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The Honolulu Advertiser
Posted on: Friday, March 31, 2006

Rain, rain, go away

By Catherine E. Toth
Advertiser Staff Writer

The long run of wintery weather is weighing on Islanders' mood.

Advertiser staff photo

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BEATING THE BLUES

Rain got you down? Try these tips:

Let light in. Open blinds and pull back drapes at home. Let in as much natural light as possible.

Get outside. Walk outdoors during lulls in the rain. The natural light and fresh air will lift your mood.

Exercise. Getting active helps relieve stress and anxiety, and can make you feel better about yourself. "Make exercise a regular part of your life, something that you don't discontinue because of weather," said Thomas Cummings, clinical psychologist at the Waimanalo Health Center and competitive triathlete. He suggests going to the gym or using workout videos.

Socialize. Isolating yourself will only increase the blues. Have dinner or go to the movies with friends. "(During rainy weather) we tend to stay indoors and do household stuff and not socialize," Cummings said. "When people get depressed, they tend to isolate themselves. It's a symptom but also a cause."

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WEATHER UPDATE

What you need to know before heading out this weekend:

The weather: Today it should be mostly cloudy with scattered showers and southeast winds, according to the National Weather Service in Honolulu. Scattered showers will persist. The weekend weather should remain partly to mostly cloudy with showers. The trade winds are expected to return tomorrow night.

The surf: A moderate northwest swell should taper off by the weekend, with wave heights reaching 5 feet. A storm off Antarctica is expected to bring surf to south shores starting today, with a reinforcing swell to hit tomorrow. Wave heights for south shores may reach 7 feet at standout spots over the weekend.

The water quality: Warning signs went up Wednesday urging people to stay out of the ocean in front of the Hilton Hawaiian Village and the Hale Koa Hotel in Waikiki because the water had been contaminated by a city sewage spill. Signs also were posted along the Ala Wai Canal and Magic Island. City and state officials were monitoring bacteria counts near shore and in the water.

The city's festival: The wet weather has forced the city to cancel two days of its four-day Honolulu Centennial Family Festival at Magic Island. Despite the forecast for scattered showers, the festival is expected to operate tomorrow and Sunday. Times are 10 a.m. to midnight tomorrow and 10 a.m. to 10 p.m. on Sunday. Admission is free. For updates, call 275-3030 or visit www.honolulupride.com.

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SIGNS AND SYMPTOMS

Ten to 20 percent of Americans suffer from mild symptoms of seasonal affective disorder, a depressive disorder that goes beyond the winter blahs. Here are some common signs and symptoms for winter-related SAD:

  • Depression

  • Loss of energy

  • Social withdrawal

  • Increased sleep or sleepiness

  • Loss of interest in sex

  • Weight gain

  • Overeating, especially foods high in carbohydrates

  • Difficulty concentrating and processing information, especially in the afternoon

    Source: Mayo Clinic

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    LEARN MORE

    For more information on seasonal affective disorder, visit these sites:

    American Psychiatric Association: www.healthyminds.org

    The Seasonal Affective Disorder Association: www.sada.org.uk

    National Alliance on Mental Illness: www.nami.org

    National Mental Health Association: www.nmha.org

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    Kanani Kamekona flew from Maui to O'ahu to do one thing this spring break: hang out at Sandy's.

    So far, that hasn't happened. Instead, Kamekona spent her time inside looking out — at cloudy skies and dripping rain.

    "I'm so bummed," said the 17-year-old senior at King Kekaulike High School, who was shopping at Ala Moana Center with her sister, Pua, on Wednesday. "All I wanted to do was go to the beach. That's why I came out here in the first place."

    Hawai'i has certainly experienced its share of rain — plus some. We're well into our sixth week of wet weather, which started in late February and is forecast to last (at least) through the weekend.

    Skies will continue to be partly cloudy today with light to moderate showers, according to the National Weather Service's Honolulu office.

    The torrential rain and house-shaking thunderstorms may be over — for now — but the partly cloudy conditions can still affect one thing: your mood.

    It's the gloom that accompanies gray skies — and you don't have to be in Seattle to experience it.

    "There's a definite connection between these wintery, rainy days and an increased feeling of the blues," said Thomas Cummings, a clinical psychologist and president of the Hawaii Psychological Association.

    It's gone on so long that people are starting to wonder whether they're suffering from seasonal affective disorder — otherwise known as SAD — a depressive disorder that goes beyond the winter blahs.

    SAD is a cyclical condition, with symptoms that appear only during a particular season — typically winter — then go away. Symptoms include lethargy and overeating.

    To battle the blues, it's best to stay active and positive, experts advise. Staying indoors, skipping workouts and not spending time with friends because of the weather can contribute to a depressed mood.

    "When it's many days gloomy and rainy like this, we don't get out and do the things that keep us active," Cummings said. "And there are hundreds of studies that show how exercise combats depression, especially when you're talking about moderate depression."

    Mana Purdy, 16, can't believe the rainy weather has lasted so long — and into his spring break.

    "I'm bummed because I wanted to go surfing, but it's raining and stormy," said the active sophomore at Hawaii Preparatory Academy, waiting outside Ann Taylor at Ala Moana Center while his mom shopped. "I get depressed whenever we get this kind of weather. I feel down."

    What Purdy is feeling isn't uncommon during these long spells without sunshine, Cummings said.

    "All of us get the blues now and then," Cummings said. "It's just more frequent when these factors — bad weather, lack of exercise — combine."

    Janelle Wykes of McCully said she's over the wet weather, which has kept her indoors for weeks.

    An avid surfer and beach-goer, Wykes has hit the beach only once in nearly two months.

    "You just don't want to go anywhere when it's raining," said the 27-year-old stay-at-home mom, who was shopping at Ala Moana Center with her daughter, Kylie Inman. "Everybody is so grouchy and ornery ... It's crazy."

    Plans to hang out at the beach were scratched due to the rainy weather and subsequent sewage spills. So instead, they spent most of the week at home, watching TV or playing Xbox.

    "It's hard to get out of bed," said Kylie, 9, a fourth-grader at Kuhio Elementary School who slipped in the mud on Tuesday and sprained her wrist. "I don't like going out in the rain."

    Wykes said the rain gets her down, but not to the point where she can't motivate herself to leave the house.

    And she remains optimistic.

    "We're hoping to go to the (Hawaiian Waters Adventure Park) if the sun ever comes out," she said.

    To boost her mood, she bought herself a White Chocolate Mocha Frappuccino — with whipped cream — from Starbucks.

    "It helps," she said, smiling.

    Reach Catherine E. Toth at ctoth@honoluluadvertiser.com.