Coping with Winter Quater in Claradise
Sahale Greenwood
The Santa Clara
January 24, 2019
In sunny and temperate California we are always surprised how cold and rainy it can get during winter quarter, especially with these past two weeks of heavy rainfall. The rainfall effects us more than getting wet on our walk to class—it also affects our mood.
According to the coexisting conditions program at El Camino Hospital, our brain needs sunlight to function most effectively. Being outside in the sunlight during the day influences the brain’s internal clock, improving the release of melatonin, which helps you get a better night’s sleep and creates a more natural and consistent sleep schedule. In addition, sunlight absorbed through your skin helps your brain make serotonin, which further supports melatonin production and makes you feel happier. All the natural benefits we could receive from the sun have been hindered by our recent winter rain.
Besides the more scientific explanations for our reliance on sunshine, rain can make people feel restricted and isolated. The best ways to combat worse moods and lowered productivity with the rain are getting outside as much as possible and watching lots of good movies, preferably with friends. For me, rainy days are difficult because I love being outside and warm. However, over the years I have learned that instead of thinking about the rain as an obstacle keeping me inside, I see it as an opportunity to be a little lazy and check off a few movies on my watch list. By rearranging the way I think about rainy days, I have now come to appreciate them.
A big part of loving rainy days
is excitement about the movies on
the queue, so here are my recommendations for movies to watch if
you haven’t seen them or re-watch
if you loved them the first time, categorized by genre.
Thriller: “A Simple Favor” is a murder mystery starring Blake Lively and Anna Kendrick. This thriller is well-written, with dynamic characters that keep the plot moving and creates lots of unexpected moments. The movie is also closely based on a true story, which I found made the plot even more thrilling.
Drama: “The Eternal Sunshine of a Spotless Mind” starring Jim Carrey and Kate Winslet is a movie about a bad breakup where both characters elect for a procedure to erase the other from their memories. The movie was interesting, thought provoking and emotional.
Comedy: “Dirty Rotten Scoundrels” is an oldie but a goodie. Michael Caine and Steve Martin co-star in this comedy about making their wealth conning rich women into taking care of them. There’s a great combination of smart, witty writing along with slapstick humor that kept me laughing the whole time.
Classic: “The Sound of Music” starring Julie Andrews is perhaps one of the best rainy day movies to watch as it has a whole song devoted to feeling better while it rains. This movie is a must-see and perhaps a must-see-again if the last time you watched it was when you were younger and lacked the historical background that adds new levels of understanding to this already phenomenal movie.
Horror: “Hush” was suggested to me by a friend because I am too scared to watch horror movies. Marli Stellhorn, a sophomore and horror-movie lover said, “This one revolves around the terrorization of a deaf woman in her own home. The plot will keep you on your toes the entire time. My heart was going over 90 beats the entire movie. Make sure you have a buddy to watch it with!”
Whether you are drawn to darker horror movies or light-hearted comedies, find a movie you are excited to watch so that you start to shift your thinking away from rain being a hinderance and instead view it in a positive way: a free pass to be lazy, get comfy and watch some good movies!
Sahale Greenwood is a sophomore political science and communication major.