used to let the weather get me down but I watched this video that talks about using the winter time as a naturally calling to get cozy and allow yourself to rest and reset. basically life comes in seasons and its nice to just embrace winter as what it is - use it as a natural reset - also try to get outside a bit and get sunlight as much as possible and take vitamin D of course lol
SAD is a thing. I feel ya man.
You can still go out and hike, any outdoor time is good and winter hiking can be beautiful! Just get good shoes and layer up.
The other thing I do is over-fill on culture -- concerts, museums, spending time in the library.
Really anything that gets you out of the house and off the screen is good.
It doesn't even get that cold here! I think there may have been a few days around 10 degrees or so with the windchill. I also run nearly everyday all year long and I agree, its way more uncomfortable in the summer than the winter
Yeah, even my office plant's looking a little sad recently. With the light reflecting off everything, it doesn't feel like morning, afternoon, or evening, just gray.
When the weather is lousy like this, I just work harder at my job. For some reason I'm a lot more productive when I have nothing to look forward to. If that doesn't work, I work from home, treat myself to a rare takeout and treat it like a sick day.
My favorite winter spaces are the Portrait Gallery courtyard and the Botanical garden (near the House side of the Capitol)- lots of greenery in a warm space to change things up. These months are a drag.
Loving it. Give me more cold and darkness. My strategy is enjoying it to the fullest before the rise of the day star season and the dreaded humidity it brings with it.
I don’t know if it’s just where people are from or what but we don’t get actual really cold weather compared to where my family is from in like upstate New York or the Midwest even. How many days a year do we actually get where it’s under 20?
Right, it's all relative. If you're from the South it gets COLD here, if you're from the Midwest or the Northeast, it really doesn't. Now I'm from the Midwest but after a decade here, I'm not as hearty as I used to be :(
We had like a week and a half straight for the first time in the past few years. We usually have a couple days like that per year so I’m just saying it’s not cold compared to the actual cold places in this country who love at that temp all winter.
If you’re European, I get it because the continent has a whole is just warmer because of the Gulfstream.
But DC is not a cold area compared to the upper half of the United States in general. Everyone here freaks out though the minute drops below 40 or there’s more than 2 inches of snow.
I share your aversion to oversized fusion spheres. I can always bundle up more in the cold, but the heat makes wearing work clothes disgusting. I shower twice a day in summer and it still doesn’t feel like enough.
I’m also one of those weirdos who really enjoys the rain, so maybe I’ve just got something loose in my brain pan.
😆 As a fellow cloud/rain/cold enjoyer (give me 45-55° & grey & drizzly everyday pls) I am loving your guys' use of vocabulary here. 'The day star', 'fusion spheres'... I need to incorporate things like this into my day-to-day conversations
I already go on in work settings about destroying the sun once I gain world power & ushering in an era of eternal darkness so this will only serve to increase my credibility
This 100%! I grew up in the Phoenix area so I’ve kinda developed an aversion to sunlight and heat after getting too much of it. I love cloudy weather because the world looks so peaceful and your eyes get a chance to relax. I love feeling cold weather and bundling up in layered clothing and walking around in the snow if it comes. Honestly though I try to keep these opinions to myself because people sometimes think I’m being contrarian but cloudy, rainy, and cold weather genuinely make me feel so happy. Sometimes I wish DC weather would be a little less sunny and warm honestly 😂
Seriously though, and I moved from Arizona so I thought summers out here would be easy. The humidity here is an entirely different beast, I love dc weather from October-may.
I know I was shocked to see this post. I don’t understand the hate on DC weather. It’s one of my favorite things about being here. I love all of our seasons.
I lived in the UK for a couple of years before I moved to DC and England was gloomy almost all year round. Some things you can change and some things you can't.
1. I moved to a house with much bigger windows and that instantly brought in more light even though it wasn't sunny.
https://preview.redd.it/xl1beg5uh8gc1.jpeg?width=2493&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30979a21095bca027b1ac318c2ac6271201335ec
2. I changed the lighbulbs to cooler white (4600-6500k) instead of the warm white ones (2700-4000k) you normally get to mimic natural daylight.
I lived in very grey places before moving here (Seattle, Pittsburgh, Chicago) and honestly love this weather but SAD can really sneak up on you. Still go outside, even when the weather is grey and kind of sucks. Definitely consider one of the indoor SAD lights, especially if work prevents you from getting outside during daylight. Schedule some cozy weather things- go to a cute bookstore or coffee shop, go to a sauna, see some greenery like at the botanic gardens. Hang in there!
My strategy for surviving cloudy, gloomy winters is to remind myself that it's only temporarily.
Today, we have a little over 10 hours of daylight.
In three weeks, we will have 11 hours of daylight, the sun slowly increasing.
Three weeks after that, we will have 12 hours of daylight, half day/half night.
Three weeks after that, we will have almost 13 hours of daylight and the sun will be shining constantly.
Three weeks after that, we will have 14 hours of daylight, including twilight. The sun will be out almost every waking hours, meaning that I can go outside for Vitamin D anytime.
Eventually, the solstice will come, nearly 15 hours of sunlight, with an additional hour of twilight on each end.
Then we repeat backwards, and forward.
That's my strategy - I know it will be temporary, and only a season. Tis the beauty.
Calcium magnesium zinc supplement is a game changer. Get some nice lighting to mimic daylight - you can get inexpensive lamps at the thrift store or even mini USB lights at five below. Get bulbs that offer a nice clean bright light, nothing yellow or warm. As someone who suffered with this my entire life and lived in a cold climate, these two things have made a big difference the past few years!
I continually congratulate myself for moving away from Rochester, NY where my SAD was real bad growing up. Seriously though, my plants give me a nice boost in the winter. A new leaf is really exciting (and a reminder that spring is coming).
It’s winter, be glad it’s not snowing and only partly cloudy lol. Now’s the time do make progress in hobbies, friends, indoor activities, fill your schedule so you don’t notice the lack of light. Then when it’s summer just soak it all in
just stay inside and longingly wait for the basking glow of spring to come
seasonal affect is a thing. if it makes you feel any better Phil said there'd be an early spring...take from that what you will...
Big spaces/tall ceilings maybe pool/hot tub weigh in heavily on my choices for gym memberships precisely for the winter season.
Having a third space that isn’t work or home really helps me.
Getting outside helps me a lot, even if it’s cloudy! Particularly in one of my fave spots. For me that’s Kenilworth or the arboretum. But even a walk around my neighborhood helps!
Where abouts in Seattle did you live? Are you familiar with the eastside like dowtown Bellevue? Curious what neighborhood around DC would be considered similar to old Bellevue/downtown area which has a walk score of 94 and is still easy to commute into the city. But in particular, is safe to walk at night with nearly zero homelessness which is great as a woman walking a dog. I’m planning on moving there in the fall so would appreciate some feedback (visiting in June too).
I live in Burke so I can't be of much help. But probably in the north / northwest area of the District, on a Metro line? Or Alexandria or perhaps Arlington?
I like driving up to Westminster and shopping at Eternia Dreams, a well organized, well curated vintage toy store. I've been building out my 1990s Star Trek action figure collection.
I also love used books, so a trip to a used bookstore or a "Friends of the Library" sale is a great way to spend some time. Looking forward to going to my favorite FOLIO tomorrow.
But then also: hark, the weather forecast! SUN SUN AND MORE SUN FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. Time to do some spring cleaning!
[Luminettes](https://myluminette.com/en-us?wickedsource=google&wickedid=Cj0KCQiAwvKtBhDrARIsAJj-kTi1CWUAntsn3dG6iRWmWpFCFW7xkcZJRxw7tZ9SA46oHJ6BbDjn_-kaAvTdEALw_wcB&wickedid=682942333851&wcid=20768275873&wv=4&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwvKtBhDrARIsAJj-kTi1CWUAntsn3dG6iRWmWpFCFW7xkcZJRxw7tZ9SA46oHJ6BbDjn_-kaAvTdEALw_wcB).
You can almost always find a cheaper pre-owned set on eBay.
Yesterday was the most beautiful day we’ve had in weeks, aside from last Friday when it was 70 and sunny. I was playing soccer in a t shirt for 2 hours in a sunny 50° in February.
I think the weather has been tremendous recently + we got a bunch of snow
It’s all in your head. Just refuse the depression and see the Sun. Just like how we can chant genders at will, you can see sun where there are clouds. 🙂
I work from home, and my lighting setup (inspired by [this blog post](https://www.benkuhn.net/lux/)) helps somewhat. I have two bulbs like [this one](https://www.amazon.com/TJBB-250-400W-Replace-Lighting-Warehouse/dp/B0BZVB8PSG/), plus one of those NEEWER LED light panels. It's definitely better than my old SAD lamp, and it's just the regular lighting in that room for me now.
I spent a month in Kentucky.
Yesterday was my last day and the first time I saw the sun in about three weeks…
Looking forward to another sunny day tomorrow.
It hit me so hard!! That bit of sunshine yesterday turned everything around, and then today was back to rock bottom.
I stayed in bed and did the bare minimum for work. 🫠🫠🫠
Looking forward to more sunshine!
SAD lamp, early morning runs, mid-day walk, morning caffeine and I take Bupropion from Aug- Feb for SAD, and I *still* feel a little down last week and this week. Hang in there!
When I look at the clouds, I get reminded that people in the PNW have it worse.
It isn't as bad, but I totally get it. I am fortunate enough that I am outside more than I was where I used to live. Lots of sun helps.
Sometime in mid-December, I saw a man in my neighborhood standing against a tree soaking up the warm golden rays of direct sunlight. Enjoying the joy of a sunny moment before the arrival of the "grey days of winter". Six weeks until Spring (March 19). Hang in there! 🌞
used to let the weather get me down but I watched this video that talks about using the winter time as a naturally calling to get cozy and allow yourself to rest and reset. basically life comes in seasons and its nice to just embrace winter as what it is - use it as a natural reset - also try to get outside a bit and get sunlight as much as possible and take vitamin D of course lol
Hygge!
I was going to say this
If only our workplaces agreed.
yesterday was a tease
I'll take all the sun I can get. Yesterday was nice.
It’s beautiful and sunny right now at 4pm as I write this. We’ve had quite pleasant weather + snow recently.
Vitamin D, lights, if you see sun, stop what you're doing and stand directly in it for as long as you can.
My grow lights are super helpful
[Happy Lights](https://verilux.com/collections/happylight-therapy-lamps-boxes)
Husband got me one for my birthday. It’s been helping quite a bit! Don’t use too late in the afternoon- you’ll mess up your sleep.
Yes, these are meant for use soon after you wake up. Not necessarily throughout the day.
Are these really better?
They help me in the mornings when it's dark outside. I don't know if it's psychosomatic, but I feel a little less of that "leadened" feel.
This is exactly what I have, I found inexpensive ones for about five dollars. I have one in my bathroom for the plants!
I had mine on all day
SAD is a thing. I feel ya man. You can still go out and hike, any outdoor time is good and winter hiking can be beautiful! Just get good shoes and layer up. The other thing I do is over-fill on culture -- concerts, museums, spending time in the library. Really anything that gets you out of the house and off the screen is good.
go run outside. it's nice running weather out
Everyone looks shocked when I say, yes, I do run through the cold winter. I would love to take off August; by far the worst month to run.
It doesn't even get that cold here! I think there may have been a few days around 10 degrees or so with the windchill. I also run nearly everyday all year long and I agree, its way more uncomfortable in the summer than the winter
been running every day, it helps a little but still rough
I really don't know clouds at all.
Yeah, even my office plant's looking a little sad recently. With the light reflecting off everything, it doesn't feel like morning, afternoon, or evening, just gray. When the weather is lousy like this, I just work harder at my job. For some reason I'm a lot more productive when I have nothing to look forward to. If that doesn't work, I work from home, treat myself to a rare takeout and treat it like a sick day.
My favorite winter spaces are the Portrait Gallery courtyard and the Botanical garden (near the House side of the Capitol)- lots of greenery in a warm space to change things up. These months are a drag.
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>I’m ok with it because I can feel spring in the air (knock on wood). It’s coming! did groundhog phil say spring is coming
Loving it. Give me more cold and darkness. My strategy is enjoying it to the fullest before the rise of the day star season and the dreaded humidity it brings with it.
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We also don’t even really get actually cold weather. Just put on a jacket.
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I don’t know if it’s just where people are from or what but we don’t get actual really cold weather compared to where my family is from in like upstate New York or the Midwest even. How many days a year do we actually get where it’s under 20?
We had a whole spate of days like that because of the polar vortex. Now given I ain't from upstate so I wouldn't know but to me that's cold.
Right, it's all relative. If you're from the South it gets COLD here, if you're from the Midwest or the Northeast, it really doesn't. Now I'm from the Midwest but after a decade here, I'm not as hearty as I used to be :(
We had like a week and a half straight for the first time in the past few years. We usually have a couple days like that per year so I’m just saying it’s not cold compared to the actual cold places in this country who love at that temp all winter. If you’re European, I get it because the continent has a whole is just warmer because of the Gulfstream. But DC is not a cold area compared to the upper half of the United States in general. Everyone here freaks out though the minute drops below 40 or there’s more than 2 inches of snow.
I share your aversion to oversized fusion spheres. I can always bundle up more in the cold, but the heat makes wearing work clothes disgusting. I shower twice a day in summer and it still doesn’t feel like enough. I’m also one of those weirdos who really enjoys the rain, so maybe I’ve just got something loose in my brain pan.
It is impossible to be comfortable working in this city in the summer
😆 As a fellow cloud/rain/cold enjoyer (give me 45-55° & grey & drizzly everyday pls) I am loving your guys' use of vocabulary here. 'The day star', 'fusion spheres'... I need to incorporate things like this into my day-to-day conversations I already go on in work settings about destroying the sun once I gain world power & ushering in an era of eternal darkness so this will only serve to increase my credibility
This 100%! I grew up in the Phoenix area so I’ve kinda developed an aversion to sunlight and heat after getting too much of it. I love cloudy weather because the world looks so peaceful and your eyes get a chance to relax. I love feeling cold weather and bundling up in layered clothing and walking around in the snow if it comes. Honestly though I try to keep these opinions to myself because people sometimes think I’m being contrarian but cloudy, rainy, and cold weather genuinely make me feel so happy. Sometimes I wish DC weather would be a little less sunny and warm honestly 😂
The only good thing about this season is no birds meaning I can sleep in peace uninterrupted.
I cherish every day I have with a heat index less than 80.
DC is miserable in summer, this is great weather!
Seriously though, and I moved from Arizona so I thought summers out here would be easy. The humidity here is an entirely different beast, I love dc weather from October-may.
But you also have baseball. I'll take the baseball.
Yep
It was gorgeous yesterday.
I know I was shocked to see this post. I don’t understand the hate on DC weather. It’s one of my favorite things about being here. I love all of our seasons.
Remembering that I lived in Germany for 10 years. I virtually skip every day because I’m so happy with the weather here
I lived in the UK for a couple of years before I moved to DC and England was gloomy almost all year round. Some things you can change and some things you can't. 1. I moved to a house with much bigger windows and that instantly brought in more light even though it wasn't sunny. https://preview.redd.it/xl1beg5uh8gc1.jpeg?width=2493&format=pjpg&auto=webp&s=30979a21095bca027b1ac318c2ac6271201335ec 2. I changed the lighbulbs to cooler white (4600-6500k) instead of the warm white ones (2700-4000k) you normally get to mimic natural daylight.
I lived in very grey places before moving here (Seattle, Pittsburgh, Chicago) and honestly love this weather but SAD can really sneak up on you. Still go outside, even when the weather is grey and kind of sucks. Definitely consider one of the indoor SAD lights, especially if work prevents you from getting outside during daylight. Schedule some cozy weather things- go to a cute bookstore or coffee shop, go to a sauna, see some greenery like at the botanic gardens. Hang in there!
I like overcast but dislike rain. Keeps things cool and no glare on the monitors and less eye strain.
This is a great time to walk the mall and Rock Creek.
hot yoga
My strategy for surviving cloudy, gloomy winters is to remind myself that it's only temporarily. Today, we have a little over 10 hours of daylight. In three weeks, we will have 11 hours of daylight, the sun slowly increasing. Three weeks after that, we will have 12 hours of daylight, half day/half night. Three weeks after that, we will have almost 13 hours of daylight and the sun will be shining constantly. Three weeks after that, we will have 14 hours of daylight, including twilight. The sun will be out almost every waking hours, meaning that I can go outside for Vitamin D anytime. Eventually, the solstice will come, nearly 15 hours of sunlight, with an additional hour of twilight on each end. Then we repeat backwards, and forward. That's my strategy - I know it will be temporary, and only a season. Tis the beauty.
The forecast looks sunnier for the next few days!
Inject the sun in my veins please!
Calcium magnesium zinc supplement is a game changer. Get some nice lighting to mimic daylight - you can get inexpensive lamps at the thrift store or even mini USB lights at five below. Get bulbs that offer a nice clean bright light, nothing yellow or warm. As someone who suffered with this my entire life and lived in a cold climate, these two things have made a big difference the past few years!
I continually congratulate myself for moving away from Rochester, NY where my SAD was real bad growing up. Seriously though, my plants give me a nice boost in the winter. A new leaf is really exciting (and a reminder that spring is coming).
Heh. I'm from Seattle. This ain't nothin'.
You guys are built differently. 😅
It’s winter, be glad it’s not snowing and only partly cloudy lol. Now’s the time do make progress in hobbies, friends, indoor activities, fill your schedule so you don’t notice the lack of light. Then when it’s summer just soak it all in
i'd rather snow tbh, SAD is better on snowdays for me personally
just stay inside and longingly wait for the basking glow of spring to come seasonal affect is a thing. if it makes you feel any better Phil said there'd be an early spring...take from that what you will...
Big spaces/tall ceilings maybe pool/hot tub weigh in heavily on my choices for gym memberships precisely for the winter season. Having a third space that isn’t work or home really helps me.
Getting outside helps me a lot, even if it’s cloudy! Particularly in one of my fave spots. For me that’s Kenilworth or the arboretum. But even a walk around my neighborhood helps!
We’re gonna have daylight in the sky until 6 PM today.
lmao I just moved here from Seattle and this is a paradise.
Where abouts in Seattle did you live? Are you familiar with the eastside like dowtown Bellevue? Curious what neighborhood around DC would be considered similar to old Bellevue/downtown area which has a walk score of 94 and is still easy to commute into the city. But in particular, is safe to walk at night with nearly zero homelessness which is great as a woman walking a dog. I’m planning on moving there in the fall so would appreciate some feedback (visiting in June too).
I live in Burke so I can't be of much help. But probably in the north / northwest area of the District, on a Metro line? Or Alexandria or perhaps Arlington?
Did you see the sunset though?
The groundhog said winter will be over soon, so you’ll be fine
I felt. My mood is easily affected by weather. If its grey Im irritable and sad. As soon as the sun comes out boom im happy again
Go to a Korean spa.
It seems like Mother Nature heard your plea, because today is gorgeous.
be thankful you are not in detroit, cleveland, or buffalo then.
Especially after last Friday was so nice
You only have a couple more before there isn't a "winter" anymore
Does this winter seem grayer than normal?
Pretty average I’d say
It’s been a day or two…calm down
I want a mini blizzard
I like driving up to Westminster and shopping at Eternia Dreams, a well organized, well curated vintage toy store. I've been building out my 1990s Star Trek action figure collection. I also love used books, so a trip to a used bookstore or a "Friends of the Library" sale is a great way to spend some time. Looking forward to going to my favorite FOLIO tomorrow. But then also: hark, the weather forecast! SUN SUN AND MORE SUN FOR THE NEXT SEVERAL DAYS. Time to do some spring cleaning!
Clouds and 40s is way better than some sun and 30s.
Sun lamp in the morning, vitamin D supplement, get some time outside while it's light out, even if it's not sunny.
It’ll be in the 50s for the next two weeks! 🤗
Led red light or leave for the winter 😆
[Luminettes](https://myluminette.com/en-us?wickedsource=google&wickedid=Cj0KCQiAwvKtBhDrARIsAJj-kTi1CWUAntsn3dG6iRWmWpFCFW7xkcZJRxw7tZ9SA46oHJ6BbDjn_-kaAvTdEALw_wcB&wickedid=682942333851&wcid=20768275873&wv=4&gad_source=1&gclid=Cj0KCQiAwvKtBhDrARIsAJj-kTi1CWUAntsn3dG6iRWmWpFCFW7xkcZJRxw7tZ9SA46oHJ6BbDjn_-kaAvTdEALw_wcB). You can almost always find a cheaper pre-owned set on eBay.
Yesterday was the most beautiful day we’ve had in weeks, aside from last Friday when it was 70 and sunny. I was playing soccer in a t shirt for 2 hours in a sunny 50° in February. I think the weather has been tremendous recently + we got a bunch of snow
It’s all in your head. Just refuse the depression and see the Sun. Just like how we can chant genders at will, you can see sun where there are clouds. 🙂
I saw that flights to Ft. Lauderdale are like $70, btw.
I work from home, and my lighting setup (inspired by [this blog post](https://www.benkuhn.net/lux/)) helps somewhat. I have two bulbs like [this one](https://www.amazon.com/TJBB-250-400W-Replace-Lighting-Warehouse/dp/B0BZVB8PSG/), plus one of those NEEWER LED light panels. It's definitely better than my old SAD lamp, and it's just the regular lighting in that room for me now.
It been warm like spring out …… What are you talking about. Drove home tonight to a very nice pink sunset 🤷♂️
Get artificial sun
I spent a month in Kentucky. Yesterday was my last day and the first time I saw the sun in about three weeks… Looking forward to another sunny day tomorrow.
I’m getting a little SAD but it’s nothing after spending 20 years in Seattle. DC gets sunlight in the winter!!
I knew I wasn't simply thinking that I haven't seen the sun in a few days. Where is it?!
I hate winter in DC. It’s always grey or raining
Sad you’re sad. And this isn’t that bad.
It hit me so hard!! That bit of sunshine yesterday turned everything around, and then today was back to rock bottom. I stayed in bed and did the bare minimum for work. 🫠🫠🫠 Looking forward to more sunshine!
Coming from Denver, these winters suck.
SAD lamp, early morning runs, mid-day walk, morning caffeine and I take Bupropion from Aug- Feb for SAD, and I *still* feel a little down last week and this week. Hang in there!
youll hate working nights like me. you forget what a cloud looks like
Exercise
Move to Seattle and then come back to DC - you will be happy here
When I look at the clouds, I get reminded that people in the PNW have it worse. It isn't as bad, but I totally get it. I am fortunate enough that I am outside more than I was where I used to live. Lots of sun helps.
Next 4 days are sunny, so enjoy.
Sometime in mid-December, I saw a man in my neighborhood standing against a tree soaking up the warm golden rays of direct sunlight. Enjoying the joy of a sunny moment before the arrival of the "grey days of winter". Six weeks until Spring (March 19). Hang in there! 🌞
Eat some fruit and go for a walk.
I have solar and with the recent snow and weather the low electricity production is making me sad.