Rainy Days & Mondays, or Love a Rainy Night?

"Even as many of us are trapped indoors due to the pandemic, our moods rise on bright days and plumb the depths after days of rain." (Note 1)

Yep, that's what is on my mind after 3,452 days straight of rain!!

Okay, I may have exaggerated just a teensy, little bit. But, admit it, you are tired of the rain, too, right?

I asked some co-workers today how they were doing, you know, between the pandemic lockdown and all this rain.

One said, it wasn't a bad thing; all they do is burrow under the blankies and sleep.

The other stated her mood is much more "Dancing in the Rain!"

Rain has a time and place. That I will admit. But, we just have to have some sunshine in there for more than one or two days at a time.

(In a whiny voice) It has rained about 19 out of my last 20 off work days!

C'mon! Some of us need good ole Vitamin D to function.

"When temperatures warm up in summer, we spend more time outdoors and are more physically active whether this involves sports activities, exercise, or outdoor hobbies like gardening. Most people prefer milder temperatures and express greater feelings of optimism and joy." (see Note 1)

Check out Note 1. Those quotes are from a head-shrinker, so I know I am on the right track here.

There are days when my inner kid takes the stage and out we go to puddle jump and dance and sing. Just like Gene Kelly in, well, you know the movie.

Seriously, I do puddle jump, and I may even dance and sing, but it ain't nothing like Gene Kelly. Of course, I am SO much more talented....said no one ever about my singing and dancing.

"The first and most well known way in which weather affects mood is in what is known as ‘seasonal affective disorder’ – abbreviated rather appropriately to ‘SAD’." (Note 2)

I suffered from that miserable beast before someone shared an article about SAD with me. From then, my love of research took over and I learned how to deal with it, adapt, and finally conquer it.

At least until 2020 hit like a Cat 5 hurricane and combined with 2021. Grumble!!

"It (rain) can affect your lifestyle in ways that are not conducive to a good mood." (Note 2 again)

I will catch myself allowing that old SAD depression to come sneaking in, and if I am not careful, it will hang around far too long.

I have to find my inner impish child and head outside for adventures to boost my mood back up.

Are any of you out there having flashbacks? Have you been there and done that?

"If you are staying in you can often start to feel tired and low in terms of your mood, and furthermore the lack of stimulation can arouse feelings of ‘cabin fever’ and frustration." (Oh yeah, Note 2)

Add that to long-term lockdown, and we are all struggling, right? And I do mean LONG-TERM.

Do you realize that we have, essentially been in isolation for almost a year now?

A year!!

Twelve very long months!!

"When exposed to less sunlight, your body produces more melatonin, the hormone which makes you feel sleepy." (Note 3)

Yep, especially when locked into a home office for 8-9 hours a day. You know, basically the same time the sun is up and out.

Whenever it (the sun) manages to sneak up and out, that is.

So, getting back to my totally unscientific canvas of co-workers.

I believe they (and me) are on the right track. A nap, once in a while, is not a bad thing. In fact, per one of those notes up there, they will verify that.

But, we need to make our own fun, be our own light in the world and bring sunshine along with us - yes, even in the rain!

If you really need a pick-me-up with all this endless rain, challenge some friends to a water balloon fight!

Hey, if you are going to get wet anyway, it might as well be fun and something of a physical workout, don't you think?

Hey, Carmen, if you are reading this, challenge on!

I am very curious to hear back from YOU.

Do you have difficulty with cloud/rainy days? Do you have higher energy on sunny days?

Or do you like dancing in the rain and avoid too much sun?

How do you deal with either or both of the above?

I found out today that one co-worker is more "Rainy Days and Mondays", while the other is definitely "I Love a Rainy Night" type.

But this started me on a quest. I went in search of songs about the rain. I had to regain control over myself after too many, but here are some of them. How many do you know:

"Have You Ever Seen the Rain," "Who'll Stop the Rain," "Raindrops Keep Falling On my Head," "Rainy Days and Mondays," "I Love a Rainy Night," "Purple Rain," "Fire and Rain," "I Wish it Would Rain," "Rhythm of the Rain," "Kentucky Rain," "Laughter in the Rain," "Blue Eyes Crying in the Rain," "Rainy Day People," "Stormy," "Smoky Mountain Rain," "Rain in the Summertime," "Riders on the Storm," and "Here Comes the Rain."

Wow, that's a lot of rain!

How many of you started singing some of those songs? Aw, c'mon, 'fess up!!

See, even when it rains, if you start singing - yes, and dancing - pretty soon you are feeling sunny on the inside. Right?

So, now that we have a way to deal with the rain a bit better, I hope, I guess it's time to wrap this up.

I hope you each have the sunniest week ever even if it rains every day.

Let the sun inside you shine out and on everything and everyone around you.

Just remember to stay safe and well, and keep on dancing!