summer cottage actually owns a company who makes them!  He has so much money he puts on a two night firework show around 4th of July, on our little lake and people come for miles around to see it!  He funds it all himself and it is the best fireworks this side of Disney.  Any donations go to the boy scout camp that lets him launch them from there.  He is licensed and everything.

I think it is more the lack of sunlight than the cold that makes northern climates so depressive.

                                                                               Miss Prim