Hayley Mallen, a kansas University freshman from Kansas City, Kan., uses a textbook to stay dry on Friday.

Gray and dreary.

Wet.

Mother Nature has made it hard to put on a happy face the past couple of days. It probably won’t get easier this weekend with more rain predicted to fall today in the Lawrence area.

The wet conditions can create stress for most people because, well, not many people like to feel large raindrops on their hair or clothing. But the clouds blocking the sunshine can also make it tough on some people’s psyche this weekend.

“There are people who have seasonal affective disorder, and the lack of light is a major problem,” said Marcia Epstein, director of Headquarters Counseling Center in Lawrence.

The nasty weather can also create stress, from worrying about local tornadoes to concerns about family members who might be affected by Hurricane Ike in Texas, she said.

Bad weather can also affect outdoor weekend events that typically get people out of the house, instead making people want to stay home.

The best remedy for people who feel blue due to the rain might be to confide in someone.

“Our approach here is to just let people talk about how they’re feeling,” Epstein said.

By Friday night, several inches of rain had fallen in Lawrence since Thursday, said Craig Painter, 6News meteorologist. Parts of eastern Douglas County received heavier amounts, and a tornado touched down south of Eudora.

Counties to the south were seeing heavier amounts of rain, but Douglas County will still be under a flood watch through this morning as up to 1 more inch could fall.

As for any rays of sunshine to break up the dreariness, that will probably have to wait.

“It looks like by Monday we should be seeing clear skies,” Painter said. “But for the weekend, it’s going to be cloudy and what we’ve seen the past three days.”