I know three people who say they’re quite strongly affected by the weather. They dislike rainy, overcast or muggy days and like fine ones that are not too hot or cold. Me? Well I agree, but while I can enjoy a nice day, I have no feeling of a bad day weighing me down.
I’ve just realised that the three people I know who react more strongly than me are female. And I know quite a few men who are relaxed about the weather like I am. So while I’m sure there’s no one-to-one mapping between gender and this strength of reaction to the weather, I wonder on this tiny sample if I’m seeing a more generally applicable pattern. And perhaps there are other things to be learned about the kinds of people whose mood is strongly influenced by the weather.
So, O Troppodillians, spare us a couple of moments of your time and fess up to your own predilections and sensitivities, and those of people you know.
My wife cares orders of magnitude more than I do!!
I am male and care fairly strongly, but for a practical reason – I am a cyclist and train outdoors most days.
Climate, as distinct from weather, also affects me: I often take a fortnight’s break each year to escape the cold Canberra winter and head up to Cairns. Its good for training, and also for one’s mood on return.
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http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195
I find Queensland summers quite unpleasant despite living here all my life. While I’ve never been bothered by the cold on the various trips I’ve been on, I can’t really say if I’d be able to handle living in a cold climate for a long term.
Still, as much as the heat bothers me it doesn’t bother me enough to actually move to a cooler climate; or even live somewhere with airconditioning.
http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/seasonal-affective-disorder/DS00195
Sorry about the first link there not being about SADs – but it is info about the different rates of depression for each gender and SADs can influence depression rates.
I like rain – for purely functional reasons – water availability is the major rate limiting factor in pasture growth. Too much can be very stressful – we have had 5 floods in the past 6 years.
Comes down to hunter-gatherers: men hunt occasionally (weather permitting)
women gather as a consequence of mens’ unsuccessful (weather) hunting in all weathers…or starve.
I’m in the same position as Tom N. — Rain is annoying because riding in it is no great fun, especially in the cold and wind (tropical rain is okay, but that’s not what you get in Melbourne most of the time!). I also find the usual overcast weather in Melbourne goes for too long (3 months would be fine; six months is too long), but I usually work overseas for a year in mid-winter which is super.
The weather definitely plays a part in moods. When its cold often people are generally less happy. Personally, I like both, but the cold can make me less happy at times
Am affected by deprivation of sunlight.
Provably the worst time of year ,where I live, is September, tend to have 3-4 weeks of howling winds that make being out doors hard work.
I often feel physically rundown by summer heat. Not so much bothered by the cold.
I find I can never relax properly on a windy day, even if I spend most of the day inside. It makes me irritable and I can’t wait for the day to finish.
I am affected by the weather, especially wind which unsettles me. I can really have my spirits lifted by a perfect, sunny clear day.
Your problem Nick is that because you are male you are not much in touch with your inner emotions, so you do not understand how profoundly the weather affects you!! Seriously I think weather does have a major impact on human beings, but naturally there is variation in the impact it has due to genetic and environmental factors. Humans are amazing in their ability to adjust, but some adjust better than others.
I shifted from Qld to Melb as a young adult (female) in early August and suffered SAD until the skies lifted in late October(!) I have always enjoyed stormy weather but Melbourne rarely had storms with the seemingly permanent cloud cover.
Back here now in Qld I still love the wet, although I have never personally suffered loss through flooding. *That* might change my perspective. I have experienced cyclones and find myself alternately enthralled and appalled by their strength.
Blustery dry westerlies, OTOH, are the pits (can you tell I have flyaway hair?)