The weather – we live by it. It rules our lives like an iron fist. The weather affects the clothes we wear, the outcome of a planned event, and how our morning commute will go. Weather is in charge of what we eat, how much we pay for food, and can ruin a perfectly planned outdoor party. Weather fine tunes our bodies like a well oiled machine, giving us a tune up whether we want it or not both physically and emotionally.
I am home recuperating from foot surgery, desperate for a warm sunny day. It’s May and still in the low 50’s. This affords me zero opportunity to open the windows, feel the warm breeze while I write, or even to sit outside with a cup of coffee enjoying the garden view as I nurse my foot back to health. I looked forward to being laid up with nowhere to go, and all the opportunity to enjoy Mother Nature’s late spring warmth and blooming early summer life. Boy was I wrong. I remained stuck inside on a cold, gray weekend, wearing long pants, a sweatshirt and buried under a blanket. I was totally disappointed.
What is with the weather and moods? I can feel a crappy weather day even when I’m inside. It sinks into your skin. It’s as if our physical and emotional bodies are our very own weathervane. Not to mention my sinuses are killing me as the pressure drops – how can this be?
The relationship between physiology and meteorology is nothing short of fascinating. Our bodies are mostly fluid and gas pockets and bones, elements that make us interdependent with nature’s elements. Changing pressure systems in our bodies ebb and flow as fronts come and go – lower pressure can cause sinus pain in those who live with chronic sinus pain (me). This pressure can also cause achy bones and joints, and affect our blood flow.
Pressure affects joint pain in a fascinating way. Every square centimeter of the human body has about 14.6 pounds of pressure on it and this constant pushing keeps us together. This pressure is always with us, and the slightest deviation can be felt in the suction cups called our knees, hips and shoulders. If pressure lessens, our joints start slipping and it’s time for some ice, an ace bandage or aspirin. You can literally feel a storm brewing.
There are many more heart attacks in the winter. When you go outside in the freezing cold, your blood gets thicker and your blood pressure rises – creating the perfect storm for a heart attack. Cold air also causes tiny cracks in lining of the bronchial tubing in your lungs which then swell and produce fluid. The expression “come inside and put a coat on before you catch a cold!” was referring to this process — there weren’t more cold viruses out in the snow that your grandmother was referring to, your poor lungs were just having a hard time with cold dry air. Flu viruses thrive in cold temperatures also, and we have an entire season named for the flu as a result.
The lack of sunshine when weather turns gloomy affects a gland in our brain called the pineal gland. This gland is our internal sensor of light. Once the sunlight is gone for the day, the pineal gland produces a hormone called melatonin that causes sleepiness. As our bodies produce more melatonin, it produces less serotonin, which tend to make us crabby.
None of these little tidbits of facts help however, when we are faced with a gloomy weather forecast. However, just stop for a moment and reflect on the unbelievable interdependence we have with everything that is going on around us. This can give pause for reflection, creating a more forgiving mindset where weather is concerned.
When faced with the challenging weather patterns we all experience, sometimes weather can be a state of mind, even if only for a little bit. What to do about it? Play reggae music, burn some incense, drink a margarita. Eating summer foods can help – fire up that grill for hamburgers and hot dogs, Go outdoors – it gives your mental state a lift and tends to remove the anxiety felt by inclement weather.
Life Experiences Add Up 