Winter and Health

[Earthshine]

Hi all,

I've found my health starts to decrease in the winter months.  During the summer with long evenings and pleasant temperatures I am extremely active, running most nights and spending a lot of time outdoors.  I eat better and sunlight really does improve my mood.  I'm more productive at work, even on hot and humid days.  I'm better able to handle stress as I have more opportunities to go on long runs (which substantially improve my mental health).  I get sick way less often and there is more colour everywhere, from bright greens to bright blues and everything in between.  

This past winter has been particularly tough for me.  The ground is sodden, which makes trail runs far more difficult.  The wind, the rain and the darkness after work really make exercise outdoors more difficult.  The lack of sun, where I literally need to self medicate with vitamin D to avoid deficiencies.  The grey colour scheme to everything outside.  I know some people love this time of year, but it personally crushes my soul.  I am hoping to move abroad to do postdoctoral work after my postgraduate degree.  It doesn't even need to be that warm in winter, just less wet and dark.  There is a lot of work in my field of research in San Diego - 20C winters and 26C summers.  That's my kind of climate!

[Maz]

Fully agree Earthshine.  

Last couple of years I've decided to go running (well, a slow jog!) every morning, whatever the weather.  Mostly on-road during the dark months, but various farm roads and cycle trails can be done in the dark and wet too.  I don't use a torch, lots of light pollution/ pre-dawn light when away from streetlights when you get used to it.  Just getting outside, whatever the weather, has made a big difference for me.  I'm glad of the light mornings now and slightly drier trails as I can stick off-road more.  However, part of me misses the dark, it gives a comforting focus.  Lots of weather changes, moonlight, owls, birds singing under streetlights etc keep the "dark" runs interesting.  Getting cold and drenched gives a satisifaction afterwards!

Edited March 16 by Maz

[reef]

I'm the total opposite. I tend to get ill from April to October for the most part and get very little in the winter half. The last two times Ive had the flu was in June 2017 and September 2022. I haven't had so much as a sniffle since early October, but had three colds and a vomiting bug in the 6 months before.

I suffer from chronic migraines and find them much worse in summer (up to 10-15 per month) as I really struggle with the heat. Winter is easier, I sleep better and so generally only get maybe 3-6 per month.

I do supplement with vitamin D due to working nights and exercise all year around, finding it easier in the winter half.

Edited March 16 by reef

[raz.org.rain]

I was tempted to move to SoCal or Arizona when I was much younger, it's just such a shame that the US has so many social issues and doesn't have the same social welfare culture that we have in Western Europe.

I feel like the worst part of this winter has been the constant rain and storms. That's expected when you have an abnormally warm winter, but renders it completely unusable. Once we start getting into spring proper, usable weather for me needs to be warm enough to go out in just a shirt and trousers. Likewise in summer, I'd like to be fetching the shorts and flip flops out. Obviously the nature of a temperate climate is that it'll swing between different synoptics, but the past few years seem to be either stuck in one pattern or the other.

[I remember Atlantic 252]

obvious thing for me, maybe not everyone but viruses of the 'cold' family, Corona, stomach bugs etc, I only get them between Nov and April, always a risk of having cold etc for Xmas, but no risk for my birthday 1st Sept

feel chances of getting cold/flu etc are higher/worse with frost

 

[SollyOlly]

 reef I'm sorry to hear that Reef, but I'm the same...worse in the warmer, summer months...and the heat is especially bad for me.

[Cheshire Freeze]

 SollyOlly heat knocks me sick

After winter I like a bit of warmth but usually fed up after a week.

[Earthshine]

Interesting perspectives, thanks all.  I think my perspective on winter would be much different if it were sunnier.  This winter has basically been constant since October.  Majority mild and damp.  Such darkness and lack of variation for someone who enjoys interesting weather isn't ideal.  I can deal with constant sunshine, but constant damp is tough.  Hoping for a switch soon but this damp crud really is relentless.  That first cloudless day will feel divine.

[Wade]

Ouch stomach bugs are the worst, just hideous.

[SollyOlly]

 Earthshine Yes, I definitely hear you...some folk just hate anything cold at all, but for me the cold is often allied to clear, sunny weather and as you say, that makes a big difference. Agree that we seem to have had a very long spell of mild, damp, cloudy, and that is just the worst combination! I hope that you get something closer to your weather preferences soon  

[raz.org.rain]

 Earthshine could you imagine the absolute despair if both spring and summer turned out to be cool and wet washouts? That would pretty much be over a year of continually wet weather. 

[Earthshine]

I am really, really hoping for a sunny and dry summer.  Although I hate just wishing months of every year waiting for a spring and summer which may also be rubbish!  I just don't think I'm cut out for this climate and I think I just need to leave the UK.  I'm very jealous of those who love the climate here but it's just not for me.

[Wold Topper]

I find the dark winter days post xmas thoroughly depressing, go to work in the dark, come home in the dark, it is so refreshing that i can now drive home at 5pm in daylight, it really improves my mood. The weather can do as it pleases for me generally in winter apart from damp crap that seems to make knee and Back play up. In general i can't wait for warm, dry sunny weather so i can be outside doing what i please, i hate being cooped up inside...

[In Absence of True Seasons]

I think the lack of sunshine/vitamin D is a strong underlying factor in why many of us feel generally worse throughout the winter months. 

Humans as a species are not biologically designed to exist in dark and dull conditions. The sun is the life giver and life bringer. It's not really about the heat, because sun =/= heat in of itself. I don't think the Winter *inherently* makes us ill, but it provides way less useable weather (especially in times like 23/24 where it's just so, so wet all of the time), which in turn makes us exercise less, turn to snacks and junk food, have less desire to go out and meet friends, and ultimately just become semi-hermits! This obviously impacts physical and mental health negatively. 

People who live in Norway do not experience this in winter to the same degree because their winter climate allows for hikes, snowboarding, skiing, cold swimming followed by sauna, etc..

In terms of summer, I think the issue is, alot of folk correlate sun with heatwaves in the UK, as thats often the only reliable times we have multiple days of solidly sunny weather lol. And many people understandably find the heatwaves uncomfortable so for them, they'd rather have cloudy weather if it means avoiding those 35c+ days.

I imagine if our climate was like, say, Northern California or Oregon where it was very sunny lots of time, with cold sunny and snowy weather in winter and warm, sunny weather in summer but not necessarily extreme heat, the majority of us would feel more energetic, and less sluggish, and less "unwell" in our least preferred part of the year, whether that be winter or summer. 

I also think that the type of maritime humidity Britain gets in summer has a part to play in this. I enjoy warm, and hot, weather, but there's definitely something about those very hot summer days in Britain that just sort of "sap" you in a way that a similar temperature in, say, Southern Spain or Greece does not. I imagine this is just amplified for those who don't like heat full stop. 

It's the same as how those wet, dank chilly days in British winter are IMO alot worse and feel colder than a wintry, still and clear day in somewhere like Finland or Canada where the temp is actually way lower. 

I am finger's crossed for a April like 2020 or 2021, or even 2022 would suffice. Another April 2023 will be dire. 

Edited March 17 by In Absence of True Seasons

[reef]

 In Absence of True Seasons Yes, I should note that although I don't like the heat at all for the reasons mentioned above, I do like the sunshine.

If every summer month could be 300+ hours but only have a 20-22C average max then I would love that.

[Earthshine]

 In Absence of True Seasons I think you hit the nail on the head.  I'm looking at postdocs in San Diego where winter is 19°C and summer is 25°C with over 3000 hours of sunshine a year.  That sounds absolutely divine.

[richie3846]

 In Absence of True Seasons seeing as you mentioned vitamin D, I started taking a D3 supplement around 12 years ago. I took a blood test at the end of February just before I started taking the supplement - a time when our reserves will be at the lowest, and repeated the test exactly a year later, after supplementing daily from September onwards. Whilst I no longer have the exact numbers, I do remember that the blood count on the second test was substantially higher than the previous year. 

Now over a decade later, I rarely come down with a heavy cold, my last notable one so long ago I think it was at least 5 years ago. I think I do catch the same colds as everyone else, by now it's like a vague sense of possibly having a virus, with no symptoms that make me feel ill. 

Prior to supplementing I used to catch regular colds and feel rotten, like many people do. 

I do believe that D3 has been the main factor for my lack of winter illnesses, which of course helps me get through the winter a little easier. 

[In Absence of True Seasons]

 Earthshine that'll be great! San Diego is lovely, spend a summer out there with an ex partner who was from California.

The only downside of course is that you don't really get proper seasons...but neither do we really in the UK anymore lol, not most years anyway.

So the extra sunshine hours and brightness you'd get there, more than compensate for that aspect imo. 

If it's gonna be 15c, dark, and rainy in London in December, I may as well just have 19c and sunny

[Earthshine]

 In Absence of True Seasons Thanks!  Yep if it's going to be constant I'd rather constant gorgeous weather than constant crud like you said!  I don't handle cold well at all, I suffer from Raynaud's syndrome so even wearing gloves doesn't help significantly.  I've never had a problem with heat surprisingly, I tend to stay cool quite easily (well anything below 40°C I suppose!).  Definitely not built for the UK

[HafrenLMP1]

 SollyOlly Yeah; when we actually get any cold weather, it's usually sunny, with clear blue skies and rather pleasant; and quite nice to be outside walking/cycling.  Sadly, most of the winter is grey, grim wet & windy......mid November to March can be depressingly grim. 

[cheeky_monkey]

 Earthshine its not just about the weather..you need to watch for culture shock when you move abroad

[*Stormforce~beka*]

 cheeky_monkey Just read up on that sounds nasty!

[cheeky_monkey]

 *Stormforce~beka* you would think that Canada would be easy...because everybody speaks English ..but its totally different to the UK 

[*Stormforce~beka*]

 cheeky_monkeyIn what way? I think I would suffer with isolation with everything being so much spread out. Esp as I don't really drive

[cheeky_monkey]

 *Stormforce~beka* everyday things are different that you never really thought of..like going to Walmart is totally different to going to Tesco for example.the store layouts are different and everyday consumables that you take for granted in the UK just don't exist here..pubs don't exist..the way you bank is different people still write cheques etc..when i first came here i couldn't find a cash point where i would find them in the UK..Takeaways are not the same.. no popping to the local chippy,  Chinese or Indian ..if you like burgers and pizza fill your boots!..jay walking is a crime here..the way the traffic lights change is different and you can turn right on a red light which you cant in the UK..If you dont have correct change on transit you cant get on..jeez they dont even have cashless transport system..i could go on