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How can I stop being depressed about the weather?

129 replies

Stardan · 09/06/2024 16:36

Yes yes I know another weather thread. And yes, I realise this sounds insane but I can't handle the weather in this country anymore. I'm an immigrant, have lived here for over a decade but it's increasingly getting to me. Always struggled with the winters but now it's affecting me year round. The grey and rain doesn't seem to end. Please don't tell me that it's better than 40 degrees and boiling hot. I'm not asking for that either! Just dry and a blue sky, that's all I want. Doesn't have to be warm. It is making me depressed and knowing I have to live like this for the rest of my life (or at least until the kids are grown up) is sending me into panic. There are times where I think through scenarios of what would be worse, leaving the country without my husband and children or killing myself. I check the weather back home or see pictures of my family in the garden and burst into tears.

I have tried the lamp, vitamin D supplements, antidepressants, a gratitude journal to value what I do have. Nothing works and every year it is getting worse. Has anyone found a solution? Learned to live with it? I'm looking out the window right now and it's making me feel so sick and hopeless.

OP posts:
Fizbosshoes · 11/06/2024 08:30

Mirandasbiggestfan · 09/06/2024 20:49

Where are you in the UK OP & where is your home country (roughly)? I’m in London & it can be unbearable here during the summer. I’ve actually been relieved that it hasn’t been too hot so far. But the Southeast is always warmer. We have had a lot of rain which doesn’t bother me but I get that it can be a bit depressing.

I'm about 30 miles from.London and at one point yesterday it was 10.5° and pelting with rain - there is an enormous range of weather before it becomes unbearably hot!

We are going out in London this evening and were first hoping to sit outside.....but unless we wear a lot of clothes I think it's going to be too cold for that.

In 10 days time it will be mid summers day.....but summer has yet to start! (25th May and 1st June were nice)

Fizbosshoes · 11/06/2024 08:33

K0OLA1D · 10/06/2024 11:59

We had consistently good weather around 24 to 30 degrees for over 2 weeks last June. Went a bit shit again in July but was nice again for the end of August.

20 degrees and dry does me. I'm happy with the weather today.

I remember the same last year - several weeks of nice weather in June....and then that was probably it for the rest of the summer! July and August were miserable

kerstina · 11/06/2024 08:36

Stardan · 09/06/2024 16:36

Yes yes I know another weather thread. And yes, I realise this sounds insane but I can't handle the weather in this country anymore. I'm an immigrant, have lived here for over a decade but it's increasingly getting to me. Always struggled with the winters but now it's affecting me year round. The grey and rain doesn't seem to end. Please don't tell me that it's better than 40 degrees and boiling hot. I'm not asking for that either! Just dry and a blue sky, that's all I want. Doesn't have to be warm. It is making me depressed and knowing I have to live like this for the rest of my life (or at least until the kids are grown up) is sending me into panic. There are times where I think through scenarios of what would be worse, leaving the country without my husband and children or killing myself. I check the weather back home or see pictures of my family in the garden and burst into tears.

I have tried the lamp, vitamin D supplements, antidepressants, a gratitude journal to value what I do have. Nothing works and every year it is getting worse. Has anyone found a solution? Learned to live with it? I'm looking out the window right now and it's making me feel so sick and hopeless.

I am not an immigrant and I completely understand. Things seem to have gotten much much worse the last few years . I am having to take vitamin D tablets as significant deficiency. I don’t know why people choose to come here who live in places like the Carribbean !

Schoolchoicesucks · 11/06/2024 08:49

Things that have helped me are

  • spending time outdoors when I can despite the weather - ignoring the fact that it is meant to be summer and walking in the woods etc if it is dry (yes in wellies as it is still so muddy). Daylight helps, even when it is not sunny
  • noticing when the sun does come out between clouds and trying to spend some time in it - having a cup of tea in the garden for even 5 minutes and noticing the plants that have enjoyed the rain
  • Saunas - the feeling of being warm all over and just sitting in it. Of course that is only for a few minutes rather than a day but it helps. If you have a gym where you can use one. Some also have heated relaxation beds where you can lie and read for a bit.
  • having a holiday booked, or maybe a trip home for you
SallyWD · 11/06/2024 08:54

I agree the weather here is rubbish and I think it's worth acknowledging that the last year or two have been particularly bad! Worse than usual. It definitely affects your mood.
However even lately there have been sunny spells. Yesterday was cool and wet at times but still periods of lovely sunshine. I realise that many people are working and can't race outside when it's sunny! However, if you can go out when it's nice then it does make a difference. I was lucky enough to be able to go out for a long walk in the sunshine yesterday, then it rained in the late afternoon but I felt I'd got my sunshine fix. Today looks to be the same.
So yes the weather's shit but it's not non-stop rain. It's sunshine and showers.

Maaofatoddler · 11/06/2024 09:01

I'm from South Asia. Visited family for a few weeks in April and enjoyed the sun. Since coming back I was hoping for more sun but not really sure if it will get better.

As an immigrant even I think it's a shit country with shit weather, long wait times at NHS, expensive private, no family support. I hate it here.

I'd love to go back but DH doesn't want to purely because of work life balance and better overall lifestyle.

SallyWD · 11/06/2024 09:10

Maaofatoddler · 11/06/2024 09:01

I'm from South Asia. Visited family for a few weeks in April and enjoyed the sun. Since coming back I was hoping for more sun but not really sure if it will get better.

As an immigrant even I think it's a shit country with shit weather, long wait times at NHS, expensive private, no family support. I hate it here.

I'd love to go back but DH doesn't want to purely because of work life balance and better overall lifestyle.

Great.

Idratherbepaddleboarding · 11/06/2024 09:56

If you find the answer let me know 😭. It’s fucking June and I’m still having to wear a thick coat to walk the dog, an oodie in the evening and still having to use my SAD lamp daily. I really don’t know how I’m going to last the winter after 2 non-summers!

IndecentPropolis · 11/06/2024 09:59

It’s shit. It’s making me depressed and angry. I fucking HATE this country.

TheaBrandt · 11/06/2024 10:01

Puts me in mind of Narnia where winter goes on forever and you never get to Christmas only instead of Christmas it’s the summer that never arrives

Sago1 · 11/06/2024 10:09

I am 61 so have experienced many so called summers in this country, this year feels like the hardest and longest.
I feel exactly as you do.

TempsPerdu · 11/06/2024 10:14

I’m sorry OP; it’s utterly rubbish. Our weather over the past couple of years has been making ne really miserable too, and I’m a fair-skinned Brit who can’t cope in excessive heat. It’s not a heatwave I want, just a bit of warmth, light and colour!

For me it’s the aesthetics of it - everything looks more beautiful in sunshine; it highlights all the nature around us and makes places like our workaday, slightly run down London suburb look halfway decent. In this relentless grey it all just looks and feels a bit grim.

Also the way a bit of sunshine instantly seems to lift everyone’s mood, makes people want to linger outside and chat instead of rushing home to escape the rain and cold. Simple things like the school run are much nicer and more convivial when the sun is out. The sense of well-being (currently very much missing) of feeling the sun on your skin… I could go on!

My solution, and I realise this isn’t possible for everyone, is lots of holidays (although the increased stress and difficulty of doing this post-Brexit is another thing that depresses me!). I really feel for all those who are facing only U.K. holidays this summer.

GeneralMusings · 11/06/2024 12:35

It's 16 degrees and blue skies with white fluffy clouds here on south coast. It's lovely.

It really is weird to see how different weather is even around the same country.

TheaBrandt · 11/06/2024 12:59

16 degrees in midsummer is certainly not “lovely”. It’s nippy here in SW I’m actually wearing tights. At least the “hot chocolate film and a snuggle” brigade have sodded off even they must get sick of that 12 months a year 🙄

6pence · 11/06/2024 13:07

Yup, last summer was shit and so is this one. My mood instantly lifts with a bit of blue sky and sun. It’s depressing.

SallyWD · 11/06/2024 13:46

GeneralMusings · 11/06/2024 12:35

It's 16 degrees and blue skies with white fluffy clouds here on south coast. It's lovely.

It really is weird to see how different weather is even around the same country.

It's 16 degrees where I am up north too but some of is would like slightly warmer temperatures in June!

Flickersy · 11/06/2024 13:58

There are times where I think through scenarios of what would be worse, leaving the country without my husband and children or killing myself. I check the weather back home or see pictures of my family in the garden and burst into tears.

You need some therapy. Suicidal ideation is not normal and you need help.

TheaBrandt · 11/06/2024 14:17

Why is it so cold though? Even if the sun appears it’s still cold with a biting wind. Once again in a summer dress. With tights. Just added a thick jumper 🙄🙄🙄

Theedgeoftheabyss · 11/06/2024 14:26

It's clouding over here and threatening to rain. NW.

GeneralMusings · 11/06/2024 14:39

Ha meant it's 16 and it's lovely. Light cardigan. Admittedly not boiling but it's "a nice day" not raining or dark miserable that people are talking about.

K0OLA1D · 11/06/2024 15:59

GeneralMusings · 11/06/2024 14:39

Ha meant it's 16 and it's lovely. Light cardigan. Admittedly not boiling but it's "a nice day" not raining or dark miserable that people are talking about.

It's not rained here today. That's how I set my standards of a good day now

RedRobyn2021 · 11/06/2024 16:04

Get rid of your weather app on your phone

TheaBrandt · 11/06/2024 16:10

It’s lovely to be Pollyanna about things but no I’m not getting excited about 16 degrees in sodding June.

LooneyLiberalSpaceWaster · 11/06/2024 16:20

GeneralMusings · 11/06/2024 12:35

It's 16 degrees and blue skies with white fluffy clouds here on south coast. It's lovely.

It really is weird to see how different weather is even around the same country.

But at 16:20 on the south coast it is grey and overcast :) I am on the south downs and I can feel spots of rain.