Anyone else get a bit anxious at the change of season?

Why women?

i had this as a child - spring/summer made me very anxious, for no particular reason. Now I get excited as we're headed to getting some more Vitamine D!

I'm rather unique on Mumsnet in that I love, love, love the summer, the sunshine and hot (yes hot) weather. But I do get a bit unsettled when the seasons change. For some reason the spring always make me itchy and in the summer my hair gets thinner. Autumn is pretty but is a prelude to winter and so it can get back in its box as far as I'm concerned.

Not me.
This is my first spring/summer in my new house. And the first time having a garden in 14 years after coming from a flat.
I moved in here in mid-September, and although there were a few nice days of having the windows open, it was short lived.
I'm looking forward to morning coffees outside, getting a bit of a garden started and having the kitchen and patio doors open all day.

I’ve been wracking my brains and I can’t for the life of me think what being a woman has to do with changing of the seasons ?

Is it because you feel the year is moving on and there’s suddenly pressure to live as opposed to just shuffling on? I think I got that the other day- the ‘crap we’re at March next week’ but god I prefer a bit of sun and brightness and definitely feel better in spring and summer- bring on the vitamin d!!!

Yes I understand, there can be more pressure to book in social plans, diary gets busier, in my workplace it's ramping up a notch so more stress.

Yes! I have felt exactly the same way since I was a teenager. The fact there is a thread about this and someone feels the same way is an incredible comfort to me ❤️

Probably from childhood, parents telling you to get outside. Now you're an adult you can choose.
It's 6 degrees where I am today, yet the days are getting longer and I think my body finds that confusing.

The calendar is a human construct, and so are the words we use for the seasons.

Nature doesn't know or care about any of that, it just does its thing in its own good time. Sometimes the weather is lovely, and sometimes it is shit, so we just need to adapt ourselves and our behaviour according to what nature is doing, and stop relying on what the date tells us it should be like. Take each day as it comes and do what you feel like doing. No pressure.

Thought exactly the same this morning. I enjoy the coziness of the winter and the fact it's doesn't bring any expectations to be anywhere. In spring/ summer I feel guilty for wanting to stay inside and that causes anxiety.

I do get that some people hate summer. What irritates I think is people who immediately go on about how horrible it is when the sun comes out for a millisecond and the temperatures get above freezing. It’s also irritating when they don’t acknowledge that they have it easier. Summer manages about 6 weeks (spread out over a few months) in the U.K. You get the rest.

Nice to see there’s a few of us out there. As others say, you often get shouted down if you struggle with high summer. My Daughter and I often joke it’s our Wednesday Addams Syndrome! By midsummer, it’s too hot and too peopley out there!!

I feel this, and I think it’s to do with the pressure to be outside enjoying the weather when it’s nice (because it might not be nice for very long) and also CLOTHES.

I never know what to wear in spring. Dark clothes and tights feel too wintery but anything summery makes you look ridiculous and pale. I always feel like I’m the wrong temperature too.

Out of interest, if you’re slim and youngish, what do you wear in spring?

I’ve never felt pressured to do any itv those things. I wear simple, loose fitting clothes in natural fabrics. Trousers and short sleeved t shirts mostly. I don’t go to events I don’t fancy whether the temperature is below zero or over 20 (though I’m more likely to fancy leaving the house at all over 20). I go to fun social events I fancy at all times if the year. There aren’t more in summer. I mostly only do stuff I’m going to enjoy, therefore I enjoy it. And I rarely have people in my garden - though I did on Feb 1st…
Honestly, nothing will happen if you please yourself as far as clothes and social events go.

It's so interesting to read all your experiences of approaching Spring/Summer.

I'm kind of OK with it, and have made my peace, but I have to say I enjoy Autumn and Winter time much more. I think it has a lot to do with the pressure to conform to "Happy holiday time" must get out and about, must wear super floaty clothes, must have garden gatherings, must ENJOY it all.

There are some of us (me) who are a bit introverted and don't really enjoy crowds, or the beach (sand ugh.), crowds everywhere and queues for everything, and NOISE lol. (I'm sounding like my mother now!).

I'm retired now so no children to entertain, that makes it a bit easier for me to avoid things if I choose. I rarely go far during the school hols as there's no point, everything everywhere is like ants on an anthill with the chaos and noise to match.

I plan most of my breaks at home and away for December/Jan/Feb. maybe October also. Far cheaper and fewer crowds.

Oh look, I dunno, maybe I am odd, but it's good to see I am not alone or a total fruit loop anyway.

I get depressed in the summer. Didn't realise I wasn't the only one!

Not anxious, but I do get this odd momentary confusion sometimes when the season is changing of 'Hang on... are we going from winter to spring, or spring to winter?'

No, I'm always ready for the new season (no matter what season it is).

@BlumminFreezin - January is one long birthday party, so I’m too busy gritting my teeth for all of that to care. We have 8 major family birthdays in January. It’s a nightmare of a different sort.

In February I have the space to look around me and yep, still dark, still miserable, still too soggy to get outside AND I’m broke.

I love winter time its the best time of the year dark at 4 bliss cold fog frost and i love storms rain all the weather MN hates i love.

I do like summer some of it but it dont like me its the start of many many migraines.
And its the noise of the kids in the holidays i dont mind noisey kids if its that sort of fun noise its the screaming and shouting noise i cant stand.

I agree with this - I also get anxious in Spring, not for any rational reason, and it’s interesting to know others do too. This could well be an explanation. Maybe the answer is to become more active at this time of year, start new projects and embrace the feeling?

I also struggle with how busy it is everywhere in Summer now, 10-15 years ago you could head out to a popular spot, event or National Trust type place and it be busy, but not too overcrowded. Now these places are horribly busy, car parks closed due to being full, and it all takes so much stress & energy to get there, then there’s massive queues for the cafe/toilets etc, so it’s not very enjoyable. Not sure if I’m imagining it, but it seems to have got a lot busier since the pandemic. For example, we have been going to a large local event which has about 3 or 4,000 people there every May for 15 years. Use to be able to buy a ticket on the door at the event, now the tickets are purely sold online and sell out in under 5-10 mins when released in December and they’ve increased their attendance numbers so more tickets available. Just a bit bewildered why it’s so much busier!

Or..they are ‘woman trying to be cool and comfortable’. Which is pretty much all a sensible person would care about.
Nice bit if ageism and classism alongisde your judgemental comment there.

February is the worst month. It’s been dark and damp for so long by February that it feels unending and spring is out of reach

God, I really disagree.

January is awful. So long, so dark, so cold. And still skint and fat from Christmas 😂

February to me has been great. Slightly less cold, some flowers start coming up, and you can see the nights getting lighter every week. The start of Feb always feels like the hopeful pre-start to Spring to me.

And now it's March, well, my flipflops are out and my toes will be on display daily until the end of September again 😁