Embracing all seasons
Some weather patterns get a bad rap — rain, wind, grey skies. We often associate clear blue, sunny days with better mental health, but grey days actually have their own gifts.
In Nordic cultures, people head outside regardless of the conditions (well, within reason — we don’t suggest wandering through storms!). But if it’s cold, drizzly, windy, or just a bit meh, don’t let that hold you back.
Science suggests that varied weather offers rich sensory input — sound, temperature, movement, smell — which helps regulate the nervous system. It gently pulls attention out of looping thoughts and back into the present moment.
Here are a few sensory activities to try next time the weather isn’t perfect:
Jump in puddles, alone or with kids
Walk in light rain without an umbrella and feel it on your face
Listen to wind moving through trees or buildings
Sit outside wrapped in a blanket with a hot drink
Watch rain hit different surfaces — leaves, concrete, water
Notice how smells change after rain
Let your cheeks get cold, then warm them inside again
Walk through fallen leaves and feel the crunch
Stand under shelter and watch the weather move past
Reframe how you think about grey weather — see it as soft and calm, rather than dreary
Not all wellbeing comes from blue skies. Sometimes it’s the contrast — wet to dry, cold to warm, noisy to quiet — that brings us back into our bodies and out of our heads.