Arjun Khemani

I’ve heard many people say (particularly teenagers like me), “The gloomy weather makes me sad.” or “I hate this kind of weather, it always makes me feel down” or “The weather makes me depressed.”
I, for one, just cannot understand the connection between the weather and a person’s frame of mind. I mean, really how does it matter if there are clouds in the sky? Will you keep your happiness dependent on how sunny it is outside?
Well, I did some research on the topic of “Whether weather affects your mood”. And it turns out, it does! Scientifically and psychologically. It’s known as Seasonal Affective Disorder with a great acronym (SAD). This type of depression is caused due to your body’s circadian rhythm: “The reduced level of sunlight in fall and winter may cause winter-onset SAD. This decrease in sunlight may disrupt your body’s internal clock and lead to feelings of depression.” Or your body’s serotonin levels which is one of the hormones that gives you sensations of pleasure: “Reduced sunlight can cause a drop in serotonin that may trigger depression.” Or your melatonin levels: “The change in season can disrupt the balance of the body’s level of melatonin, which plays a role in sleep patterns and mood.”

But my objective through this article is not to go on orating the facts and convince you that cloudy weather makes you sad. It’s quite the contrary. Even though the evidence suggests that your mood can go low if the weather outside is gloomy, there’re still ways to not make that happen. I wish to convey a simple message through this weather example (though there are many other ways to put it through as well) that : Do not let your happiness be dependent on anything. Or any person. Or the weather condition. Rainy days shouldn’t affect your mood. Sure, they may affect other areas of your physical life since it’s going to be wet outside, but don’t let that gloominess get to your head. In fact you should be happy when it rains. Go out for a walk or something (if it’s safe) or cuddle below your blanket and read a good book. But don’t be “depressed”. Because that’s just being foolish is what I think it is.

In the same way, I believe that no one should ever base their moods or subjective well-being upon their current situation, or the people around them, or any small thing that when you look at from a different perspective just seems nonsensical. You and you alone are accountable for your state of mind. So stop blaming the weather and weather the storm! Find happiness and mental clarity in every situation.

On your next gloomy day, be happy.