Looking out the window is something most of us do several times a day, in fact it’s usually one of the first things we do in the morning after we pull ourselves from our beds to face the day ahead of us.
Why do we do this? This is actually a very interesting question to consider…
For most of us, our day includes spending time outside, at least limited time, between our house, car, and workplace. When the sun is shining and the weather is mild, we generally have a better outlook on the day ahead of us because we know that we don’t have to bundle up in many layers, find our umbrella, worry about how well our hair or clothes will tolerate the weather conditions, or worry about a stressful commute to work with pounding rain, slippery roadways, or blowing snow. Mild weather seems to result in less worries and stress which seems to help us start our day off on a good note, with a positive attitude, and a smile on our face. On the other hand, when we look out that window in the morning to see gloomy clouds or fog, large amounts of snow or ice, lightning, or the branches of trees whipping around wildly in the wind, we tend to dread going outside and think of everything the weather will affect in the day ahead of us, and tend to start off more on the negative side with little optimism.
Although there are people out there who enjoy cloudy and rainy days, they do not make up the majority of the population as most people tend to prefer sunshine and warmth, carefree weather where they can come and go with little worry or stress. People enjoy freedom; the freedom to spend time outdoors to relax and unwind after a fast-paced and hectic day, jogging, barbecuing, or just sitting or spending time outdoors with a good book or family or friends. When the weather is pleasant, people have more options while when the weather is not so favorable, people have less options, and are usually stuck indoors, something that tends to cause people to feel confined, a feeling that is not ideal at all.
Weather is a fact of life; it’s something we have no control over. To some people, this is difficult to deal with, especially those who are in a constant quest to keep everything in their lives stable and in control. Although unfavorable weather generally affects us all to some degree, it affects people like this the most as no matter what they do, they can’t predict or change the weather that is to come.
In conclusion, weather is not just simply sun, rain, snow, wind, sleet, etc., it is a condition of the world we live in that can really affect our overall outlook on life and mental health with its uncertainty, unpredictability, and what results because of it. Weather will always be, but whether or not we let it affect us, is really not totally up to any of us. A positive attitude and an optimistic outlook helps, but weather is something that affects they way we see the world and our overall mental health to a certain degree weather we realize it or not.
