Do you get the winter blues? Is the change of season affecting you?

[Donte]

As the weather is changing and we welcome another winter; as the yellow leaves cover the pavements and streets, I can’t but feel a sweet melancholy. Not sure what it is exactly about autumn and winter but I tend to become more mellow and sad.


I look around me at the faces of people and they seem to resemble the yellow leaves. They too, throw their gaze onto the ground. Avoid eye contact. Hide behind headphones, books and dark sunglasses. In trams, in trains, buses, streets and parks.


Something is taking place during this change of season. Have you noticed? The moment we turn the clocks back. Something happens. As if everyone’s suddenly gone. The beaches, the resorts, the playgrounds...empty. Darkness. Party is over! Everyone’s gone.


And this city for so many people is not our mother to open her arms and hold us all in.


So, like Persephone in the Ancient Greek mythology who visits the underworld to see her husband who’s kept there captive and the whole earth mourns with her and is drenched in winter and sadness, we all get reminded that the warmth and carelessness of summer days don’t last forever.


As if we too, like the rest of nature fall into hibernation. Less light, shorter days, cold etc all contribute to a sense of feeling blue. Tired. It’s 6pm but feels like midnight.


Falling in a sweet sleep so to speak...


And what saddens me most, is not the pigeons on top of the commission flats gathered together to combat the cold; It’s not even the homeless washing our windscreens at the lights with every chance begging for some spare coins. I think it’s the cold in the heart of our community; it may be the winter that has settled inside us. Too busy to pay attention. Too tired to care.


How’s your experience of winter in Australia? If you, like me, come from the northern hemisphere, everything seems topsy turvy.


Do you get the winter blues? Does the weather and the seasons affect you? Is it different here than how it was back home? Do you miss something?

[Rob13579]

I was born and raised in the warmer region northern hemisphere. I have lived in Australia for 9 years.

Yes, I tend to feel sad for no reason in winter or when the temperature gets low; however, I do not feel any difference between the northern and southern hemisphere.

As long as the weather becomes similar to northern Europe, I automatically feel sad, not as serious as depression, but sad.

Hanging out with family and friends definitely help. Eg. a nice meal.

Also, when I am busy or doing exercise, the weather does not seem to affect my feelings because I have shifted my focus I guess.

It is nice to see that I am not alone to feel this way in winter or cold weather.

[Donte]

Hi Rob,

Thank you for your input in this thread. It’s great to hear other people’s experiences in regards to this.

Apart from the lack of sunlight which affects vitamin D, and the fact that the days are shorter, I also feel a bit out of orbit! I’m so used to wait for summer when May arrives and still have this feeling that Spring is in the air around Easter time where of course in fact we are about to get into winter!

Easter also symbolizes the arrival Spring with bunnies and eggs and new life springing up all around and nature being ‘resurrected’ from Winter, so it’s quiet confusing for my internal clock!

May Day is also a huge thing where I come from with people celebrating the arrival of Spring by making flower arrangements that they decorate inside and outside their homes etc

I believe, as you said Rob, keeping active and exercising definitely helps to elevate the mood and increase our natural defense mechanisms against the cold. Definitely has a positive effect on our physical and mental/emotional state. It may be harder to get up in the morning and motivate ourselves but it’s definitely worth it! X

[Donte]

Every morning I check the weather APP to see when is the warmest and best part of the day so I can take the dogs for a walk.


During our walks to the park, I always try to find the sunny side of the street to walk on. Same at the park. Looking for the spots where the sun breaks through the thick branches of the pines and eucalyptus trees.


It’s funny how during summer is exactly the opposite! I check the coolest time to walk and avoid the sunny side of the streets. At park I look for shade!


We adjust. We always work around issues. We change things and find different ways in order to be able to continue doing what we need to do.


We do that with everything: Relationships, work, people around us, homelife, traffic, finances etc.


What may be the best strategy now could be different tomorrow. One size seldom or never fits all!


So when it comes to our mental wellbeing, our moods, feelings, reactions etc, is good to perhaps take the same approach - check first! Respond and take action/alter accordingly.

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Donte’,

I loved your latest post about being adaptive and responsive plus I appreciated your reminder that “one size seldom or never fits all” 🙂

Thank you!

Pepper xoxo

P.S. As a loose aside, I am definitely looking forward to Summer (as long as it doesn’t get unbearably hot) lol!

[Donte]

Thank you Pepper,

I often think of the seasons as a Ferris-wheel. The turn comes and we are at the bottom end or top end but we know it’s changing. Sometimes it can be a roller coaster too hahaa...

My favorite season is by all means autumn. There’s a sweet melancholy at the end of summer that I find irresistibly attractive. The colors, the smells of the earth after those first rainfalls, fallen leaves and the eminent drop in temperature. But love all seasons for many different reasons.

As I grow old I find the summers do not please me like they used to. I’m mostly closed in with the blinds down and remaining air-conditioned. But then again, I don’t go out as much nowadays no matter what the season.

Winter loves - hot soup and crusty bread. Red wine. Board games. Hot beverages. Early nights. Scarves. Coats. Boots...

[Donte]

New ages come all the time. Wisdom stays forever. Knowledge expands as every beach with sand. Seasons change...Let go.

[Peppermintbach]

Hi Donte’,

I’m so sorry for the late reply. I only just saw this today.

I agree it‘s a bit like a Ferris wheel or roller coaster ride. Lol.

Autumn clearly holds a special place in your heart 🙂 Your winter loves made me smile. Thank you so much for sharing...

I feel it seems fair enough that summer is not something you look forward to as much these days. Hopefully you find some interesting indoor activities during the summer heat...

But for me, and as you already know, I’m looking forward to summer. The beach beckons 😉

Pepper xoxo