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 hate winter! I would love to be able to hibernate from 2nd January to the middle of March. I quite like Halloween, Bonfire Night, Thanksgiving, Advent, Christmas panto, Christmas lights switch on, Carol concerts at the Church, and Christmas of course, and New Year's Eve/New Year's Day. But January and February can fuck off. (And the first 2 weeks of March!) Would love to sleep from 2nd January to 15th March.

I love both! At the end of summer I look forward to the cosy evenings by the fire and watching TV in the evenings (i rarely sit and watch tv while it's light outside) i like winter clothes, hot chocolate, looking forward to christmas and all it brings. Then after Christmas I look forward to spring and the light nights and warmer weather.
I'd say I'm generally a pretty happy and positive person.

Yes, same!

I also hate being hot, it makes me grumpy, and I don't like the feeling of hot sun on my skin, so summer isn't great.

Love a grey, cloudy day!

I find Winter very claustrophobic. I wish I liked it but I don’t!

I think I find it easier to sleep in the winter when it's darker. It's easier to rest and recover when I'm feeling a bit low. I'm much more moody in the summer and I wonder if it's sleep related. The heat doesn't help either.

I find heat oppressive. There is no way to enjoy nature and the outdoors in high heat or humidity.

Cold can be managed, and as such it's freeing.

I also feel the need to hibernate during the winter months. I'm depleted by the end of summer: too many people, too much activity, too much interaction, not enough solitude. I dread summer, and relish autumn, winter and spring.

No, I'm definitely not!

It made a great difference to me to stop trying to live a 'summer life' all year round. I switched to eating seasonally first then I began to change my activities and behaviour to suit the season. I look forward to each season because it brings the joy of that season to the fore.

Interesting question OP.

I love winter, for lots of reasons, I love the changing seasons and I definitely enjoy lots of things about summer and feeling summer is coming but I think I am naturally more drawn to winter. I absolutely bloomin' love snow, not that we get much in this country but I'll never not be excited like a little child when it snows. Skiing is my favourite thing to do ever and I just feel very happy being in the mountains (eg the Alps) but I would really fancy living somewhere Scandinavian where I could also do cross country skiing, snow shoeing, sledding etc in winter. I live in the south of England but if it weren't for work / family commitments I would love to live much further north. I also really love Christmas, specifically the Christmas trees and seeing the sparkling fairy lights everywhere in the run up.

I quite like the dark nights (easier to sleep?!), I love hearing 'wild' weather outside when I'm inside. I love jumpers and boots, they're my favourite items of clothing. I don't know if any of this preference is because I'm redheaded with pale skin so not particularly designed for very hot sunny weather. Whether it's correlated or not but, whilst I definitely can feel rather anxious, and I'm naturally a fairly shy person, I do also think I'm naturally inclined to be positive and optimistic, have always thought I'm pretty resilient and so in pretty good mental health. The shortness and darkness of the days don't bother me.

Agree with @ChipAndMiss - people are far too quick to overdiagnose and put everything down to poor mental health. You have to look for the food in every situation and after a while it becomes habit.

I find any problems I have in my life are just so much more shit in winter. It's not so much the cold I dislike...it's the gloom and dark. To me someone saying they like dark evenings and mornings is incomprehensible. It's like someone saying they like stepping in dog shit. I assumed everyone hated it until I read otherwise on here!

Look for the GOOD, though good food does help 🤣

I have generally poor MH and I'm an autumn/winter lover.

I've actually thought about it before, and I think it's because some of my fondest/cosiest memories were within these months, ie. My mum waking us up for school and us all eating breakfast in front of the gas fire watching cartoons, kicking the leaves on the way to school, Halloween/bonfire nights were always fab and full of fun when I was little, Christmas etc. The cold air/smell/general feel reminds me of it all and it just brings me comfort, I think. I don't mind summer, just prefer the colder months.

I also love hot chocolate and not shaving my legs, so there's that too.

@stargirl1701

I look forward to each season because it brings the joy of that season to the fore.

Beautifully put.

Yanbu. I'm a miserable bugger and hate autumn and winter. I don't drink and have no social life.
I'm fine when it hits 20° again.

There is magic in every season. I love summer and dry hot weather. But equally love winter. I sleep better and love getting up early to have coffee in the low light while everyone is still sleeping. I grew up in a country with a long winter, very cold, and lots of snow. I loved winter and all the winter sports then too. I run all year and especially enjoy it when it’s cold. The rain in the U.K. gets tiresome though. Give me snow any day!

I tend to have robust mental health and very low perceived stress. Generally have a positive, optimistic outlook even when I’ve been going through tough times.

My mood is hugely impacted by the sun, a grey summer does nothing for me, neither does a grey, damp, mizzly winter. Give me a clear day in winter with the sun shining even if it’s brief gives me such a lift. I don’t suffer from MH problems at all but I just love seeing the sun. I also really feel the cold so my muscles tense up and I feel weighed down by layers of clothing coupled with the grey means I tend to dislike winter in general. Sun, warmth, minimal clothing suits me best!

Exactly what I came to say.

I wonder whether, for those who like the coziness and stillness of winter, whether they're naturally more introverted people? - I suspect that may be true for me - I'm not a complete introvert and love seeing friends, BUT I'm someone who feels recharged by spending time alone (or just with my DH) whereas I know for many people it's being with others that recharges their batteries.

Yes I absolutely hate grey skies regardless of the season. I need to see the blue

After never ending summer in France (it’s still 24 degrees here during the day 🙄) I am craving winter. I do have fairly robust mental health but the main reason is that when its dark outside, I’m not obliged to do anything except sit in my comfy chair, with DS, telly and book for company. My days are busy, I want to switch off by the evening, not feel obliged to go out for walks / drinks / socialising etc etc. I’m quite s sociable but I get it all done during the day when possible.

I like the changes the seasons bring, Autumn is my favourite due to the lovely light and the colours of the leaves, conkers, walks in the park, cosy evenings, more comfortable clothes. It's lovely up to Christmas/New year but Jan/Feb can be dreary. Then I love as it changes into spring, I enjoy summer too but I actually find the heat uncomfortable plus insects and avoiding sunburn kind of annoying. Generally, I just embrace what each season brings and try not to grumble.

I love it, and I have suffered on and off all my adult life from depression.
Read this:

Also, sorry if this is TMI but I find winter lower maintenance, can cover my hairy legs with jeans, don't get all gross and sweaty, don't have to slather on sunscreen then deal with the greasy hair. It just feels like I've got to make a load of extra effort in summer.

That said I think dark evenings must be a bit like marmite in that you can't convince anyone to love or hate them.

I enjoy both summer and winter for the different things they offer but if I had to chose one permanently it would be winter, I prefer winter clothes, jumpers, coats, boots, hats, I love sitting around the wood burner of an evening, I prefer winter food I just love being cosy, it makes me feel very contented being curled up in my house on a winter’s day.

I love winter. I find cosy nights in, big hoodies, hot chocolate very comforting. I can sit in my living room and not feel I need to 'go out and enjoy the sun". Plus, in summer, my living room is absolutely boiling and it's very uncomfortable. I love not sweating and sleeping well.

I'm not an overly happy person all the time but I'm happy enough I'd say in general, even if struggling with a bit of ppd at the moment.