To want summer to be over?

[StewPots]

Yes, I know I'm BU but I swear I have reverse SAD.

I hate the heat and humidity of the summer - it's either a scorching heatwave where you just sweat uncomfortably wherever you are, or it's pissing down but still hot so you get wet because putting a coat on is not an option.

I hate the lighter mornings because my insomnia gets even worse and I have a lot less sleep meaning I'm generally ratty for 3-4 months.

I hate the volume of people everywhere, the fact that you can't get into places, or onto beaches, and that the traffic increases a million fold so it takes forever to get from A to B. This works in cities with the infrastructure to cope, I do love being in a city and do just fine with the crowds in one, but in a small coastal town? Not so much. I appreciate tourists provide jobs (my own not so long ago) but when you just want to nip to the shop for bread and milk and it takes forever, it starts to drive me potty.

I hate the fact that there's bloody wasps everywhere and the fact that they stung DS on the mouth yesterday so he had to walk round with a cold pack on his lips and looked like he'd done 5 rounds of boxing.

I hate that I feel guilty for not being permanently cheerful because the suns out and have to hide my real feelings about it, which are basically "I hate this relentless sunshine, I want to curl up in the dark in a cold room and not have to go anywhere or see anything that's bright, sunny and lovely".

Yeah I know, I'm a grumpy ungrateful cow and I appreciate there are many (the majority) that enjoy the summer and all it brings, but I'm feeling really fed up and down about the summer like I do every year - I actively dread it in fact - and I can't wait for October/November when I feel happier, get more sleep, eat healthier and can listen to the sounds and smell the aromas that Autumn and winter bring... I can't be the only one, surely?

Pongo yes I know it's not that hot today tbf but it's not just the heat, it's the constant sunlight and decreases sleep. Although where I am does tend to have its own micro climate so can be warmer than elsewhere.

Constant sunlight?! I think we must be in a different part of the SW. I'm near Exeter.

Pongo I just mean lighter mornings...I generally get to sleep around 1am but in summer months I'm always awake from around 4am onwards. Every morning. Despite prescription sleeping medication.

and us Northerners who are envious of the Southerners because we don't get the same weather at all

God no. I am a Northerner (Yorkshire) and I love Northern weather.

I absoutely adore Autumn/Winter.

Yanbu. I hate summer. Love winter.

OP have you tried blackout curtains/blinds? They don't solve the problem but they are surprisingly effective. I have them and they do help a lot. But then it doesn't remedy the heat problem, I have to sleep with the windows open because it's just impossible otherwise, and then the birds start their racket about an hour after I finally manage to drop off.

“it's currently 22 C and will be round about 20ish for at least the next few weeks. That must be at least "very warm" in most people's books?”

No that is just warm, not very warm or hot.

This is our weather for the next few days. Summer it is not.

“There is no law which says you have to eat salads and cold food in the summer”

This ^^. It is possible to cook hot food yet not overheat yourself.

“I just want to know why summer makes me feel so....depressed. Like I get really upset to see sunshine day after day, the heat makes me feel angry and stressed”

This is what winter does to me and DD. The low light levels and constant damp and cold make us both feel very low. The cold makes me feel miserable. I hate having to wrap up in several layers as I find it so constricting. And I hate the word “cosy” that keeps being bandied about. It makes me feel claustrophobic.

“My uniform for about 7 months of the year is a pair of cropped jeans”

That is where you are going wrong. I find jeans, even light denim ones far too uncomfortable in hot weather. It has often been said that there is no bad weather just inappropriate clothing. Perhaps you need to rethink what you wear when it is hot.

“unrelenting heat and humidity,”

But it isn’t in the UK.

OP why don’t you buy an air con unit and put it in the same room as the blackout blinds. I’m not being facetious by the way as you clearly aren’t enjoying the nice weather you have where you live. What temperatures do you consider hot BTW?

And where is this mythical part of the UK where autumn is full of sunny, crisp days and winter is never dank and gloomy? Or do people fantasise about the odd one or two days that we get like this?

SD have we spoken before? I don't recall. How can I dislike you when I don't know you? If I have disagreed with you before maybe it's because you were being ridiculous as now. I think where your exaggeration is in your first post is pretty obvious. I gave you credit for it being an attempt at hyperbole for effect, but it seems you really believe it, as you're at it again: For the last hmmmm 5 years or so summer has actually started in spring, with devilishly hot temperatures lasting pretty much through to the end of September, so 6 months isn't an exaggeration I don't recognise that as reality. The graph I've attached shows the maximum rarely gets to 20, never mind the average, which is hardly 'devilishly hot', and that temperature lasts for maybe a month. Dislike summer if you like, but don't pretend a British summer is something it isn't.

I live just outside of NYC and right now at about 8am it's 23C rising to 28C during the day. I walk half and hour from the bus terminal to the office and back each day too. I HATE this weather. My whole body is swollen. My feet are just sore. I lost 20lbs in the spring which did help me but there are still days where I'm stood just dripping with sweat. Mid September through early Jan is the best time of year here.

Personally I love to hear the birds singing on a spring/summer morning but each to their own! Have you tried earplugs to drown out the noise?

And what's fierce air con everywhere these days? I have to wear a cardigan in the office when it is hot outside because the office is too cold. All the large shops are too cold, especially the supermarkets.

Cardibach

Yes, we have, but that's not important. I completely disagree with your graph, I don't care where you got it from. I'm a keen "weather guy" (as in I have an amateur interest in the weather, have weather stations and thermometers dotted about etc etc, not on a professional level)

Your graph, I'm sorry to say, is bollocks. Here, it's been far in excess of 20C most days. In fact it's been hotter than that at 8am more often than not. Every year in practically every newspaper there's some story, or even headline along the lines of "Britain's temp to top Greece/Barcelona/Spain/pick your own noteably hot location"

People have different preferences, the fact that you like summer and I don't isn't even remotely a problem, I don't like sprouts and perhaps you do - but you are factually in error with your graph irrespective of where you dug it up. I don't want an argument, I wrote a mildly exaggerated post and you're the one that started attacking it. Others, including the OP have seen it for what it actually is. Mostly accurate, in fact very much mostly accurate with some hyperbole thrown in.

MilkTray

Yeah most people do, don't get me wrong, birds are cool and all that, I just wish they'd have a lie in once in a while! I live in a very (very) rural spot so loads of birds getting excited at very early o clock.

SD where are you that you are enjoying such warm weather? There has been nothing in the news about a heatwave anywhere in the UK since June as far as I can recall.

You must live somewhere with a completely different microclimate to the rest of the UK. Even the Londoners on here aren't complaining about the heat.

SD I'd say the top temps on that are maybe a little lower than I'd have suspected, but it hasn't passed 20 here (from thermometers, not weather forecasts) most days since early July, and when it has its only been for an hour or so a day, not all day. What do you mean by 'far I excess'? It definitely hasn't been over 25 since early July.
This is what the Met Office have to say about temperatures in Wales (do you trust them?) July is normally the warmest month, with mean daily maximum temperatures varying from about 17 °C in the higher inland locations, to 18 °C along the west coast and 21 °C in the east of Powys and Monmouthshire. In the UK, the highest July mean daily maxima occur in the London area (23.5 °C) whilst the lowest occur in the Shetlands (15 °C). Daily maximum temperatures usually occur 2 or 3 hours after midday, and extreme maximum temperatures are usually in July or August .The highest temperatures usually occur furthest away from the cooling influence of the Atlantic, the record in Wales being 35.2 °C at Hawarden Bridge (Flintshire) on 2 August 1990. However, when a hot airstream arrives from the east, maxima along the coasts can equal those inland, an example being the 31.8 °C achieved at Aberporth (Ceredigion) on 2 August 1995 This suggests that the last 5 (or even 10) years haven't shown high temperatures.
As I said, you are not unreasonable to dislike summer, that's personal preference, but you are deluding yourself and making your complaints seem a bit petty by pretending British summers are some sort of hell like 6 months of scorching heat.

Your graph, I'm sorry to say, is bollocks. Here, it's been far in excess of 20C most days. In fact it's been hotter than that at 8am more often than not.

Not bollocks at all. Google for the average temperatures in Kendal - average is about 15 and the maximums barely reach 20.

www.worldweatheronline.com/kendal-weather-averages/cumbria/gb.aspx

I have home air conditioning and blackout blinds, so I don't even have to struggle to sleep in the summer. But I still get bored of sunshine after a month. I love a good going storm too. Bring on the snuggly blankets I say!

Cardibach

Today, is one of the coolest days we've had here in a looooong time, it's currently 17.7C (and pissing down) so that's just 2.3C lower than what you're offering (or your graph, rather) as average.

Temps here have very regularly topped 31C, I think I saw 34C here one afternoon just a matter of weeks ago. I'll check when I go downstairs what the highest recorded actually was. I've acknowledged I'm exaggerating a bit, but not a hell of a lot. Where abouts are you? Just roughly?

For the most part it's been nothing shy of fucking sweltering, a guy I work with actually HAS that "SAD" thing and gets very depressed during winter and even HE'S been struggling in the heat and complaining about it. You might think I'm playing it up, but I'm not far off the mark. Maybe you're playing it down, or live in another (significantly far away) part of the country.

And to the PP who said there have been no news stories about the UK's temps since June, yes, there have.

Ok. There's a number of factors at play here, for me personally, and I know I don't make any sense with it all, but....

A cool, crisp sunny day in winter I actually enjoy. The sun comes out later in the day and returns earlier on so for me it's ok. The heat and humidity isn't there (I'm dripping in sweat after a walk to drop DS off at nursery so it is humid to me maybe not others but that might be my weird body) , I have just enough darkness to allow me to get more than 3 hours sleep, i can go about my day without my clothes being stuck to me and I can feel calm and at peace during these months.

At no point have I slated anyone for loving summer - it's a great time of year and everybody who is normal (clearly not me ) is rightfully out and enjoying it and making the most of the dry spells for as long as they last. I understand winter is really not for everyone, and that the relentless dark and cold get most people down (as mentioned MIL has a light box for this purpose). I also recognise that most of you think I'm actually crazy for thinking this way, and I actually agree.

I have also tried involving myself as much as possible with summer events, even held my own, to see if that changes my perspective, but nope - I remain the same, down, gloomy and fed up. I also make sure my kids benefit from the good weather by taking them on multiple days out to beaches, parks etc even though I really just want to sit quietly in a dark room.

But I really enjoy winter because in the same way people's mood lifts with summer mine does with winter. I can't scientifically explain why that is (any psychologists on here who could??) but I do know that around early October I feel a real shift in my mood, I'm brighter, happier and have a lot more energy.

I can't explain it, I know I'm being U and most think I'm being stupid with it all but when I sit down and actually cry because it's still August (absolutely ridiculous I know and yes I'm aware I'll get shot down for that) and I'm so tired, and overheating very quickly and I feel awful... I can't help but look forward to the winter.

Kazzy

I don't live in or near Kendall.

When I said it was bollocks, what I meant is it's a far departure from the actual facts where I live. I think it's fair to say we have a bit of a micro climate going on over here, we are often the exception rather than the rule with the weather.

And before anyone says "crying about August?? Here's a grip..." I will now have to drip feed so apologies...wish I'd put light hearted in the title now...

I took ADs for a long time, have never slept properly even as a child, I worry constantly and get anxious and upset about stupid shit when I've had some really truly awful stuff to deal with in life, and dealt with that calmly and efficiently, so I know getting worked up about summer sounds ridiculous frankly - I'm pretty self aware on that score.

I don't know if all that changes how I look at summer, I've no idea, I can't explain why I feel this way but I would never stop others enjoyment over it because thats not in my nature. Hence I just came on here for a bit of a rant really.

But yes I will look into blackout blinds and I've already looked at an air con unit for the bedroom. So bloody expensive though

I have read a bit about this. Psychologically the theory is that colder weather drives people inside, with doors closed, windows closed, and more layers on. This subconsciously provides more security and safety.
It also eliminates Fear Of Missing Out (FOMO) as there's no guilt in living a more introverted lifestyle in winter.

I'm in coastal Ceredigion. 16 and pissing down here, but coastal temps are pretty stable. Over 30 in recent weeks? Not unless it was while I was in the midlands visiting family - and if that had been the case I'm pretty sure my friends and family would have had a bit of a gloat as it wasn't warm (or dry) where I was.
Where is your thermometer?

OP - nothing wrong with a rant now and again, we all need to vent occasionally. And what better place than AIBU?!

Plenty of posters (I'd say the majority) have shared your view, definitely me included. It's important to know you're not alone. Of course the "summer is the best thing ever" brigade were going to jump on - they're allowed to do that. I don't think you were just looking for affirmation, but no doubt you'll be accused of that before long!

I wouldn't dream of speaking for anyone other than my self, but I suspect a lot of the pro-summer people just say they like summer because they think they should. I know many pro-summer people (or proclaimed pro-summer people at least) who clearly aren't enjoying it half as much as they make out.

Like I said in a previous post, people have differing preferences, what's that old saying.... If we were all the same etc...

I'm very much on your side. Well, it's not about sides as such but I definitely share your view on this. That's not to say that anyone with an opposing view is wrong of course, it's not a question of right or wrong.