By Mary O’KEEFE

I don’t know about anyone else but I am feeling more overwhelmed than ever as we approach the holidays. It’s not really due to anxiety over a Thanksgiving meal or what gift to buy for whom – it is just a heavy feeling that weighs over me, like cartoon characters who have a dark cloud following them. 

I know part of this feeling, in my case at least, is the political atmosphere in our nation. The U.S. political parties have always had their battles though there were some brave elected souls who would cross lines and negotiate with each other. Senators Ted Kennedy, a Democrat, and Senator Orrin Hatch, a Republican, come to mind. Kennedy also worked well with Senator John McCain and numerous others; the most conservative of politicians worked with the liberal Kennedy. 

I miss the days when politicians didn’t take constant jabs at each other and try to blame all the world’s woes on each other. As any mom will tell you, when something is broken and there are two children in the room it is usually a joint effort in the destruction. I guess this overwhelming feeling can be related to a very tired mom whose children have been fighting for hours with no end in sight. 

But I also think this feeling goes beyond the political arena. I am a news junkie but have been forcing myself to watch more MeTV and Cartoon Network, which has really helped me escape; however, it is difficult to completely walk away from all news. 

Even after an hour with Scooby-Doo and those “meddling kids” there is still a lingering feeling of anxiety, which could actually be due to the weather. 

I have written this column for some time now and, although I have always known that we are one with the Earth, “from dust you are and to dust you will return.” Many think that sunny days make you happy and rainy days make you sad, and there is SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) but, as with everything regarding our planet Earth, things are not that simple. Everyone is unique and the effect of the weather on individuals varies. 

For most people, low temperatures (below 50 degrees Fahrenheit), high humidity, rain and fog can bring about a “low mood” while mid-range temperatures (between 50 and 70 degrees), high atmospheric pressure, clear skies and sunlight equal a higher mood, according to healthline.com.

“If you’ve ever gotten a tingly, uneasy feeling before a storm, that was likely your body sensing a drop in atmospheric pressure. A 2019 animal study suggests drops in atmospheric pressure can activate the superior vestibular nucleus (SVN), a part of your brain that controls balance and perception. This study involved mice, but humans also have an SVN,” according to healthline.com.

So we in Southern California should all be happy because, until recently, we have been seeing a lot of sun and high summer temperatures into the first part of November, which is in complete contrast to the eastern part of the country that is seeing a cold snap. However, unseasonably hot weather can bring about for many a mood swing. 

And because climate change is an actual thing we are going to see more warming temps in California. 

“Southern California is about three degrees warmer than just a century ago thanks to climate change,” according to UCLAhealth.org.

We can see how warming temperatures affect us physically – for example, allergies – and mosquitoes are enjoying a human smorgasbord as temperatures stay hot. But unseasonably warm temperatures can also affect our brains. 

According to UCLA Health, those who are most at risk for this warming trend are people with chronic illness, those with dementia, preexisting mental health conditions, pregnancy and those who do not have access to air conditioning. However, no one is immune to the effects of weather. Climate change itself is making people feel anxious with more than 50% of Americans stating climate change makes them feel anxious, according to a UCLA study. 

“Researchers reviewed over 600 million social media updates, focusing on depressive language. They concluded that mental health and wellbeing generally worsen during warmer weather,” according to UCLA Health.

Now locally we are going to be experiencing weather whiplash with high temperatures dropping 10 degrees from yesterday to today and then dropping almost another 10 degrees on Friday, and there is rain predicted through to next week. There are things we can do that are very simple to help us navigate this rollercoaster weather ride into mid-November; it is something our parents have been telling us forever: drink plenty of water and eat a healthy balanced diet. We can also beat the weather blues by spending time with friends and, even in the rain, find time to enjoy nature. 

On another note,  I need to make a correction to my column last week when I stated that the COP 30 (Conference Of the Parties) ended on Oct. 31; it actually began on Nov. 10 and runs through Nov. 21 and is being held in Belém, Brazil. I will be following what comes out of this event and in this column share information.

For our weather, the next few days will be sweater and umbrella days. According to NOAA, today we have a 30% chance of rain after 4 p.m. with highs near 66 degrees. The winds are expected to be up to 15 mph sustained with 20 mph gusts. The chance of rain rises to 80% overnight. Predictions are a half to three- quarters of an inch of rainfall. On Friday we will see another high near 58 degrees, winds of 10 mph sustained with 15 mph gusts. The chance of rain is 80% with a possibility of thunderstorms in the evening. 

On Saturday, the threat of rain and thunderstorms is likely to continue with the high near 60 degrees. Sunday sees more chance of rain throughout the day into the evening. The rain should stay around until Monday into Tuesday, along with cooler temperatures, with highs in the high 50s, low 60s.