The Grey Days Are Here Again

A few days ago I found myself back in a rather grey and chilly London after the warmth and bright blue skies of Barcelona.

On the coach from the airport it occurred to me that everything felt and appeared drab and a bit bleak. I tried, somewhat unsuccessfully, to push these depressing thoughts to the back of my mind but they stubbornly refused to budge so, instead, I considered pulling them out and examining them more closely.

Although I know about SAD (seasonal affective disorder) and how the weather can affect our moods, I also realise that for me it is the darkness of winter in Northern Europe – rather than the cold – that I most dislike. Last winter was my first spent in the UK for thirty-five years… and I hated the way it made me feel.

So as we re-set our clocks and the precious daylight hours become shorter and the evenings draw in horribly quickly, I am reminded of an article I read some time ago which mentioned that depression can affect our eyesight. It would appear that people who are feeling blue (sic) maybe don’t see colours as brightly as the rest of us.

It is not for nothing that we use the adjective “grey” when referring to damp and chilly days; in contrast to the bright cheerfulness associated with sunshine and warmth. This is reflected not only in our mood, but also in the clothes that we choose to wear – my sludge coloured coat and scarf would look as out of place in Spain as a lime green cardigan and acid-tangerine skirt would in November in England. It’s no wonder we might feel a bit down at this time of year surrounded as we are by slate greys, little black dresses and shades of toad …Yuk!

I decided to take this theory of depression being linked to poorer eyesight to the London Vision Clinic for further analysis. In the meantime, I intend to wear a fluorescent pink scarf and carry a carnival bright umbrella to keep me warm and dry as a nod to the merry Mediterranean – well, at least I will stand out from the crowed.

(Photo: flickr.com)