Thread for anyone struggling at the thought of long dark evenings #hotchocandhyggetypesnotyourthread

[Hobnobswantshernameback]

I hate the long dark evenings.
I know they are inevitable.
But every year is worse. Think it's also coupled to menopause symptoms where my general mood and anxiety levels are dreadful.
During the working week November to T he end of February I barely see daylight.
I try and get as much as I can but it's tricky to get outside during the working day
i take vitamin D. I exercise as much as I can.
I do try and embrace the seasons. But I just feel really daunted this year by the thought of it being dark so early
anyone want to commiserate or share any coping strategies
And no I don't want to snuggle under a blankie with a hot choc
just in case anyone thinks that's what I need 😂

And once again I'm going to tell you that you really are clueless. Do you go round telling people to smile it might never happen?

One of the biggest things for me is artificial light....I hate the feeling of not being able to see very well, it feels like I'm peering into the gloom. Does anyone have any suggestions for a more natural light bulb?

No, I have more emotional intelligence and life experience than that. Throwing insults is cheap entertainment, not for the likes of me. I’m also not exasperated. I’m incredulous that people who are complaining about something are so lacking in willingness to do something about it, or are so accepting of the inevitability of their misery that they want an exclusive place to be miserable together, a place where anyone who might be able to help alleviate they misery is booed off. I mean, if someone on MN posts about their weight problems, or relationship problems, or whatever they generally don’t do so in order to wallow. They do so with a view to improving, changing, getting out of their miserable misfortunes. You lot - it’s honestly like “leave us alone, we’re miserable and don’t want anyone to say anything other than that they’re miserable too”.

In any event (and this’ll annoy some amongst you, I’m sure) I don’t even live in the U.K. anymore. Don’t worry, my current climate is a more extreme version of yours so I too have the scope to be morose! But our clocks went back yesterday and I’m about to take my kids to school in the blazing sunshine. Don’t worry though, we’ll all be returning in the dark.

Another one here that struggles with the gloom and cold of this time of year.
I do try and get out during the daylight, but I'm not convinced it helps on a day like today when it is so grey and damp.

Most people would just shrug and scroll on past a thread that is quite obviously one that's not designed for them, but no - you're incredulous (and well as tone deaf).

Why do you think anyone would be annoyed you don't live in the UK or worried about whether you'll be coming back from school in the dark? I can't imagine anyone will be remotely interested or will care a jot.

I'm sure someone last year shared some bulb suggestions
Work lighting is horrible and given that I'm there 8 hours a day that's the main problem

Stop
feeding
it

I know, I know...

Thanks for the light bulb suggestion, I'll have to see if I can find that post (easier said than done since the advanced search option changed - boo hiss @MN) and will see what I can find online.

I know the advance search is the pits now
honestly I'm channeling my inner parent of a teenager voice
Ignore the attention seeking
ignore the attention seeking
ignore....

You're absolutely right, sorry for adding to the drama.

It's ok
some posters could cause an argument locked in an empty room
if I wasn't so tired I'd have sent them a swift ODFOD

I hear you OP: 'berry scented" candles and' hot chocolate snuggles' bring me out in hives so am setting my sights on powering through and trying to ignore the whole bloody thing. Our dog is a whinge fest in the wind and rain, never walks fast enough and will often flatly refuse if it looks too wet so this morning I took the initiative and just went out without her. Managed a good hour, at speed, in the best light the day had to offer, so feel a little better.
Good call with the vit D.. I'll get some in.
*and before everyone jumps on me, yes, I took her out when I got back, just for a pootle at her speed.

I was diagnosed with SAD a few years ago. We change the lightbulbs to natural spectrum lightbulbs in winter which helps me immensely, I also have a SAD lamp which makes the winter tolerable. I also take vitamin D. I count down until the end of January, by then you can see the nights slowly getting longer and the mornings lighter by nearly an hour.

OK, I've done a quick search and Wilkos have a really good range of daylight lumens bulbs at very reasonable prices www.wilko.com/en-uk/home/lighting/light-bulbs/daylight-bulbs/c/daylight-bulbs

There's also something called full spectrum lighting which seems to muddy the waters a bit, but there's a bit about that here www.waveformlighting.com/human-centric/everything-you-need-to-know-about-full-spectrum-lighting

Then I got a bit confused because full spectrum lights seem to be advertised as being for plants...can they be used for SAD too, I wonder?

There is this one, but a bit pricey for one bulb - although cheaper than a SAD lamp www.blockbluelight.co.uk/products/full-spectrum-light-bulb

I use these bulbs. They’re pricey but worth it. I use them in the morning until the natural light comes up and from 4pm until around 8pm.

That's good to know @WinterWitchy - those appeared in my search above and I wasn't sure whether they were worth it. I take it they're not that harsh kind of light you get with LEDs or other power saving bulbs? Or conversely the ones that hardly seem to light the room?

I absolutely hate this time of year and I make no apologies about it. I can't see anything positive about looking out of the window at 4.30 pm.and it's pitch black. It's just so damn depressing. It wouldn't be so bad if we got all these lovely bright crisp days that the winter lovers go on about. That is not the reality of winter at all here in the UK. 90% of the time is just relentlessly grey and dull.
It's all very well saying snuggle up under a blanket with a hot choccie (ffs). That's all well and good if you haven't got to go out for any reason. I hate being cold, I hate being wet, I hate scraping ice off the car, I hate wearing layer upon layer of clothes. I hate umbrellas, I hate coats, I hate jumpers. But I do love boots so there is that.
I love getting up in the morning to daylight, putting on lightweight clothes, seeing the blue sky, listening to the birds, seeing all the flowers blooming, pottering around for however long I want to in the evening, having long afternoons in the garden with family and friends.
The only thing that stops me going away somewhere warm for a holiday this time of year is, I couldn't bear coming back to cold, wet, miserable weather.

@SirChenjins no they're not harsh. a video that explains the difference

I’m signing in too. Was on a thread last year too and it was helpful writing down stuff. My winter went off the rails when DH was hospitalised with Covid then it was one thing after another.
the weather has a huge impact on my mood and I really need to challenge myself adapting to winter so looking for some support and good ideas with like minded souls.
im worried about fuel bills too. Have ordered a heated throw and it’s made my mornings a bit more bearable. I need to dig out my SAD lamp. If anything it helps me focus a bit better due to my poor eyesight. I think I keep mines too far away to substitute the vitamin D effect.

I posted this a few days ago but it starts getting lighter at night, only by a few seconds at first, from the 19th December (so I treasure those extra two days)
If you're wondering why it's not the 21st, it's because for those two days it gets darker in the morning by more than it gets lighter at night, so they're still shorter.

I look at the sky around dusk and see that it's getting lighter and it really does help, even though it's still long dark evenings. Before long at all it starts getting lighter by two minutes a day so it becomes noticeable. If you work and it's always dark, try to look out on a day off. You can see a difference of anything between 10 and 15 minutes in a week.

Apart from that my other tip is to take a good vitamin B complex as well as vit D. The B vits support mood but are used up by the body during stress. And as they're water soluble you also pee them out so replenishing them daily with a supplement helps you cope better.

I found it worse as I've got older. I used to get out and do an evening class/exercise class after work and that really helped. I've got in a rut of just going home.

Try and get out at the weekend as much as possible. But it's rained so much where I am it's really hard.

Going to wfh on decent days so can get out at lunchtime.

The only thing keeping me going is the fact it's 43 days until 21/12. When I can tell myself the worst is over and the nights are drawing out again.

43 sleeps and counting . . . .

I come from a tropical country where is is 25 year around except for 3 months where it is 35. I complained bitterly in the summer! Guess am just a moaner.

I am just off to have a v late lunch in my neighbourhood Vietnamese. Spicy food makes it better.

See my post above. 41 sleeps!!! (I've just bought you two days.)

And if helps a bit more, it doesn't actually get darker between the 11th and the 18th, so you can tell yourself from the 11th that at least it won't get any worse.

I feel your pain ladies

I hate the winter gloom. I hate the grey sky's and relentless rain. I hate wetvwashing and it being gloomy inside. I hate jumpers and frankly killing scumbags being illegal.
It's depressing and cabin fever inducing. I hate the glare of headlights and again not being allowed the kill the drivers of cars who fucking blind you because they are to dumb or selfish to give a shit. I hate our leaky door I hate the filth and dust of our fire and traipsing damp fuel inside from outside. I hate restoring the waterproof tarpaulin again and again after stormy weather, I hate wet socks and tasteless tomatoes, I hate soup and condensation I hate bring to broke to spend Nov, jan and Feb somewhere sunnierdust.i hate forcing myself to walk the dogs in lashing rain trying to hold onto my hood as cold water trickles inside my coat, I hate the dogs boredom and the in out in out.

I feel only bank robberies, illegal drugs and plotting and accomplishing murder followed by a disco could make me happy in November.