To wonder if those who love winter have very robust mental health or very happy lives?

[Comedycook]

So I was thinking about this after reading a thread about weather. Lots of posters saying how they loved winter...some even said they love the dark evenings and what really surprised me was the poster who said they loved dark, cold mornings. I assumed everyone hated these!

Now I'm not in a terrible place mentally and I'm not depressed but I do find the dark, rainy, cold days do affect my mood. When the evenings are warm and light I feel so much happier.

I'm really interested in how others don't feel that the winter brings them down and actually enjoy it. Are they naturally happier, more positive type people?

Agree.

I absolutely love dusk. That time of day where you can actually see the light change and I switch from being the sociable me to the 'me time' me. There's something about a winter dusk that's even more appealing ..and I get very down and have low moods often. It's hard to explain but there's something reassuring about it? Like the world is still turning. Nature is doing what it does and another day is drawing to a close. I made it!

Not really. Most the time can be sunny and crisp

I’m up for work now. It’s dark and pissing down, I have the choice of using my usual car park and getting piss wet through on the walk to work or spending money I can’t really afford to park closer. I too, like crisp, frosty days but we rarely get those, it’s always raining and miserably grey.

The only good thing is the screaming kids aren’t outside keeping me awake when I’ve got an early shift.

I realise that what I and other posters have written about 'loving' winter might come across as insensitive given how people are struggling with heating, electric costs however. And years ago people hated winter with a lot of justification, I remember my mother being nearly distracted with the stress of drying washing etc. Or if you have to work outdoors. Have a very small house that's well insulated and easy to heat and a bit of savings to see me through, but I know not everyone does.

you can say the same in response to the people who talk about lying on the grass or basking in the sun or only wearing dresses in the summer

people have commitments that mean they don’t have time to “laze about” in the garden, or their job means they have to wear lots of clothes

we all have shit to do, and some people find different seasons cause more discomfort than others

so do you still think that everyone who likes winter has a happy easy life, and no mental health issues?

I honestly just try not to let things out of my control have any sway on my enjoyment of life. I quite like some aspects of all seasons, but ultimately I don’t want my emotions to be controlled by them!

I have a friend who died tragically at 27, I think if he was given a chance to resurrect for Nov-Feb only he wouldn’t turn it down. My view on all things is we only get one life and it’s very short, make the most of it even when it’s suboptimal. I do think western consumerist/capitalist culture has a lot to blame for too as it’s made life so tiring and complicated. (Alongside many benefits)!

The sock thing is interesting OP. I'd really struggle with cooler weather without socks. This makes me wonder if your dislike of winter is more of a sensory thing.

I might be the opposite to your post(!) I love the winter because it’s more me time than summer, okay to put on a few pounds and comfort eat, all about drawing the curtains with a fire on and setting down with a book, I find scarves and hats more flattering and comfy, no pressure to entertain all the time etc etc!! Board games with kids instead of having to entertain or go to barbecues etc!!

Ps a weird recommendation to everyone this winter to drink loads of water and take vitamin d, I found it a huge boost last year!

I love dark evenings to cosy up by the fire, running in the cold, the bit of magic in the air this time of year.
I'm not a big fan of January and February though. It's just cold by then and I'm looking forward to the warmer weather by that point.

I was born in a very snowy winter. I find winter easier than this time of year, before we put the clocks back, as the dark mornings are dreadful for my mood. Light evenings? Not so bothered.

I'm one of those people who loves winter but doesn't particularly enjoy summer.

I don't like being sweaty. I don't like not being able to sleep because it's hot and humid. I don't like being woken up by the sun at 5am and feeling pressured to go out and "enjoy the sunshine" no matter how exhausted I am from work. I work outside and all I want to do when I get home is not be sweaty anymore 😂

In winter I can come to a warm house (but not a humid or uncomfortable one), have a shower or a bath and be nice and cosy. I put the fairy lights on and light a nice scented candle and just relax. I can't do that in summer as it's too bloody hot!

Can't say I love jan and Feb but oct-dec, I do enjoy because of things that other PP have said...log burner, warming food, walks in crisp cold weather (if we're lucky!), fairy lights, good books, no FOMO or hearing others say (during summer), 'why are you stuck indoors/at home; you should be OUT doing 'whatever'' .

I think it was an acupuncturist who said to me that we should grow/ebb with our seasons. So have a hibernation of sorts during the winter months to take stock of life, heal from the business of the hot summer months so that come spring, we have enough in built, long lasting energy to last us through the hotter months. He worded it much better than that, but you get the gist. Sounded nice to me anyway.

I try very hard to appreciate all the seasons with their pluses and minuses - but as I get older I find dark, cold mornings (I leave at 6.30) increasingly miserable.

As I get older I’m finding winters more and more difficult…..we’ve always got a holiday planned in February to get through.

I live in a windy wet bit of the north west….it can suck in winter.

Op I agree and it's another layer of worry because of the dark.
Cars go wrong etc
However because of the heat we get now in summer I'm quite happy it's going to guaranteed colder! I don't mind the cold as much as heat it's the dark etc

That's exactly how I feel.

I read Wintering by Katherine May and it changed my perception of winter months (and difficult periods in life). Before I hated and dreaded the Winter months but now I see them as a time when I need to to slow down, take stock and enjoy a different rhythm. When Spring comes again I'm rejuvenated and ready to make the most of the longer days and appreciate them fully.

Perhaps I'm weird but I love all the seasons.

Winter I love as I like to cosy down, love the cold crisp mornings. I'm even loving this rain today - but we are still in Autumn :-)

For most of my life I enjoyed winter and the dark nights/mornings, but not now. I have hypothyroidism now and always tend to feel cold so winter doesn't help that at all. In terms of mental health and a happy life, both were far worse when I was young, but now are both good.

What I enjoyed was the cold, being able to wear thick jumpers and be cosy indoors. Also going out on cold days, even wet days was OK by me. However I am Scottish/Irish by descent and have never liked hot weather. If I could go for holidays then it would be to places like Iceland or Scandinavia. No hot beaches for me!

I love watching the seasons come and go too.

This time of year I love the most, the chilly morning dog walks, candles, slow cooker meals and lighting the fire again.

I agree with others, there’s no pressure to go out and I almost hibernate which I love. We tend to have people over for dinner more rather than meeting out. Just the coziness if it all ❤️

@Comedycook Yes exactly. I still have to drive my kids in the evenings to their various activities...I just have to do it in the dark, cold and/or rain. Tonight I took my DC to an activity then came home and did some laundry and loaded the dishwasher and emptied the bins. I don't have time just to snuggle under a blanket

So actually it has f all to do with winter you’re just moaning for the sake of moaning? If you didn’t have time to enjoy any cosy winter activities then you didn’t have time to do any summery activities either so surely it’s entirely irrelevant?

No, the opposite. Winter means I can hibernate more legitimately if anything!

I hate summer. It flares my arthritis, I get awful hay-fever even with medication and don't cope with being hot at all. I love being cold and frosty mornings and dark nights. Love boots and getting bundled up. Just makes me feel cosier. I put on fairy lights and light candles and read usually. No pressure to go out and do anything and I love traditional winter meals. Plus Halloween and Christmas.

No kids or need to go out unless I want to as I wfh, so appreciate this isn't the case for everyone.