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 😂

Well, the sun has come out now, so I am ignoring the very not clean and tidy house and charging out for a walk.

Sod housework 😂 get some ☀️

I definitely have less motivation/energy at this time of the year. I'm looking round our flat at the moment and cannot be bothered to start tidying or cleaning. I definitely have less people round to visit in Winter, so maybe that's why I can't be bothered.

The thing I hate most about this time of year is standing around in the cold de-icing the car and then doing the same when I leave work. It just adds to what is already a long, stressful day.

Still bumbling along hating the dark. One thing which does help is getting out for a walk - I know it;s difficult and I have to force myself into it, but I do feel better afterwards. I have an app on my phone called World Walking and you can use your steps against any number of virtual walks. I'm currently completing the equivalent of the Camino de Santiago in northern Spain around my suburban streets.

I'm a fully paid up member of the blanket and hot chocolate crew, so I won't stay long as I know this isn't the right thread for me, but DH suffers with SAD and he swears by the Lumie Vitamin L lamp. He basically spends all day basking in front of it like a lizard this time of year, I hate being in front of it, turns off all my snuggling on the sofa with a blanket vibes, but I notice a huge, positive difference to his mood when he's been using it, and a real downturn when he hasn't, so might be worth a try for those of you who really struggle with the lack of light etc. and who haven't tried one already.

Thanks @toastfiend. Today is really gloomy in London and I haven't been able to muster any energy at all.

I was a machine today. Walked to town for heavy shopping in the rain and went swimming. It was so awful heading home dodging puddles, and I couldn't put my ear buds in as my ears were damp, but really glad I did it now.
Only a month of darker evenings left......

I need to dig out my Sad lamp. I managed to get some winter sun yesterday and today and I admit it’s done me the world of good.

I’ve been out with the dog in the torrential rain, ice today and freezing temperatures. I definitely feel the benefits but it feels like a battle just keeping on an even keel in winter. How do all the house-dwelling, blanket-snuggling, electric or candle light-loci g people do it? I feel like I’m suffocating and drowning in the dark.

Never mind an advent calendar, print these out and tick off the days:

Sunrise/sunset times December

Sunrise/sunset times January

I've gone for London, even though I don't live there, but you can find your own (or nearest) town/city.

The earliest sunset is 3.51pm, starting on the 8th and ending on the 17th. On the 18th it's 3.52. But from 18th -21st sunrise is later by more than sunset is later so the days shorten. After the 21st, although sunrise carries on getting later (latest 28th December - 2nd Jan at 8.06am all the days), sunset gets later by more than sunrise gets later so the days lengthen overall.

Other towns and cities may differ by a day because at first we are only talking seconds.

Spot someone who is quite geeky about these things (I'll explain the longest days and sunrise/sunset in June 😁)

I get quite obsessed with day length at this time of year. I think that's why I find November such a struggle, we're losing 4 minutes of daylight a day in Glasgow, which is half an hour a week. In December it's still getting darker, but not as quickly. By 22 January, we're back to 8 hours a day of light and by the middle of Feb it;s really noticeable.

Aaargh it is dire today in London. Am carb loading to console myself and that is not good for my waist!

Hail, rain, thunder and lightning here
oh joy
hope everyone plodding on ok

Four weeks today until the shortest day, I'm counting them down, then there's a light at the end of the tunnel 😊

I was born on 21 December so have felt cheated all my life and envied those with summer birthdays.
I don’t like winter when it’s dark and wet but bright frosty days seem few and far apart.
I’m retired so at least I can make the most of any decent days, I simply hibernate on the bad days apart from dragging DDog out for walks.
At this time of year my energy levels plummet and nothing I try makes a difference.
I commiserate with fellow sufferers.

@HeraldicBlazoning blimey half an hour a week does sound quite drastic!

I got out in the sun today for a quick half hour. I'm trying to collect one nature item and take one photo every time I get out there. I have a neuro appointment tomorrow to see why I can't walk properly. I'm worried they'll find something and worried they won't, if you see what I mean.

@CoffeandTiaMaria you'll hate me! My birthday is 21 June! Why don't you start a summer birthday?

Oh my!! I am absolutely dragging myself out of bed!

Yes this one seems particularly hard and I think it's partly because like everyone we're not putting the heating on much so just feeling cold a LOT and it's very tiring, if you know what I mean.

This - and do not even think about buying teddy fleece bedding! Total bliss, but I need a grenade under the bed to get me out. Luckily I can still get dressed under the duvet (thank you Pilates and yoga).

Barely seen any sunshine for what seems like forever but I'm trying to keep popping the vitamin D and getting as much light as I can
just back from the gym and feel much better for hit
am a bit head down and get on with it at the minute but boy could i do with some sun on my face

I'd absolutely love a summer birthday BBQ, how much more fun then trying to find a restaurant that isn't booked up with Christmas parties. Thanks mum.

We're fine up until Christmas..then we used to hate January, February and the beginning of March. It's a big chunk of our lives so we stared going away each month in winter-
We do a week in the sun, a Monday to Friday in a lodge with a log burner, sauna and hot tub in the UK and a city break somewhere either UK or abroad. It breaks it all up and gives us something to look forward to and stops us from vegging out inside too much.

Having a winter birthday myself, I used to dream of a summer one. Then I realised just how many of my friends’ May-August birthdays had either got rained off (wonderful British summer!), cancelled due to summer holiday clashes, postponed due to exams…

I’ll stick with my Burns Night birthday, thanks. 🥃

Great idea!

I find being a pagan and observing the old festivals helps. For me, Samhain (Halloween) is about the death of light and of the year. I feel I can't fight the dying of the light, so embrace it (which often means a lot of shit poetry about death, decay, dark, leaf mould etc 😆).
Then, solstice is all about sun return! Dance around bonfires and get pissed!
Then in early February, you have Imbolc (Candlemas). A time to focus on the running waters and the very first kindling of spring.

And then it's spring, so you've got through another winter. Then the dread starts to build around Lammas (early August) at the thought of another winter approaching...😬