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?

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I could never be accused of being a goth. I'm often told my clothes are "too bright" (miserable people who don't like colour). I don't do well in heat so colder weather is better. I have a collie, so I'm out walking whatever the weather, and I adore the colours in autumn, the monotone of winter (the fact that snow turns the woods into a black and white picture is awesome), spotting the new growth in spring and the bright blue skies of summer.

I think what you'll actually find is that those people who love, like or just don't hate weather are those who can always see the positives in situations, rather than those who focus on the bad (dark, cold, wet).

This thread is just sull of mumsnet cliches

Where do people live where they get so much hot summer weather?
I'm on the edge of the Pennines, so we get a lot of rain, sometimes snow in winter and the odd hot week in summer, but not the kind of heat that mumsnetters complain about, which is probably why I don't actually know any winter lovers because winter round here is miserable - usually cold, grey and damp. This does mean that I really appreciate the odd clear, crisp day because they rarely happen.

It's currently pitch black outside and pouring with rain, and the main road is a river (according to the local Facebook page).

My mental health is fragile for reasons I wont share here. One of the things that helps me manage my mental health is lots of quiet, calm time in a very 'safe' and predictable environment. Winter promotes this far more than summer as I can shut the curtains and rest peacefully more without being aware of neighbours, kids playing outside etc. I also need lots of sleep to feel well and it is easier for me to sleep in winter than summer. I benefit from things being cosy and comforting, as it reinforces that sense of safety and being in a comfortable home that really helps me. I tend to find summer overstimulating and intense, though I do love some aspects of it. My mental health is always significantly better in winter, despite the dark, drab days.

Yeah, I was just thinking prob depends where you live. I’m on the south coast somewhere famed for its microclimate ( we have palm trees although not sure they love it- always a bit yellow), so winter here is relatively benign.

Oh yes. I can identify with this. I WFH, so in summer I can wear just three items of clothing - pants, bra and dress.

When we had all that snow in the winter of 2010/11 I loved it at first, but the novelty soon wore off when it took so long to get kitted up to leave the house. I was forever having to hoover up the grit and salt walked in from from the road as well.

As DD has now flown the nest all the things that mumsnetters love about autumn and winter just don't apply to us - Halloween, bonfire night, Christmas activities throughout December.

However, we don't get the negative aspects of summer that all the summer haters on here get. At the risk of sounding smug - our neighbours are quiet, there are no noisy children, summers aren't as hot as we are rural and quite high up so we always have a breeze, I don't use public transport to get to work and my office isn't hot and stuffy (if anything the aircon is too fierce so on hot summer days I end up needing a cardigan).

I feel sorry for the school chilcdren at the moment because they are breaking up for half term today and the forecast for next week is awful. We currently have an amber rain warning

Except it's rarely sunny and crisp is it, more like grey and soggy in the UK at least

We’ve had very hot summers for a while now. It was 40 degrees last year.

I always used to hate January-February; cold, grey, not much happening. But this year I have been the happiest I've been, stable financially, just very content with where I am in life, and found Jan-Feb lovely. I enjoyed the quiet weekends before a busy year started. Life is cyclical, but going into this winter much more positive again which I hope helps and continues!

No I'm not fat.

Hmm are any of these winter lovers NORMAL POOR PEOPLE because you all sound like you are sitting in the drawing room doing crochet in front of the log fire while papa puffs on his pipe.
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I don’t even KNOW many people with log fires…
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The idea of a lovely warm bath is nice but it just steams up the house so I have to scrape condensation and mould off all the walls

You need a dehumidifier

I love winter for the excuse to slow down. I like knowing I can relax without feeling guilty or making the most of the light evenings in summer. I love the dry crisp days compared to soggy July. I love feeling like the world is my own on dark mornings

You also need to change your perspective. So many people on here whining about the minutiae. Humans are odd and take life for granted until it’s too late.

Don't be absolutely daft, it's grey, dull and wet most of this week for instance, forecast on -going is the same. It was sunny and crisp last Sunday. I would say that's very typical and I'm nearly 60 so seen a fair few Autumns.

I much prefer a warm (or hot) sunny day without rain.
I agree 100% with the poster who said they love days when you wake up , put on a dress, sandals, sunglasses and leave the house.
When dcs were little the faff of having to put vest, t shirt, jumper, trousers, pants, socks, coat, scarf, hat, gloves and boots on them was a nightmare.
I love being able to pack a suitcase full of Just dresses, sandals and I’ve it 2 cardigans.
It’s such a faff packing for the cold, wet weather.
I’m a sun lover all the way!

In some areas. Not where most of us live. We don't all live in or near London.
Although, I agree that this isn't OK or sustainable.

Interesting that so many people have said they like winter because there's no pressure to see people or go out and do things.

I don't understand why people feel "pressure" to go out in summer but not in winter. If you don't want to go out, whatever the time of year, can't you just say no?

@Antst , what you said about people painting kitchens yellow to stave off depression has reinforced what I’ve always felt about the fashion for grey decor in the U.K. Why anyone has ever wanted grey in the house, when too often all you have to do is look out of the window, defeats me.

I like the cosy feeling of dark evenings, but I enjoy it even more after I’ve been out for a walk in any sort of weather but torrential rain. I can then feel nobly virtuous while on the sofa with cup of tea/book/snuggly throw.

I was talking about autumn, although this summer was similar!

Honestly, I like winter because I'm a fat person and I get to cover up again! I'm sure if I was attractive, I'd enjoy summer more but now I just wait for it to pass.

Some of you seem genuinely angry that other people like seasons you don’t like. What’s up with that? It’s a very strange attitude.

Possibly when people say this they're just lonely, and feel it more in summer when they can see people out having fun more. In winter people are indoors, even while socialising, so the perception is that others aren't out and about, so being lonely doesn't feel so unusual.

Me too. I live in a city and I love the way it starts to come alive at dusk when lights start to come on.

I like all seasons, all have their pros and cons. The seasons are so jumbled up weather wise nowadays anyway. Just enjoy your life, no point having it dictated by the season.

One of my first years in Denmark it snowed on 18th Dec and didn't melt until March 18th. The light was incredible! And it was quiet. Honestly it was a totally different experience.

I’m the same as you - I don’t feel this pressure at all, but clearly enough people do that it’s a “thing”, even if we don’t experience it

i don’t think loneliness explains it

Exactly. All this getting in to PJs at 5pm malarkey and snuggling on the sofa for hours. I’m driving kids around in the dark and rain to activities. It’s not lovely at all. I actually hate driving in the dark too.

I was talking about autumn, although this summer was similar!

oh I see. Autumn has also been quite warm as well though, compared to, say, ten years ago