By Jamie Wong, Staff Writer
For the past few weeks, rain and overcast skies have been a fixture on the weather forecast across the Bay Area. While the rain is a welcome sight after years of drought, the gloomy weather can put a damper on students’ motivation and overall mental health.
Before students even step foot onto campus, the weather can have an impact on their motivation. As Erika Kita (12) puts it, the cold weather “makes you not want to wake up and go to school.” When it’s cold outside, it can be hard to resist the temptation of staying warm under your blankets. Dragging yourself out of bed and getting ready for the school day becomes even more of a chore than it already is. Just like any other day, students have to commute to school. However, rainy weather makes the already chaotic student parking lot even more of a challenge to navigate. Slick roads, extra traffic, and cranky drivers all pose additional obstacles to students trying to get to school. Overall, stormy weather makes the already unpleasant routine of getting to school even more burdensome, decreasing students’ motivation.
Dreary weather doesn’t affect students much during the school day, but once the final bell rings, students may notice an impact on their motivation or mental health. The wet weather makes it difficult for students to gather in the traditional after school settings, like sports. Kyle Chan (12) says, “[The rainy weather] makes me lose motivation because I can’t look forward to after school activities.” Even for students who do not participate in sports, the rain can cause students to feel isolated. Samuel Lam (12) says, “[Inclement weather] causes them to stay inside separated from friends.” Many students will use after school hours with friends, whether that is to study together, get boba, or hang out on campus. Of course, cold, rainy weather makes these pastimes much less feasible, so many students will go home immediately after school. As one student succinctly states, “It darkens my mood ‘cause it’s dark,” referring to the gloomy weather.
For some, the stormy weather has the opposite effect. For example, rainfall audios are a popular choice of sound to listen to while studying. A quick YouTube search yields dozens of videos with rainfall audios and your choice of location, but nothing can replace the sounds of real rain falling outside your window. Aside from the nice ambience that rain creates, some students feel more motivated to complete homework since they are stuck inside anyway. Arianna Molinare (12) says, “It makes me get work done because I can’t go outside.” Similarly, Yuan Garcia (12) states, “It motivates me because I have a really valid excuse not to go to practice.”
If you find yourself struggling with mental health for weeks or months at a time during the winter season, you may be experiencing seasonal depression. Seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), usually begins in late fall or early winter when there is less sunlight. SAD is characterized by fatigue, depression, hopelessness, and social withdrawal. Besides therapy, there are plenty of ways to combat declines in mental health during the winter months. One method would be to connect with friends and family, even if that means FaceTiming a friend so you don’t have to drive through a heavy storm. Another way to maintain mental health is to get outside for a walk or jog. While this isn’t always possible, especially when there is rain or strong wind, it’s important to leave the house once in a while and get a breath of fresh air. Finally, make sure that you are getting enough sleep and eating well. While seemingly simple, eating and sleeping can easily become neglected when we are feeling stressed, and have consequences to both our physical and mental health.
For those who aren’t experiencing seasonal depression, you can still notice yourself feeling less positive or less motivated than usual. It may help to know that many people feel similarly after being cooped up inside for the past few weeks. Moreover, we should all strive not to be so hard on ourselves when we aren’t feeling very motivated. Though this is easier said than done when we have homework waiting to be completed, forcing ourselves to work or study in this headspace is often counterproductive. We’re better off giving ourselves a break, even if just for a few hours. On the bright side, the cold weather can be a great opportunity to get under a warm blanket and watch a movie. You could also make yourself a hot chocolate, read a book, or play a board game. The possibilities are endless and can make us appreciate the things we have at home. Even if you still dislike the cold weather, remember that sunnier days are on the horizon.
