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If you're feeling cranky and don't give a toss about anything without quite understanding why, the miserable weather could be to blame.
Waikato University social psychology lecturer Cate Curtis says seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is common during the winter months.
Symptoms range from feeling low, lethargic and irritable to not sleeping, having difficulty concentrating and impaired memory.
But Dr Curtis said those who weren't SAD-afflicted were often as likely to suffer mood changes with the awful weather.
"Research suggests that temperature, not being able to go outside, humidity, strong winds and stormy weather do affect people's moods and their cognitive ability, their ability to concentrate and their likelihood to help people," said Dr Curtis.
"Arguably, it's related to things like boredom and being cooped up with the same people all the time."
Dr Curtis said getting outside - "particularly in the brief patches of sun" - could have an "immediate effect" on a person's mood, which could be bad news for the Bay of Plenty, Rotorua, Gisborne and Hawkes Bay, which MetService says should expect lower-than-normal sunshine hours this month and next.
In reasonably temperate climates, spring was often the time when people's moods picked up, although in summer things could sometimes get out of hand.
"In really hot weather people tend to get more aggressive and violent, and that seems to be in part around their difficulty in controlling temperature but also around people being out and about with more interactions."
Meanwhile, the nation's mood is about to be tested again as more gloomy weather is forecast for the next few days - whoever you ask.
The Radio Network's weather analyst, Philip Duncan, said a series of weather fronts in a low system "expected to grow to the size of Australia" was to hit New Zealand today.
But MetService severe weather forecaster Andy Downs said that while squally thunderstorms, hail and intense showers were expected in western parts of both islands from today, the approaching storm was nothing extraordinary.
"Obviously there's a bit of concern for the Waikato catchment because they've had so much rain but in regard to this being somehow something more than usual it's a bit of a winter storm," he said.
But Mr Duncan said the series of fronts from the Tasman Sea would bring heavy rain, gales and thunder to both islands starting tonight until possibly next Wednesday.
Mr Downs said a strong disturbed west to northwest flow covering most of New Zealand would bring unsettled weather, and up to 100mm of rain could fall in the Taupo catchment area tomorrow.
Heavy rain was also likely in the Tararua Ranges, parts of Taranaki and eastern Bay of Plenty, especially near the ranges, tomorrow and early Saturday.
A cold southerly flow bringing possible heavy snow in the Deep South is expected to spread through both islands over the weekend.
