The charms of a rainy day…

I love a rainy day. That statement probably isn’t going to make me very popular, but it’s true. I will often find myself hoping for rain. Opening up the weather app and seeing that little raincloud emoji puts a big smile on my face. This so-called ‘bad’ weather makes me feel better.

Don’t get me wrong, I need a good dose of blue skies and sunshine here and there, but I can’t help but find stormy, rainy days soothing and comforting. Sitting inside listening to the rain hammer against the window or a thunderstorm rolling past makes me very happy.

I’ve recently learnt that there is a term for people like me; a pluviophile.

The low-fi atmosphere of a rainy, stormy day helps me focus. I can’t explain it. I don’t know if it is the white noise of the rain or the noise of the cars driving past through puddles, but I will often listen to Spotify playlists of thunderstorms and rain sounds when I need to focus to get some work done.

I’ve read somewhere that some people, when anxious or low, feel that a rainy day is sort of the planet’s way of comforting them. Mirroring their emotions, if you like. The internal weather of their mind reflected in the external environment. A sunny day says you should be happy and energetic (is that why it’s called a ‘sunny disposition’?). A rainy day says it’s okay to stay in and rest.

I feel like a sunny day means I ought to be outside and I should be enjoying myself in the park or out on the water. I live by a harbour and on sunny summer evenings it seems like everyone in the city is sitting on the harbour walls in groups, chatting and drinking. The fact that I’m (usually) not doing this or I don’t particularly want to makes me wonder if there is something wrong with me.

When it’s raining, there is no pressure to go out and enjoy yourself because…well…it’s raining! You can sit in with the candles on, reading books, watching TV, working on your side hustle without the guilt that seems to pervade when it is a beautiful sunny day and you aren’t outside enjoying it.

In an increasingly crazy world, home represents safety and security. A rainy day, for me, has the effect of making home feel somehow even more safe and secure. Somewhere to hunker down, batten down the hatches, shut out the elements, keep warm and dry…