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The Weather and You
Making the most of it, psychologically and practically.
Posted June 20, 2021 Reviewed by Kaja Perina
Both psychologically and practically, weather affects us all, every day of our lives. Are you making the most of its good and minimizing the impact of its bad?
If the temperature is mild, the wind gentle, the sun shining but not glaring, are you more likely to be in a good mood, even to be more productive? If so, should you make a point of doing more work and play outdoors? Has it been too long since you’ve been to a beach, gone on a picnic, or did a getaway to better weather? In many locales, better weather is just a short distance away.
In inclement weather, do you take a moment to appreciate the cocoon-comfort of indoors, easing your stress, possibly making work more pleasant? Do you take sufficient pleasure in falling asleep to the sound of pattering rain? Can inclement weather motivate you to work and otherwise get stuff done? After all, bad weather reduces the temptation to go out and play. Or if you want to play, do you take sufficient opportunity to enjoy indoor pleasures, from reading to binge watching, house beautification to sex?
Weather is one of nature’s amazing creations. Might you allow yourself a few minutes to stare at the clouds scud by, whether the white billows and wisps of good weather or the gray emblems of bad? The benefits of cloud-watching may extend beyond restfulness to spawning creativity and even humility, reminding us of our small place in the larger order of things. Or might you want to contemplate weather's power? On the positive side: weather causes the flowers of spring, the harvest and foliage of fall, and on the downside: tornadoes, floods, and getting snowed in. But even the latter has an upside: As a child, did you not feel joy when schools closed because of the snow? Weather has the power to close the schools—Now that’s power!
Technology is giving us power over the weather. Machine-learning computers are making weather forecasting ever more accurate, helping us more confidently decide what to do this weekend. Renewable energy and better insulation are harnessing weather for our comfort and the planet's. And as Chicago Tribune columnist Mary Schmich famously wrote, “If I could offer you only one tip for the future: sunscreen.”
Does this post contain an idea or two that might help you derive more benefit from the weather?
I read this aloud on YouTube.
