Have you found yourself checking the weather app to figure out what you’re going to wear that day? Has the news you’ve received ever taken your motivation to get out of bed? Or how about seeing the news about the new 26 tornado warnings on TikTok? Global warming is profoundly impacting teen mental health worldwide, causing rising rates of “eco-anxiety,” a chronic fear of environmental doom that comes along with distress, sadness, and depression. In addition, there is already a biological, chemical and behavioral connection with weather as sunlight boosts serotonin and decreases melatonin, making bright days energizing, while overcast or cold, rainy days often cause low energy, sadness, and social withdrawal.

We asked Ledyard High School teens whether or not they base their outfits off the weather in the morning, and if they do, how it makes them feel. With the superlative title of “Best Dressed,” Kohl Lewis said that the weather, “Has a lot of impact; in the summer my style gets a little worse cause in comparison the colder weather allows me to wear layers, which I feel is the key to any outfit, but jorts are my turn around to make sure I’m still a little swag.” This statement helps support the idea that the weather could also affect one’s mood since Lewis also said, “If I have an outfit I’m not proud of, I feel like I’m having a bad day.” Although Lewis will never be caught dead in a bad outfit, it’s a consensus that if your outfit is not up to par by your standards, you won’t feel the best, and since the weather forces you to dress more logistically instead of fashionably, one could say the weather could make you feel better or worse when it comes to your outfit. Senior Dariangelee Gonzalez agrees with Lewis that when it comes to weather, it definitely dictates what she wants to wear as she says, “If it’s gloomy weather, I just wanna put on some sweats and I don’t really care much what I look like, and if it’s sunny out, I wanna dress less casual and a little dressier, and be more presentable.” Although this idea may seem obvious, it roots are deeper, mentally and biologically.

When it comes to productivity, especially in the school environment, the weather has a huge impact. Contrary to intuition, bad weather actually increases productivity. Researchers found that a lack of external distractions forces employees to focus more on their tasks, resulting in higher efficiency. In addition, feeling comfortable, warm, and secure in their clothes helps teens stay focused and undistracted by physical discomfort, which is crucial for managing moods in school environments, where students are already more irritable. Likewise, sunny days can lower productivity due to “distraction effects.” When the weather is nice, employees are more likely to think about other activities and opportunities, resulting in decreased performance. Senior Yesenia Stein feels like this is obvious, articulating, “I feel like everyone feels that way, I want to be outside of school and enjoying the weather, but being inside rotting away does really make me focus on school.” Agreeing with Stein’s statement, Gonzalez claims, “If it’s gloomy weather, I’m already in a bad mood and more lazy. Since I’m obligated to stay inside, I feel less productive since I have nowhere to go.” 

So we leave it up to you. How do you feel the weather affects your productivity?

However, when it comes to biological reasoning as to how the weather makes you feel and how clothing also has an impact on that, it’s the opposite. When it comes to sunny days, people typically partake in dopamine dressing, which is when one wears vibrant colors and breathable fabric, which affects the amount of dopamine you can get. The same goes when it comes to cold and dreary days, people wear comfortable, soft fabrics (like cotton) which can boost moods, and it acts as a form of self-expression, increasing confidence. Now winter/cold weather affects dopamine in an autonomic way. People will wear muted colors and heavy, restrictive layers, which can make days feel mundane and lead to feeling emotionally flat. In addition, improperly dressing for cold can lead to internalizing problems that might not have been apparent previously, for example,like anxiety. Summer, however, does have its negatives as poorly choosing heavy clothing in heat can increase cortisol (stress hormones), irritability, and poor focus. Nevertheless, junior Davis Hill disagrees, stating, “I like the way my outfits feel with no regard to the weather. Why let the weather dictate what I wear? I feel like that’s a societal norm.” 

Overall, weather seems to not just make the world go round but also us as humans. It affects our moods, our dress, and even our productivity, to starting off the day and being most guided by what their day will include, to ending the day on a good or bad note. 

Ariana Gutierrez, Staff Leader

Senior Ariana Gutierrez is a staff writer for the 2025-2026 Colonel News site. She likes reading, dilly dallying, and talking WAY too much.