You wake up in mid February;stretching and shivering as you get out of bed to get ready for school. Not only is it a gloomy day, but the sun isn’t even out yet. You know it will most likely not get much brighter outside during the day and that it will be bitterly cold waiting at the bus stop. All of this only makes you want to crawl back into bed and sleep all through the day. 

This is my reality every day I wake up in the winter. I am miserable whenever it’s cold and as soon as it gets warmer outside my mood immediately starts improving. 

From January through March and even sometimes April, I just want to cuddle up in a blanket and stay inside all day. I don’t even want to leave the house or do anything school related. When May hits and the weather starts getting warmer it drastically changes how I’m feeling. 

In an article by The Independent (2022) called “Experts Explain why it’s OK if you want to Sleep more in Winter” it says that when it is colder outside it makes your body want to settle down and basically ‘hibernate’. This would explain the groggy feeling that lasts all winter long. 

Even when it’s not cold out, the rain, fog, sun, and snow affect me. Whether it’s the rain messing up my hair and getting my clothes wet, or the snow making me late everywhere I go. Both of these things put me in a bad mood and make my days more difficult. 

When it rains it especially affects me. The rain is extremely relaxing to listen to and when it’s cloudy it gets darker which your brain associates with going to bed according to an article by National Institute of Health called “Brain Basics: Understanding Sleep”. This darkness causes your brain to release melatonin. This means that automatically the rain makes me fatigued and lazy. And when I feel lazy I don’t like doing anything which makes me unproductive. It’s just one big cycle of bad things caused by the weather.

If you ask any of my friends what their favorite season is they all would mostly say that it is summer or anytime it is warm in general. The warm weather is a sign of the school year coming to an end which automatically improves everyone’s moods. Additionally the warmer weather means we’re able to go outside and spend time in the sun which improves mood and is fun. Since the sunny weather improves my mood it makes me feel more productive and just happier overall. 

When it gets warmer I go outside as soon as I get home and do all my homework outside soaking in the sun. I’m also able to spend time at the beach or by my pool, which are two of my favorite places. 

All in all I think that when it’s over 65 degrees everyone feels much better and it should be sunny and warm all the time. Maybe I should consider looking at colleges in the South or moving away from the East Coast in the Future.