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?

I prefer winter clothes as I look like a bulky sack of spuds in summer.
But I hate the cold. If my nose gets cold in the house, the heating gets ramped up.
I hate icy pavements, but don't mind deep snow.

I think it's important to try and see the best in every season. There is always something to be positive about.

@Comedycook I'm wondering the point of your thread. You've got 25 odd pages now of people explaining how they love winter, and you either want to dismiss it by "well, they love the nice fire, but that only exists to combat the coldness and misery" or declare that you don't know anyone that thinks like this.

If you aren't going to acknowledge any view other than your own, why ask?

I hate the winter. I start the dread towards the end of August when the trees start changing and the days get shorter, even if theres a heatwave at the time, im not really a winter celebrations person, i dont mind fireworks night and tolerate Christmas but im indifferent to Halloween and NY. I count the days to the winter solstice knowing the days will be getting longer. I dont really like Feb as the weather is horrible and both my parents died in Feb, but on the upside the days are getting longer and its short.

While im not mad on weather thats too hot, too cold is worse imo. But the worst thing is the darkness. Go to work in the dark, come home in the dark. I hate it.

Because in life we all have preferences but there are also universal things which make everyone miserable to some degree...like bereavement, money worries, illness etc. I always assumed winter was one of these things. I don't have a mental health condition or actual depression but I feel such an overwhelming sense of doom as the nights draw in. It's really affects me. I feel like it worsens any problem or difficulty massively hence why I wondered if those who like it have exceptionally happy lives.

See, I completely understand and accept people having preferences, which your comments really make it seem that you cannot.

However, the very idea of the weather causing ‘an overwhelming sense of doom’ is utterly incomprehensible to me, personally. It’s weather.

Well, none of those things are universal either.

Some people like winter. That’s all you need to understand, surely? You don’t need to agree with them, or relate to it.

I'm not offended...but irl I've never known anyone open the curtains, see it's raining and grey and found its boosted their mood.

Yep - here I am. Because it gives you a cosy (yes I said it), nice feeling to be indoors - I like being indoors, I like pottering, working from home, cooking. I like it even more when it feels all "battened down" with wild weather outside.

If you like, you can see it as a kind of gratitude - it makes me so appreciative and happy to have a safe home and to be snug when it's rainy and windy. Does that make it less awful?

I know this post is just causing offence, if not actual crime, left right and centre what with my use of "cosy" and "snug". But if it's any consolation I draw the line at "hygge". (It was OK at first but it got so overused and now I can't be doing with it)

As people have shown on this thread, some do. But I would imagine for the most part, for many people, weather doesn’t have a massive effect on mood. You seem very sensitive to it.

A sense of overwhelming doom is an extreme reaction to weather.

My preferred season, in order of preference.
Summer
Spring
Autumn
Winter.

I like summer for the long days and warm evenings - sitting in the garden enjoying a glass of wine at 9 pm at night - listening to the birds singing and watching the sunset etc, etc. Not a fan of heat above 26 but I can live with it because I know in this country it never lasts long.

Not a fan of winter. I don't mind the cold, as long as it's a crisp sunny day with blue skies. Hate the rain, wind, and grey skies. I love the outdoors and being active and this is not conducive to me wanting to go for a bike ride or long walk. Similarly snuggling under a heated blanket, drinking hot chocolate, and watching TV is not my idea of heaven and would bore me if done more than once a week.

20-degree heat and blue skies would be perfect for me, all year round. Not sure if such a place exists.

There are things I like about summer. When it’s 25/26 degrees it’s great. But the heatwaves of recent years I find unbearable especially at night. Do those who love 30 degrees+ temperatures have aircon in their homes?

Mine is probably Spring, Autumn, Winter, Summer. Spring is my favourite as I just love the birdsong and spring flowers. The sunny days are nice and cool. No flies either.

I don't have an idyllic life at all, I don't get out as much as I should and summer makes me feel more guilty about that. When it's dark and rainy it feels more ok to be at home watching tv.

I really like all the festivities in winter.

And like others I'm not keen on summer clothes as I lack confidence in them.

Summer
Spring
Autumn
Winter
I’m not even a fan of heat it’s just using my garden as a room, it looks at its best, the daylight hours mean walks are more pleasant with the dog in the evenings etc.

OP there's loads of calming apps that simulate "rain on window" sounds and "winter wind" sounds. Why do you think they are on there, if there isn't a huge subset of people who love winter, love to be reminded of rain/sleet/snow/the chill.

It's very common to like winter ☃️ ❄️ 100% my favourite season. I also hate hate hate summer

My brother gets SAD and loves the summer tho - which I find just baffling

we don’t have a fire, but in the winter I do like to put a mood dvd of a log fire on our big tv of an evening.

Do those who love 30 degrees+ temperatures have aircon in their homes?

No. For short journeys I tend not to it in use in the car in those temperatures either because the huge contrast when you get in and out.

My preference is anything between 21 - 24 degrees, but I still find I enjoy winter.

Everyone knows I’m not coming out in the cold so I’m free of expectations/outings.

The cold requires hot brews, so the place always smells of ginger, oranges and cinnamon leaves or whatever else I can find to boil.

Soups, stews, heating, electric blanket and copious amounts of long baths and candles 🥰. I really go overboard on candles, but yeah, winter is cosy season and I love it (inside).

I also hate hate hate summer

Apart from the odd very hot day (which I completely get that heat haters struggle with), what do you hate about summer @MsCactus? It isn't as if we get the relentless heat over a long period of time that the Med does. Our hot days tend to be interspersed with cooler, cloudy or wet days.

Like the OP I do struggle to understand why people prefer to sit in artificial light instead of natural daylight. It doesn't have to be sunny, just not dark.

And like others I'm not keen on summer clothes as I lack confidence in them.

Summer clothes does not equal skimpy clothes though. I mean this kindly, but if you think you look fat in summer clothes, you won't look any less fat in winter clothes. Clothes that skim rather than clothes that cling look better on every body shape, summer and winter alike.

@RampantIvy agree especially with regards to clothes. I'm overweight but prefer summer clothes. I have about 8 summer dresses which I wear in rotation with various flip flops and sandals. I hate getting dressed on a winter morning. I never know what to wear. Leggings can look too casual. I find jeans uncomfortable. I like wearing dresses but in winter you have to wear with tights which is a faff. I actually think summer clothing can be more flattering as you're not bulking yourself out with layers upon layers.

I hate summer; it makes me utterly miserable. I live in a sweatbox flat with small windows and no usable outside space, not even a balcony. It’s unbearably hot in the summer and I can go for months without sleeping properly. And when I do eventually get off to sleep, the light mornings and noisy birds wake me up too early. My neighbours are normally outside their houses playing loud music, smoking weed and letting their kids run riot until well after dark. There are wasps and buzzy things all over the place and god forbid you open your window while your lights are on. You get out of a tepid shower and need another within a hour. You never feel fresh or totally clean. The buses and trains are full of sweaty people and everyone seems to be irritable and generally harassed.

I feel completely energised in autumn and winter and my mental health is always improved. I love the colours of the trees. I like walking in heavy rain. I love walking through snow when it’s dark and it’s really quiet and peaceful. I really enjoy going down to the beach when it’s cold and blustery and going home feeling wide awake and like all the cobwebs have been blown away. I feel more alert at work. I can control my body temperature. I can sleep properly. I can enjoy my favourite foods without worrying about my kitchen spontaneously combusting because I’ve had the oven on for 20 minutes. All my favourite things happen in the winter (Christmas, a family holiday etc).

I totally understand that we all like different things but for someone to say they like dark mornings and rain is like someone saying to me, oh I absolutely love it when I find mouldy food in fridge… You do sound like you’re struggling with the concept that anyone might feel about summer the way you feel about winter.

I don't like it when it's light until late. I find I stay in "daytime mode" rather than settling down to enjoy myself and then suddenly it's bedtime. And I don't sit there with the full light on - I associate dim lighting/darkness with excitement, festivities, magic etc. I don't think there's ever been a time in my life when I've done more exciting things in summer than winter due to the various festivals in winter, which is probably why I associate darkness with fun and excitement.

And I don't need to be told that I look fat in all clothes, but I personally find it more comfortable to throw on a pair of leggings than wear a dress, or go through all of my summer clothes from the previous year to discover that they don't fit me any more and struggle to find anything suitable to wear. I have more clothes for colder weather than warm weather as it is usually not warm.

I have more clothes for colder weather than warm weather as it is usually not warm.

So do I, for the same reasons.

I'm not skinny either BTW.

Dressing for work in the winter can be a problem because offices are so overheated that you can’t actually wear jumpers.