Inner Forecasts: Using the Weather as a Metaphor for your Mental Health
As we head towards the end of summer — particularly this year, with its long spell of warm, humid days — I’m reminded how seasonal changes bring visible shifts in nature. Autumn offers turning leaves, shorter days, and darker nights. Winter will bring frost; storms can arrive in any season. Increasingly, we’re all learning to adapt to more extreme and unpredictable weather. I do wonder if it’s helpful to think about our mental health a little like the weather. We have expectations for what each season will bring, just as we have expectations for our own wellbeing and the wellbeing of those around us. Just as a sudden storm can blow in without warning, our inner climate can shift in an instant — a sudden dip in mood or a change in how we feel can come upon us as quick as the flick of a switch.
storm clouds and blue sky, Fife
Just like the weather, our emotional climate is never static. I wonder if we humans are more accepting of changes in the weather than the changes that occur in our minds. In a rainstorm (that isn’t life-threatening), we can shift our thinking, hunker down, and wait for the rain to pass. Rainstorms can be annoying, ill-timed, or even frightening — yet there is comfort in knowing they will end. A storm inside our heads offers far less comfort. It can be so painful that it can drive us toward actions that feel protective when really they could be ways of avoiding a painful truth.
So how can using the metaphor of the weather help us help ourselves?
Finding shelter in the storm
Even when the skies inside feel turbulent, there are ways to navigate the storm rather than simply endure it. Just as we carry umbrellas, wear coats, or seek a warm room during bad weather, we can build our own strategies for emotional resilience. This might be as simple as taking a pause, talking with someone we trust, or giving ourselves permission to rest and reflect. Sometimes, the storm calls for patience rather than action — simply noticing the rain without judgment can be a powerful way to weather it.
Over time, we learn that storms pass, clouds shift, and sunlight eventually returns. Recognising that change is inevitable can help us approach our mental climate with gentleness rather than resistance. We may not control the storm, but we can decide how we respond, and in doing so, we create a sense of safety and stability, even in the most unpredictable weather.
A few gentle practices when your inner weather feels unsettled
Notice the forecast within. Take a quiet moment to ask yourself: What’s the weather like inside me today? Naming it — “foggy,” “stormy,” “sunny,” “changeable” — can help create distance and reduce self-criticism.
Find your shelter. Just as we seek cover in the rain, think about where your safe spaces are — a calming corner at home, a walk in nature, or the presence of someone who listens without judgment.
Breathe with the storm. Try slowing your breath: inhale to a gentle count of four, pause, then exhale to a count of six. Imagine your breath as steady rain, softening the intensity of the storm.
Look for breaks in the clouds. Even on difficult days, notice small moments of light — a kind word, a quiet cup of tea, the feel of fresh air. These glimpses of calm remind us that no storm lasts forever.
Weather shifts constantly, and so do we. If you find yourself caught in a storm that feels overwhelming, remember you don’t have to face it alone. Support — whether through counselling, friendship, or community — can help you feel steadier until clearer skies return.
