As a clinical psychologist I work with all levels of depression everyday and deal with all the nuances and complexities it brings but I myself have started to succumb to feeling utterly bloody fed up and the weather is almost exclusively to blame.

I’m losing all the motivation to do anything. I’ve decided to get into bouldering and combined with kayaking, mountain biking my wife and I are not short of things to do but finding the motivation to go out and do them is becoming harder and harder when it’s either raining, snowing, bitterly freezing or all three combined. I have no doubt that I just need to MTFU but there is no question I am in a slump a the moment and this winter has felt so long it’s becoming harder to get excited about a couple of months of dry, moderately warm weather. Living in northants isn’t helpful – flat lifeless farmland with zero adventure potential.

Just needed to get that off my chest.

Living in northants isn’t helpful – flat lifeless farmland with zero adventure potential.

move somewhere better then. weather down in the westcountry just changes the playground…

When I lose all motivation I find that buying some new biking stuff helps. Buy some nice new gloves and a waterproof and go test them

cheap flights abroad often.

Why not boulder/climb indoors?

Agreed though, finding less and less enthusiasm to ride in wet muddy conditions.

Why not boulder/climb indoors?

Will be doing that but I wanted to just get out and explore. Since January I’ve basically been in offices, hospitals and my house. I’m becoming fearful of sunlight.

move somewhere better then

Roll on 2014 when the fixed term on my mortgage ends.

I was watching the weather report last night on BBC1 and at one point I switched the TV off and shouted “I just CAN’T BEAR IT”!! 👿

I was watching the weather report last night on BBC1 and at one point I switched the TV off and shouted “I just CAN’T BEAR IT”!!

i went and dusted off my WW kayaking gear.

Weather looks bad when you’re sitting inside looking at it, but can be a surprisingly small problem once you actually get out there.

Weather looks bad when you’re sitting inside looking at it, but can be a surprisingly small problem once you actually get out there.

That’s a really good point and very true. Watching the weather from indoors makes it seem a whole lot worse than it really is.

Roll on 2014 when the fixed term on my mortgage ends.

most mortgages are portable, meaing you can move house with them, fixed rate or otherwise or are you looking for excuses not to move?

most mortgages are portable, meaing you can move house with them, fixed rate or otherwise or are you looking for excuses not to move?

Not at all but if we move house (even if we take the mortgage with us) whilst under our fixed term we get hit with a penalty.

But, but, but….

There has never been a better choice of technical clothing available to protect and insulate you from the weather. Never.

As a clinical thingy, you must surely be able to see that your problem is related to a core deficit of testicular fortitude.
The Northants bit is difficult, but you need to get out and do it instead of being a big softie.

know exactly what you mean op. fed up of waiting around for a rare day off work that isn’t damp n miserable. already work outdoors in **** wind n rain all week. just decided to do different stuff- 30 min run along the coast in between showers/gales, have a go on my weights etc trying to find someone to play badminton. temptation is to just get loads of beers in and sit on xbox/internet and get fat!

most mortgages are portable

Really? Nationwide weren’t keen when we asked them about this.

‘There’s no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong clothing.’

Someone said that to me once. What a load of b0110x.

As a clinical thingy, you must surely be able to see that your problem is related to a core deficit of testicular fortitude.
The Northants bit is difficult, but you need to get out and do it instead of being a big softie.

Absolutely but I still think the combination of shitty weather and a shitty, boring place is a difficult combination to overcome. I’d be much happier if one of those was improved hence moving house next year, all being well.

Tha needs to come north lad, to where the hills are. Even the sheep are hard round ‘ere.

We move to Hong Kong in 2 weeks.

Coldest day there last year was 15 degrees. Warm most of the time, if a bit sticky at times.

Been on Gardening Leave for the last depressing 3 months of winter, counting the minutes!

Eventually you get to a point when you just say sod it…and go out anyway.

As a clinical psychologist don’t you know the difference between being depressed and being a bit fed up?

Also, dunno about where you are but the weather has been pretty good here in the last few weeks.

The past 3 months have been the best weather for mtb since that summer of 06. I’ve been out on me bike almost every day since it first snowed. Cleaned my bike for the first time in months too as it rained yesterday : (

You lot need to move oop North

Commute by bike – weather is just matter of layering!

I have to admit though commuting is killing my desire to ride at weekends.

Last Friday at Afan was great though!

It’s the darkness of winter that does my head in rather than the weather, but there is light at the end of the tunnel (excuse the pun) as the clocks go forward 2 weeks tomorrow, yippee!

Sign up to an event that’s beyond your current limits. Get people to sponsor you to do it for a worthy cause that matters to you.
The added pressure of training and fear of letting people down will push you into riding.

Living in northants isn’t helpful – flat lifeless farmland with zero adventure potential.

This is why I got a bmx again. Northants is awful for mtb (still not sure how I got into it living where we do!) but great for skateparks and dirt jumps.

As a clinical psychologist don’t you know the difference between being depressed and being a bit fed up?

No, I have absolutely no idea. I just tell my patients to cheer up and shake my head disapprovingly

This is why I got a bmx again. Northants is awful for mtb (still not sure how I got into it living where we do!) but great for skateparks and dirt jumps.

Yes, BMX is next on my list.

Tha needs to come north lad, to where the hills are. Even the sheep are hard round ‘ere.

That is indeed the plan. North is where I am from originally but moved down south to my wifes boring bloody homeland.

I find a log fire and a few candles helps. I still don’t want to go out, but staying in doesn’t seem so bad anymore.

I just made myself go out in the pouring rain on a run (which I hate anyway). I felt pretty pleased about my determination and general moral superiority.

I hurt my knee within the first 200 yards and had to come home 🙁

I always hoped to never be one of the posters on here who doesn’t actually ride at least twice a week, its happened and I blame it on the terrible state of the local stuff we ride. Lost all motivation! Had even started to ride to work last year but even that’s gone tits up….

Definitely Northants rather than the weather.

Move somewhere with hills and rocks, rent your place out, rent new house.

Sell old house when mortgage expires, buy new house as chain-free buyer.

Thank me after.

Surely you just prescribe yourself some antidepressants? Life is just so much nicer on them 🙂

I always hoped to never be one of the posters on here who doesn’t actually ride at least twice a week, its happened and I blame it on the terrible state of the local stuff we ride. Lost all motivation! Had even started to ride to work last year but even that’s gone tits up….

I gave up riding in the rain / mud some time ago and just go running this time of year. If we get a dry WE I’ll go out on the bike, if not, do a cross country run in the rain.

Weather looks bad when you’re sitting inside looking at it, but can be a surprisingly small problem once you actually get out there.

Reluctantly dragged myself out for a couple of hours this afternoon and it turned out to be the best ride i’ve had in months despite heavy rain and wind. Lots of hills round here mind.

Waterproof does need some attention though.

I’m not keen on road biking in horrible weather but MTB seems fine to me in most weathers – provided I’m wearing the right kit. We go out on MTBs every Wednesday night whatever the weather and sometimes it’s hard to drag myself out of a cosy house but great once you get going.
I have experienced several episodes of depression and getting out on my bike usually improves my mood. I used to do a lot of running but owing to various injuries I had to give it up. Consequently, I’m grateful to be able to ride my bike.

I’m well in the whinging camp still…

I ride pretty much everyday, I dont mind wind, rain, cold temps whatever but it’s not been above about 6c since bloody November! I’m just fed up of putting 4 layers on, an Air defence then a windproof on top just to ride get out for an hour or so.

Top temp for next week looks to be 5c with a low of -5 not even a feels like! just -5c, C’mon the clocks go forward week after next FFS!! Gimme a break!

Last week was a right kick in the nads after a 2 week spell of spring like weather, I felt like waving my fists at the sky when I saw the forecast. I’m doing lots of commute miles at the moment, normally share a lift but have changed hours, so I “need” to be on the bike to save money but I refuse to ride in icy conditions in case I do myself in.

Anyway, I’m still averaging over 100 miles per week, its mostly not fun but I’m keeping my fitness up and saving cash. Good gear definately helps, keep watching out for bargains especially at this time of year as shops try to clear winter stock.

I’ve also put the good FS bike away for the winter so I dont trash it and built myself a cheapish hardtail 29er which I dont feel needs to be cleaned meticulously after a muddy ride. Bit of new bike syndrome helps as well.

Ultimately though, I’m starting to question the sanity of my ancestors for settling in this damp little corner of the globe. I’m just about to book up for my summer holidays and it’ll be the first time I’ve been somewhere hot since I was 7 years old. Doubt I’ll want to come home.

Scratch- I’m with you on the annoyance of having to wear so many flaming layers. I feel weighed down with them all!

Booked a half day today to go out for a ride, just as I got my bike out it started raining. Lashed down for the whole ride (and it was blowing a gale).

It would have been too easy to have not gone out but once you are out it is not all that bad. The warm cup of coffee when I got home made it all worth it!