Why do some people prefer cold weather

By M.Farouk Radwan, MSc.

Why do some people prefer cold weather

Studies have shown that cold weather is more likley to trigger sadness and depression than hot weather. In a previous article called The connection between fear and cold weather i explained how people experience more fear in colder temperatures.

The same scary movie you watched could be less scary if you watched it in the summer than in the winter. In addition, sunlight reduces depression since it helps in the development of serotonin the happiness hormone. The absence of adequate sunlight was found to be strongly linked to depression.

In addition, people are more likley to get colds and suffer from physical injuries in winter since the body becomes more stiff.

Its quite normal to miss the rain in summer or to enjoy watching the snow but why do some people prefer cold weather even though it has all the bad negative effects i just mentioned?

Fortunately psychology can help us answer that question.

Cold weather and the body image

There are many factors that could let people prefer cold weather but one of them is their concern about their body image.

The summer is the season where more body parts get exposed to the public and as a result people who aren't satisfied with the shapes of their bodies don't feel comfortable in the summer.In other words some people prefer cold weather just because they hate the summer and not because they really like feeling cold.

Because its too embarrassing to admit such a fact or to even confront the self with it the mind has to come with a certain trick to help people feel good about themselves. The minds of those people start to make them believe that they actually like the cold weather. (see Self deception examples)

As the time passes those people start associating the pleasant emotions they get in the winter with the cold weather then end up believing that they prefer cold weather.

This fact is also true for skinny people. In the Solid Self confidence program i said that Some skinny people feel more confident in the winter because their clothes makes them appear bigger. Again this self esteem boost results in positive emotions that later become associated with the cold weather.

Cold weather and social withdrawal

Extroverts love connecting with people and don't like staying alone. Because cold weather usually results in the cancellation of many plans those who dislike staying at home will usually hate the winter. (see also Introversion and depression)

In other words some people hate the winter because it prevents them from reaching their social goals or fulfilling their social needs. On the other hand, those who love staying at home, who dislike moving, who don't exercise and those who are shy by nature prefer the cold weather since it helps them find a perfect excuse to avoid all these kinds of gatherings.

While the love for cold weather can be the result of more than one factor still the desire to be somehow socially isolated can fuel the love of the winter.

Cold weather and exercise

Most people who exercise prefer a warm weather because it helps them move easier and makes them feel more energetic.

Some people prefer the cold weather because it helps them feel good about themselves even when they don't exercise. Those people usually feel bad in the summer because they find no excuse to silence their minds with for not exercising. In the winter things become different as those people can relax at home, move less without experiencing any kind of guilt.

Yes you can be perfectly mentally healthy and still prefer cold weather but it also makes a lot of sense that you try to understand why exactly do you prefer the winter.

2knowmysef is not a complicated medical website nor a boring online encyclopedia but rather a place where you will find simple, to the point and effective information that is backed by psychology and presented in a simple way that you can understand and apply. If you think that this is some kind of marketing hype then see what other visitors say about 2knowmyself.

The Solid confidence program was launched by 2knowmyself.com; the program will either help you become more confident or give you your money back.

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