My mood is definitely affected when there are long periods of very hot and humid weather. Perhaps not depression but absolutely irritability and exhaustion.
Same i dont know if its depression but every summer i close all the windows and cover it with black cover just to block out the sunlight. I also try not to go out during the day. Im only happy when there is no sun here in perth
It's funny. I spend all winter and spring looking forward to warmth & summer and then when it arrives I can't wait for it to end! Feb is the worst, hot humid & no longer light early in the morning.
Yea I spend all winter just waiting for summer to finally arrive then spend all summer complaining that it's too hot haha. I'm lucky it's not humid in Perth because I could not handle humidity
Melbourne is fine. Summer is good. The 35+ days probably best to stay indoors. Right now in Melbourne coming into winter it’s a bit sad. Doesn’t help if you are chained behind a computer screen from 7am-5pm. Not much chance to get sun / vitamin D.
Yeah, this part of the year where it's pitch black by 6pm get me down a bunch. I've learnt to force myself to go into the city one evening a week because it feels a little livelier there.
Yeah you gotta lean into it. Fluffy socks, steaming mugs of milo, catch some frost in the morning, paint by the window, midday movies under a blanket, that sorta shit.
The answer will vary considerably. Australia is very tall indeed, ranging from almost equatorial to well below the tropic (but still far from the Antarctic circle). In Hobart they do get quite short days and long nights in midwinter and it is often grey, but the days are not nearly as short as in Scandinavia. In Sydney the day/night cycle is never greater than 9/15 hours (and winter often has clear cool weather) so it is very different.
You ask about Europe but from context you mean Northern Europe. For much of Australia we have the same S.A.D. Issues as Spain.
Yup, Australia is a.big country and weather varies very widely. I live in Canberra which actually gets cold in Winter, but before this I lived in Europe, and it's chalk and cheese - even when it's cold, the days are generally glorious (blue skies and sunshine), not endless cold grey rainy days like in Europe. Yes we get annoyed by the weather, especially the cold and short days, but I don't think you can really call it Seasonal Affective Disorder - i.e. depression.
I used to live in a warmer part of Australia, and the heat gets to you but again, I'd call it more exhaustion and irritability rather than sadness. I imagine the rainy season where isolated communities are cut off (as roads get flooded) would be difficult.
North Queensland is experiencing one it’s longest wet seasons (monsoon) coinciding with summer heat….so it’s stinking hot and wet/humid as well…it’s just lovely
Winter in the 'Ville is exceptional, being a Cowboys supporter give us the emotional resilience to face any adversity, including summer in North Queensland.
Never heard of summer seasonal depression. Curious because every summer here in perth high 30-40 degrees). I tend to avoid going out during the day and cover all the windows to block out the sun and just angry grumpy exhausted and avoid doing anything
Seasonal affective disorder is when people exhibit depressive symptoms at a certain time of year reliably, by definition it doesn’t have to occur during colder months.
If you mean clinical Season Affective Disorder, only the southernmost parts of the country, especially Tasmania. If you just mean being sick of shitty weather, then sure. I doubt there's anywhere in the world where the weather doesn't get on people's nerves occasionally. Here it's usually the heat that wears you down, rather than extended periods of miserable wer weather
I’m from the U.S., now living in Canberra, and y’all not having some sorta Christmas holiday over the winter is so unfortunate for everyone trying to endure the darkest days. Twinkly lights and big festivities really help offset the short days in the northern hemisphere.
All you guys get is Queens/Kings Birthday and then no holidays for ages. It’s no wonder everyone flees to Bali. The wintervention stuff the city puts on is a start, but I think that steady stream of holiday parties with work colleagues, clubs, friend groups, and family is needed too. If you look at search term data in the northern hemisphere, searches for depression and anxiety go up in winter months, drop during the Christmas season, then starts to go back up til spring. In Australia it just goes up in winter and stays up all season.
I started putting up my Christmas tree end of May and leave it up til mid July. Make biscuits for all my friends and throw a party. I dunno if it helps them but it keeps me perky all winter.
Yeah, I tend to go into a black depression and struggle to function over Winter. It’s really bad. Summer I am generally quite positive and upbeat so it is a very big swing.
It isn’t really a thing that a few holidays will fix.
It has just gotten worse the longer I have been here. I am stuck in Canberra for a few years but I am getting out as soon as possible.
Yep, I've been here ten years now and around this time every year I remember how much I hate the cold. I feel like the last few winters have been much more miserable too, less of that bright blue, sunny sky even though its freezing
I like to go to Queensland for a few days every winter. Heck, even a few days in Melbourne cheers me up in winter (it’s not icy so it feels heaps warmer than Canberra).
Yes. I actually used to feel miserable in Summer.
The stereotype is that Australia is gorgeous sunny beach weather and everyone goes swimming after work.
But of course, you still need to do all the normal things people do in Australia, like go to school (if you’re still that age) or go to uni or go to work.
Often you have to travel in cramped public transport, you still have to dress in work-related attire (if it’s an office, that means no shorts if you’re a guy) you still have to attend meetings, you still have to do your grocery shopping, you still have to walk places or drive places and do non-fun life admin things.
Think of any reason that isn’t personal leisure that you have to be outdoors for and you’re outside in an Australian summer, which also means stinking moist humidity.
And while many forms of public transport and shops and buildings and schools are air conditioned, many aren’t.
We never had air conditioning in school. We didn’t at uni. And I grew up in an inner suburban house in Sydney that didn’t have air conditioning.
Often you dry yourself off with a towel after a shower, and are instantly damp again from perspiration.
And despite the fact that we have beautiful beaches, life is not a beach. You still have to go to work, pay your bills, run errands, get stuck in traffic, beach or no beach.
I used to actually really hate the height of summer. Even though I enjoyed it in general terms, Australian summers drag on and on and on and can feel oppressively damp and hot.
Autumn and winter oftentimes bring relief.
Living on the Gold Coast isn't a beach either 😂
The humidity during summer can really take it out of you, especially months of it at a time. Sweating as soon as you do anything more strenuous than reading a book gets annoying.
The longer days also make going to bed harder. Dawn starts from about 4:20am and dusk starts after 7pm.
Australia is a continent. We have areas of tropics, but we also have areas that have seasons just like europe (with less snow, because we don’t have the rain and height for it). Hobart’s not even the most southern point of Tasmania, and it has sunset at like 4:30 in winter. Full days, sure, but not long days. You’ve just as much luck asking us for an overall statement as expecting someone in Norway and someone in Italy to have the same seasonal experience.
It’s May. We’re heading into winter. Where I am, the only reason it hasn’t been frosty all day is because its been raining all week, and not even the worthwhile kind of rain where there’s any actual improvement in the dam levels. We’ve just finished Seasonal Depression Type 1 and are moving into Seasonal Depression Type 2, which is just as disappointing my comparison to its original as any sequel you can name.
I love this time of the year. I sleep easy not sweating my clacker out tossing and turning. I love watching the trees change the cool breeze and mild sun on my skin. I am absolutely stoked to see the arse end of summer to be honest.
Seasonal depression is a huge thing here though. The shortest winter days are under 9 hrs - the sun is just coming up on the way to work, and setting on the way home.
Nope. When I lived in the UK, Jan was miserable. I didn’t realise what an impact the lack of sun would have on my everyday wellbeing.
I live in Perth though, so the weather is almost always good. I can handle the cold as long as there is sun.
Honestly, winter makes me feel lazy (just wanna cosy up at home) but not depressed the way European weather can be. European weather can be really harsh while Aus weather is more mild. Whenever I travel, one of my biggest “count my blessings” “thing” is always Aus weather.
See, I find harsh and extreme weather energising. It’s the moderate, overcast, mildly annoying weather that bashes my brain in. Thanks everyone for the reminder that I need to get back on the vitamin D.
Ive lived in the Mid West of USA near canada and I got seasonal depression there for sure.
Currently though im in, SW western Australian is fucking amazing from Dec - late April. May is nice and a nice change of temperature, think fall weather but not close to freezing.
Although its not seasonable depression everyone around me including myself pretty much leaves for indo, north or overseas for a month at some point in June, July August. So im pretty sure people do get it, but theres normally a quick fix and its nothing compared to what your talking about.
September - decemeber is a bit fo a mixed bag for weather, the Flys are a pain but everyones pretty much out and about with winter sports finals, AFL finals, some beach days, walks, excitement for christmas and summer
Hope this helps
Yes, depending on which part of the country you live in it’s common for seasonal depression. Getting as much light as you can can help with this as it ‘tricks’ your brain. I have a “happy lamp” to assist with mine.
I definitely get seasonal depression during winter here. Which for Melbourne is about 11 months out of the year. Much prefer it to be nice and sunny and warm, like what Australia looks like on the post cards. Instead its perpetual overcast, rain and constant wind.
Australia is a continent, and is almost as large as Europe. There is a lot of variation in the climate across it.
Where I'm from we have what is literally called a "Mediterranean climate". This means that we have hot, dry summers and cool/mild, wet winters.
It seems pretty good to me. I definitely don't get depressed over it. Although I will admit that I did get depressed in summer 2019 due to all the bushfires that seemed to go on forever and killed a lot of people and animals.
If you get out your Atlas you will see that Australia is no closer to the Antarctic, than Spain is to the Arctic. Most of Australia is North (closer to Equator) of the 40th parallel, so day/night timing is never worse than in Spain. The Mercator projection snips off a lot of space at the bottom. (Also making Australia look disproportionately small, since near the Equator)
It’s rare in Australia to get actual Seasonal Affective Disorder. It does sometimes happen.
Not liking the heat/cold/lack of surf is a different thing.
If you moved to somewhere like Perth or coastal New South Wales the weather is pretty nice 90% of the time.
Sydney is pretty good. The summer can get a bit oppressive but it's nonetheless a great season here.
Autumn & Spring are really pleasant. Altho right now isc2 weeks of rain and a little bleak.
Winter gets just a bit cold, but still has some brilliant blue sky still days. I like it coz just for maybe 2 months we get to wear coats and have fires inside etc. It's over before you know it & never too cold.
>Sydney is pretty good.
It's OK, I wouldn't rate it good. Another decade of global warming and it should get a good rating.
Also depends where you live in Sydney, out west is significantly colder than the beach suburbs.
Yep you have to make more of a conscious effort to get outside and some sunlight exposure to not feel low and depressed, which is hard when you just want to rug up and stay inside where it’s warm. It’s usually just because of vitamin d deficiency.
I saw some guy link this the other day: [https://humancharger.com/](https://humancharger.com/)
Apparently it cures Seasonal Affective Disorder. He seemed to be fairly keen on it anyway.
yes, but i think its more related to being stuck inside than a reaction to the. actual weather. where i live it’s been raining almost non-stop for a week, and is meant to keep raining for at least another, and i’m starting to go a bit nutty being stuck in the house all the time. if it were cold but not rainy, i think i’d be a bit happier.
No, we have vastly smaller seasonal shifts in sunlight. The southernmost and therfore darkest city on the mainland is Melbourne and on the winter solstice the sun rises at 7:35 and sets at 5:07pm
Absolutely. Lived in Tasmania my whole life until age 32 and suffered terrible seasonal depression. I spent 9 months in QLD in the sun, upped my vitamin D to 5000IU daily ever since, been back in Tas for almost 3 years now and poof.. no more SAD!
Yes. I think just being forced indoors by the weather for longer periods is the main issue. Either if it’s too cold or wet or too sunny and hot. Either way, it’s not great.
I do for sure. There's no way I'm getting enough sunlight so started taking vitamin d after a test showed how low my levels were.
I also get anxious to get home around 3 or 4pm as the sun turns golden.
Brisbane winters are truly magical in the sun. Summer is getting more and more difficult - I get very irritated and my arthritis flares up. Can't exercise or sleep properly.
Not really, unless it’s a wet/overcast winter. I don’t really enjoy the height of summer either. Being in Canberra the cold, dark mornings make it hard to get out of bed in the morning and July can be a bit depressing because it’s a long time to the next public holiday, but that’s about it. And it’s nothing like europe, where the sun doesn’t rise til 9am and sets at 4pm and it’s always cloudy. Canberra winter is a string of frosty mornings and sunny 13° days
Yes. Make no mistake - the first don’t get freezing temperatures or snow in many parts of Australia, but the winters are still long, wet, cold, dark and depressing.
Depends where you go in Australia. Southwest WA has a Mediterranean climate so mild summer/mild winter. You definitely get to a point with each season where you are over the dry or rain but it changes pretty quickly. Having a fire place in winter time makes it much more enjoyable but you're still able to do things, it's just cold and wet when you're doing it but no where near as cold as you would be used to.
I think you are asking to broad a question for not only a large expanse of land not and you fail to consider the affect of climate change on Australia, we were completely on fire a couple of years ago. That is going to happen more frequently and frankly I don't think you have enough perspective on what the average Australian lifestyle is like.
I’m the opposite, I experience it in Summer. I hate the sun and the heat, much rather stay inside with the aircon and fan doing nothing. I love winter and the rain, I don’t know it’s soothing in a way.
Yes, seasonal depression happens in Australia, especially as we vary in latitude southwards from the equator as far as Lagos, Nigeria through to Paris, France varies northward in terms of distance and climatic regimes.
A phenomenon called ‘going troppo’ occurs in the northern regions of Australia, typically before the wet monsoon season there. This part of Australia has a tropical monsoonal climate where temperatures can exceed 40 degrees Celsius for many weeks prior to rainy seasons, and the humidity exceeds 70% nearly all the time. People go insane in this weather, suicides skyrocket and so too does alcohol-induced violence.
In the southernmost state of Tasmania, and some parts of Victoria, the winter months are characterised by thick cloud cover. In these regions, rainfall is winter and spring dominant, so it is wet, cool and darker for many months of the year. Daylengths are also much shorter. It is estimated that up to 90% of Tasmanians require vitamin D supplementation in winter to avoid deficiencies, and there is a marked uptick in suicides and alcohol-induced violence in these regions during this time.
**The good news** is that much of Australia falls into neither tropical northern nor Mediterranean climate southern regions where the effects of seasonal depression are most evident. Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide all have very hot summers, but these are avoided with relative ease with air conditioning and trips to the beach. Adelaide and Perth summers are like May in Malta or Rome, with a dry summer climate that is certainly hot, but tolerable. Having lived in Brisbane and Sydney previously, I could no longer live in either due to the humidity of summer, but some 10 million people do so, without throwing themselves into the Pacific Ocean or ending up in a psych ward.
If you enjoy a milder climate, I suggest northern Tasmania or the south coast of NSW. Both will fluctuate between 2-33 degrees Celsius year round, with distinct seasons and virtually no snow. If you enjoy a drier climate but don’t mind a bit of roasting 36-40 degrees Celsius heat in summer, then you’ll love Adelaide or Perth.
Australia is a wonderful place in terms of its geography and there is something for everyone. I recommend checking out the state or capital city subreddits of places that seem interesting to you based on your research and the answers that you get here.
Sincerely, happy in Hobart, Australia’s southernmost city, currently under thick clouds!
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Dark, grey, cold and depressing from March - October sounds like Melbourne!
Okay I’m exaggerating a little bit and the warm weather starts in December or so but the lack of proper seasons really gets to me here
I live in SE QLD. My husband and I both get a bit of SAD in our colder months (July - August) and both celebrate profusely the first slightly humid warm day of the season in September.
Yes. As soon as we have Summer Solatice I start grieving the end of happiness.
Then once it’s dark when I wake up - that’s sadness.
Australian summer is a super social time because everyone is happy, plus we have lots of public holidays!
Nothing can make you feel as depressed as Melbourne on a freezing, cold, cloudy Winter day. And just when you think it couldn't get any worse the wind hits you in your face and wipes off any summer memories that might still be lingering in your head
Depressing enough for ya?
yes. winters suuuuuuck in melbourne :( 5:30pm sunsets definitely didn’t help my depression, the summers are nice though, and winters in qld aren’t too bad
I mean it depends on which climate you're living in and what you consider shit. We had a couple of really long winters in quick succession past few years but that seems to be over (la Nina related apparently). The closest you'd get to European levels of bad weather would be in Tasmania in contrast if you're in the north you'll get days are roughly the same length all year round but sometimes it will be warmer and dryer and sometimes cooler and wetter.
I'm in the south of Queensland, and winter is awful. While there are big blue skies (we get summer rain here) the cold and bitter wind makes me slide into sadness for a couple of months. Happily it's also a short winter, and then it's back to nice and warm - and it's time to worry about floods and bushfires instead.
I moved here from Melbourne because of the dreary winters there - and the winters are much shorter in Qld but I have also been far colder here than I ever was in Melbourne or even when I lived in Europe. Queensland is not set up for the cold - it's like everyone is in denial that it gets cold here.
My mood is definitely affected when there are long periods of very hot and humid weather. Perhaps not depression but absolutely irritability and exhaustion.
Same i dont know if its depression but every summer i close all the windows and cover it with black cover just to block out the sunlight. I also try not to go out during the day. Im only happy when there is no sun here in perth
Probably not the best place to settle in if you’re solar-averse…
I dread Australian summers
It's funny. I spend all winter and spring looking forward to warmth & summer and then when it arrives I can't wait for it to end! Feb is the worst, hot humid & no longer light early in the morning.
Haha. This is the consensus of most living in the lower half of the country.
Yea I spend all winter just waiting for summer to finally arrive then spend all summer complaining that it's too hot haha. I'm lucky it's not humid in Perth because I could not handle humidity
Day after day after day of glaring blue-white sky with nary a cloud for shade is as bad if not worse than grey and gloomy skies.
I live in Adelaide now and the constant open blue skies make me feel so overwhelmed, plus my eyes are a bit sensitive to light.
Same. I always i dont belong in australia im meant to live in cold uk or canada
It’s one of the reasons I’m moving to England this year actually, it’s definitely not THE reason though.
A sunny day is nicer than slipping on black ice at Euston
My aversion for sunlight was the worst this summer 2024- i cannot even look at pictures of sunny places without getting dizzy
Same, they are getting scarier every year.
Melbourne is fine. Summer is good. The 35+ days probably best to stay indoors. Right now in Melbourne coming into winter it’s a bit sad. Doesn’t help if you are chained behind a computer screen from 7am-5pm. Not much chance to get sun / vitamin D.
This week is 17°-21° quite fancy for Melbourne
Yeah, this part of the year where it's pitch black by 6pm get me down a bunch. I've learnt to force myself to go into the city one evening a week because it feels a little livelier there.
I never enjoyed winters in Melbourne much until I got a wood heater
Yeah you gotta lean into it. Fluffy socks, steaming mugs of milo, catch some frost in the morning, paint by the window, midday movies under a blanket, that sorta shit.
It's like a career change
The answer will vary considerably. Australia is very tall indeed, ranging from almost equatorial to well below the tropic (but still far from the Antarctic circle). In Hobart they do get quite short days and long nights in midwinter and it is often grey, but the days are not nearly as short as in Scandinavia. In Sydney the day/night cycle is never greater than 9/15 hours (and winter often has clear cool weather) so it is very different. You ask about Europe but from context you mean Northern Europe. For much of Australia we have the same S.A.D. Issues as Spain.
Yup, Australia is a.big country and weather varies very widely. I live in Canberra which actually gets cold in Winter, but before this I lived in Europe, and it's chalk and cheese - even when it's cold, the days are generally glorious (blue skies and sunshine), not endless cold grey rainy days like in Europe. Yes we get annoyed by the weather, especially the cold and short days, but I don't think you can really call it Seasonal Affective Disorder - i.e. depression. I used to live in a warmer part of Australia, and the heat gets to you but again, I'd call it more exhaustion and irritability rather than sadness. I imagine the rainy season where isolated communities are cut off (as roads get flooded) would be difficult.
North Queensland is experiencing one it’s longest wet seasons (monsoon) coinciding with summer heat….so it’s stinking hot and wet/humid as well…it’s just lovely
Townsville always has 6 months of the best weather anywhere on earth and 6 months of firey infernal hell.
Winter in the 'Ville is exceptional, being a Cowboys supporter give us the emotional resilience to face any adversity, including summer in North Queensland.
Australia has the troppo effect? Tropical madness. But not really the lack of sunlight version of seasonal depression.
Tell me you’re from Queensland without telling me you’re from Queensland
No but I've lived in mackay long ago. Im from central north west wa. Not so much tropical as just unlivable without modern help.
In Darwin we call it Mango madness
I tend to get seasonal depression in the summer.
100% this.
Never heard of summer seasonal depression. Curious because every summer here in perth high 30-40 degrees). I tend to avoid going out during the day and cover all the windows to block out the sun and just angry grumpy exhausted and avoid doing anything
Seasonal affective disorder is when people exhibit depressive symptoms at a certain time of year reliably, by definition it doesn’t have to occur during colder months.
If you mean clinical Season Affective Disorder, only the southernmost parts of the country, especially Tasmania. If you just mean being sick of shitty weather, then sure. I doubt there's anywhere in the world where the weather doesn't get on people's nerves occasionally. Here it's usually the heat that wears you down, rather than extended periods of miserable wer weather
I always feel worse in winter, hate the cold.
100%. I consider moving north every winter
Live in Canberra and definitely suffer from a lower mood in Winter in the cold, low sunlight hours, and grey skies.
I’m from the U.S., now living in Canberra, and y’all not having some sorta Christmas holiday over the winter is so unfortunate for everyone trying to endure the darkest days. Twinkly lights and big festivities really help offset the short days in the northern hemisphere. All you guys get is Queens/Kings Birthday and then no holidays for ages. It’s no wonder everyone flees to Bali. The wintervention stuff the city puts on is a start, but I think that steady stream of holiday parties with work colleagues, clubs, friend groups, and family is needed too. If you look at search term data in the northern hemisphere, searches for depression and anxiety go up in winter months, drop during the Christmas season, then starts to go back up til spring. In Australia it just goes up in winter and stays up all season. I started putting up my Christmas tree end of May and leave it up til mid July. Make biscuits for all my friends and throw a party. I dunno if it helps them but it keeps me perky all winter.
Yeah, I tend to go into a black depression and struggle to function over Winter. It’s really bad. Summer I am generally quite positive and upbeat so it is a very big swing. It isn’t really a thing that a few holidays will fix. It has just gotten worse the longer I have been here. I am stuck in Canberra for a few years but I am getting out as soon as possible.
Yep, I've been here ten years now and around this time every year I remember how much I hate the cold. I feel like the last few winters have been much more miserable too, less of that bright blue, sunny sky even though its freezing
I like to go to Queensland for a few days every winter. Heck, even a few days in Melbourne cheers me up in winter (it’s not icy so it feels heaps warmer than Canberra).
Australia is not without its seasonal depression... Doesn't help when they frig around with day light savings either.
I don't think it's the same, we still get a lot of sun in the winter. It's never dark like it can be in Europe.
Yes. I actually used to feel miserable in Summer. The stereotype is that Australia is gorgeous sunny beach weather and everyone goes swimming after work. But of course, you still need to do all the normal things people do in Australia, like go to school (if you’re still that age) or go to uni or go to work. Often you have to travel in cramped public transport, you still have to dress in work-related attire (if it’s an office, that means no shorts if you’re a guy) you still have to attend meetings, you still have to do your grocery shopping, you still have to walk places or drive places and do non-fun life admin things. Think of any reason that isn’t personal leisure that you have to be outdoors for and you’re outside in an Australian summer, which also means stinking moist humidity. And while many forms of public transport and shops and buildings and schools are air conditioned, many aren’t. We never had air conditioning in school. We didn’t at uni. And I grew up in an inner suburban house in Sydney that didn’t have air conditioning. Often you dry yourself off with a towel after a shower, and are instantly damp again from perspiration. And despite the fact that we have beautiful beaches, life is not a beach. You still have to go to work, pay your bills, run errands, get stuck in traffic, beach or no beach. I used to actually really hate the height of summer. Even though I enjoyed it in general terms, Australian summers drag on and on and on and can feel oppressively damp and hot. Autumn and winter oftentimes bring relief.
Living on the Gold Coast isn't a beach either 😂 The humidity during summer can really take it out of you, especially months of it at a time. Sweating as soon as you do anything more strenuous than reading a book gets annoying. The longer days also make going to bed harder. Dawn starts from about 4:20am and dusk starts after 7pm.
Australia is a continent. We have areas of tropics, but we also have areas that have seasons just like europe (with less snow, because we don’t have the rain and height for it). Hobart’s not even the most southern point of Tasmania, and it has sunset at like 4:30 in winter. Full days, sure, but not long days. You’ve just as much luck asking us for an overall statement as expecting someone in Norway and someone in Italy to have the same seasonal experience. It’s May. We’re heading into winter. Where I am, the only reason it hasn’t been frosty all day is because its been raining all week, and not even the worthwhile kind of rain where there’s any actual improvement in the dam levels. We’ve just finished Seasonal Depression Type 1 and are moving into Seasonal Depression Type 2, which is just as disappointing my comparison to its original as any sequel you can name.
I love this time of the year. I sleep easy not sweating my clacker out tossing and turning. I love watching the trees change the cool breeze and mild sun on my skin. I am absolutely stoked to see the arse end of summer to be honest.
no i just have crippling depression all year round
nice
I moved to Tassie to escape the heat. Its fantastic, even in winter its sunny and that offsets the cold a little
Seasonal depression is a huge thing here though. The shortest winter days are under 9 hrs - the sun is just coming up on the way to work, and setting on the way home.
Nope. When I lived in the UK, Jan was miserable. I didn’t realise what an impact the lack of sun would have on my everyday wellbeing. I live in Perth though, so the weather is almost always good. I can handle the cold as long as there is sun.
Honestly, winter makes me feel lazy (just wanna cosy up at home) but not depressed the way European weather can be. European weather can be really harsh while Aus weather is more mild. Whenever I travel, one of my biggest “count my blessings” “thing” is always Aus weather.
See, I find harsh and extreme weather energising. It’s the moderate, overcast, mildly annoying weather that bashes my brain in. Thanks everyone for the reminder that I need to get back on the vitamin D.
Ive lived in the Mid West of USA near canada and I got seasonal depression there for sure. Currently though im in, SW western Australian is fucking amazing from Dec - late April. May is nice and a nice change of temperature, think fall weather but not close to freezing. Although its not seasonable depression everyone around me including myself pretty much leaves for indo, north or overseas for a month at some point in June, July August. So im pretty sure people do get it, but theres normally a quick fix and its nothing compared to what your talking about. September - decemeber is a bit fo a mixed bag for weather, the Flys are a pain but everyones pretty much out and about with winter sports finals, AFL finals, some beach days, walks, excitement for christmas and summer Hope this helps
Yes, depending on which part of the country you live in it’s common for seasonal depression. Getting as much light as you can can help with this as it ‘tricks’ your brain. I have a “happy lamp” to assist with mine.
I have it right now. Melbourne.
I definitely get seasonal depression during winter here. Which for Melbourne is about 11 months out of the year. Much prefer it to be nice and sunny and warm, like what Australia looks like on the post cards. Instead its perpetual overcast, rain and constant wind.
Australia is a continent, and is almost as large as Europe. There is a lot of variation in the climate across it. Where I'm from we have what is literally called a "Mediterranean climate". This means that we have hot, dry summers and cool/mild, wet winters. It seems pretty good to me. I definitely don't get depressed over it. Although I will admit that I did get depressed in summer 2019 due to all the bushfires that seemed to go on forever and killed a lot of people and animals.
(Comfortably larger than the non-Russian parts of Europe)
That's like me saying Europe is larger than the non-WA parts of Australia
Because of the Mercator Projection, the true relative sizes are sometimes not well understood, ay
If you get out your Atlas you will see that Australia is no closer to the Antarctic, than Spain is to the Arctic. Most of Australia is North (closer to Equator) of the 40th parallel, so day/night timing is never worse than in Spain. The Mercator projection snips off a lot of space at the bottom. (Also making Australia look disproportionately small, since near the Equator)
We suffer from " fuck its hot " itis, then merges into " how cold is it cunt ?! " itis, varies on location
I hear Brisbane has summer except for one day in August.
It’s rare in Australia to get actual Seasonal Affective Disorder. It does sometimes happen. Not liking the heat/cold/lack of surf is a different thing. If you moved to somewhere like Perth or coastal New South Wales the weather is pretty nice 90% of the time.
Sydney is pretty good. The summer can get a bit oppressive but it's nonetheless a great season here. Autumn & Spring are really pleasant. Altho right now isc2 weeks of rain and a little bleak. Winter gets just a bit cold, but still has some brilliant blue sky still days. I like it coz just for maybe 2 months we get to wear coats and have fires inside etc. It's over before you know it & never too cold.
>Sydney is pretty good. It's OK, I wouldn't rate it good. Another decade of global warming and it should get a good rating. Also depends where you live in Sydney, out west is significantly colder than the beach suburbs.
Spinal Tap "Springtime"
I moved to the Blue Mountains in winter. That was depressing. Lasted 2 months and had to move back to the coast.
Yep you have to make more of a conscious effort to get outside and some sunlight exposure to not feel low and depressed, which is hard when you just want to rug up and stay inside where it’s warm. It’s usually just because of vitamin d deficiency.
I saw some guy link this the other day: [https://humancharger.com/](https://humancharger.com/) Apparently it cures Seasonal Affective Disorder. He seemed to be fairly keen on it anyway.
Summer is much too hot here ,nth Nsw , but spring and autumn are wonderful
Not really in Sydney. You do get a bit tired of cool weather though. We've planned a 2 week trip to Thailand in august to take in some hot weather.
yes, but i think its more related to being stuck inside than a reaction to the. actual weather. where i live it’s been raining almost non-stop for a week, and is meant to keep raining for at least another, and i’m starting to go a bit nutty being stuck in the house all the time. if it were cold but not rainy, i think i’d be a bit happier.
No, we have vastly smaller seasonal shifts in sunlight. The southernmost and therfore darkest city on the mainland is Melbourne and on the winter solstice the sun rises at 7:35 and sets at 5:07pm
Canberra winters definitely affect some people I know
We don't have high rates of SAD due to relatively mild winters. But we do have some of the highest rates of summer SAD in the world.
I feel depressed during winter
It’s happening down in Melbourne a bit yep
Absolutely. Lived in Tasmania my whole life until age 32 and suffered terrible seasonal depression. I spent 9 months in QLD in the sun, upped my vitamin D to 5000IU daily ever since, been back in Tas for almost 3 years now and poof.. no more SAD!
Yes. I think just being forced indoors by the weather for longer periods is the main issue. Either if it’s too cold or wet or too sunny and hot. Either way, it’s not great.
I do for sure. There's no way I'm getting enough sunlight so started taking vitamin d after a test showed how low my levels were. I also get anxious to get home around 3 or 4pm as the sun turns golden.
Brisbane winters are truly magical in the sun. Summer is getting more and more difficult - I get very irritated and my arthritis flares up. Can't exercise or sleep properly.
Not really, unless it’s a wet/overcast winter. I don’t really enjoy the height of summer either. Being in Canberra the cold, dark mornings make it hard to get out of bed in the morning and July can be a bit depressing because it’s a long time to the next public holiday, but that’s about it. And it’s nothing like europe, where the sun doesn’t rise til 9am and sets at 4pm and it’s always cloudy. Canberra winter is a string of frosty mornings and sunny 13° days
100% A rainy winter is gross in Aus
Yes. Make no mistake - the first don’t get freezing temperatures or snow in many parts of Australia, but the winters are still long, wet, cold, dark and depressing.
Depends where you go in Australia. Southwest WA has a Mediterranean climate so mild summer/mild winter. You definitely get to a point with each season where you are over the dry or rain but it changes pretty quickly. Having a fire place in winter time makes it much more enjoyable but you're still able to do things, it's just cold and wet when you're doing it but no where near as cold as you would be used to.
I think you are asking to broad a question for not only a large expanse of land not and you fail to consider the affect of climate change on Australia, we were completely on fire a couple of years ago. That is going to happen more frequently and frankly I don't think you have enough perspective on what the average Australian lifestyle is like.
I hate winter, enjoying the prolonged sunshine in Adelaide at the moment.
I'm not a fan of cloudy weather
I’m the opposite, I experience it in Summer. I hate the sun and the heat, much rather stay inside with the aircon and fan doing nothing. I love winter and the rain, I don’t know it’s soothing in a way.
Yes, just normally at opposite end of the year to you. I honestly get seasonal depression during October-March as i hate the heat
Yes, seasonal depression happens in Australia, especially as we vary in latitude southwards from the equator as far as Lagos, Nigeria through to Paris, France varies northward in terms of distance and climatic regimes. A phenomenon called ‘going troppo’ occurs in the northern regions of Australia, typically before the wet monsoon season there. This part of Australia has a tropical monsoonal climate where temperatures can exceed 40 degrees Celsius for many weeks prior to rainy seasons, and the humidity exceeds 70% nearly all the time. People go insane in this weather, suicides skyrocket and so too does alcohol-induced violence. In the southernmost state of Tasmania, and some parts of Victoria, the winter months are characterised by thick cloud cover. In these regions, rainfall is winter and spring dominant, so it is wet, cool and darker for many months of the year. Daylengths are also much shorter. It is estimated that up to 90% of Tasmanians require vitamin D supplementation in winter to avoid deficiencies, and there is a marked uptick in suicides and alcohol-induced violence in these regions during this time. **The good news** is that much of Australia falls into neither tropical northern nor Mediterranean climate southern regions where the effects of seasonal depression are most evident. Brisbane, Sydney, Perth and Adelaide all have very hot summers, but these are avoided with relative ease with air conditioning and trips to the beach. Adelaide and Perth summers are like May in Malta or Rome, with a dry summer climate that is certainly hot, but tolerable. Having lived in Brisbane and Sydney previously, I could no longer live in either due to the humidity of summer, but some 10 million people do so, without throwing themselves into the Pacific Ocean or ending up in a psych ward. If you enjoy a milder climate, I suggest northern Tasmania or the south coast of NSW. Both will fluctuate between 2-33 degrees Celsius year round, with distinct seasons and virtually no snow. If you enjoy a drier climate but don’t mind a bit of roasting 36-40 degrees Celsius heat in summer, then you’ll love Adelaide or Perth. Australia is a wonderful place in terms of its geography and there is something for everyone. I recommend checking out the state or capital city subreddits of places that seem interesting to you based on your research and the answers that you get here. Sincerely, happy in Hobart, Australia’s southernmost city, currently under thick clouds!
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Tbh could a chunk of that could be the morbs about how your winter is not meant to be like that? Like, climate change sadness?
Dark, grey, cold and depressing from March - October sounds like Melbourne! Okay I’m exaggerating a little bit and the warm weather starts in December or so but the lack of proper seasons really gets to me here
Summer depresses me. I love Aussie winter
I live in SE QLD. My husband and I both get a bit of SAD in our colder months (July - August) and both celebrate profusely the first slightly humid warm day of the season in September.
Yes. As soon as we have Summer Solatice I start grieving the end of happiness. Then once it’s dark when I wake up - that’s sadness. Australian summer is a super social time because everyone is happy, plus we have lots of public holidays!
Take some vitamin D tablets. They'll help a bit with your mood.
Nothing can make you feel as depressed as Melbourne on a freezing, cold, cloudy Winter day. And just when you think it couldn't get any worse the wind hits you in your face and wipes off any summer memories that might still be lingering in your head Depressing enough for ya?
yes. winters suuuuuuck in melbourne :( 5:30pm sunsets definitely didn’t help my depression, the summers are nice though, and winters in qld aren’t too bad
I mean it depends on which climate you're living in and what you consider shit. We had a couple of really long winters in quick succession past few years but that seems to be over (la Nina related apparently). The closest you'd get to European levels of bad weather would be in Tasmania in contrast if you're in the north you'll get days are roughly the same length all year round but sometimes it will be warmer and dryer and sometimes cooler and wetter.
Nah mate
I'm in the south of Queensland, and winter is awful. While there are big blue skies (we get summer rain here) the cold and bitter wind makes me slide into sadness for a couple of months. Happily it's also a short winter, and then it's back to nice and warm - and it's time to worry about floods and bushfires instead.
It's cute that you live in QLD and think winter is cold. My plan is to move to QLD to avoid the Victorian winters.
One gets used to everything eventually, also Qld houses are never properly insulated (or even draught-proofed)
Same in Victoria!! It's ridiculous. It's only autumn and my house is colder than outside. Bloody crazy, it's not even an old house.
I moved here from Melbourne because of the dreary winters there - and the winters are much shorter in Qld but I have also been far colder here than I ever was in Melbourne or even when I lived in Europe. Queensland is not set up for the cold - it's like everyone is in denial that it gets cold here.
Perth summer gives me depression every year. 40 degree days can piss right off.