Getting through the winter

[PeacheyPeach]

I know we are not even in Autumn yet but I have a sense of dread about the winter months!!
I hate the cold and how dark it gets so early!
How do you all cope with the winter?
What do you do for activities so that you're not just at home with the curtains drawn by 4pm !!

I joined a community choir last winter - I am still a member, its great! A nice bright room once a week to go to, with a cup of tea before we start and a couple of hours of singing. Blows the cobwebs away and I have made nice friends too.

Also joined a gym. Endorphins is the way to go.

Lamps, candles, battery lights ( I’ve got a string of silver acorns) look pretty.
Stove
Outside as much as possible, always stuff to do in the garden, especially raking up the leaves.

I tend to bath instead of showers in winter, love a long soak.

Read more. I’m going to make some 12 days of Christmas felt decorations, bought the kit last year but didn’t get round to sewing them.
Baking

Have a dog so get out all year round but more important in the winter to get out in daylight at the weekend as all the pre and post work walks will be dark.
I love autumn but hate the 4pm darkness in winter. I do notice that after Christmas the light changes as the nights slowly get brighter from 22/12. It gives me hope.I like spotting the changes on long dog walks.

Also enjoy cooking roasts and other winter foods like soups, pies etc after all the Mediterranean foods and salads over the summer. Haven’t had a roast for months!

I hate the darkness most of all.
But I enjoy winter fires, crisp walks, homemade soup, casserole and dumplings. I always plan to make Christmas decorations and rarely do.

Oh there are some fab suggestions thank you ❤️
Think being outside as much as possible is the way forward for me , I will make sure we get lots of walks in , I think maybe I should plan them and go for a nice pub lunch on the way home!

I'm more worried about the heating bills......

nice glowy lamps & gorgeous essential oil scents in the diffuser

Thoroughly recommend a SAD lamp. John Lewis sell them. It makes mornings feel less grim. Also second normal lamps and fairy lights to make the house feel brighter.

I assume a winter sun holiday isn’t an option? DH prefers going away in winter over a summer break because you benefit more from the weather!

I take vitamin D and have a light box for SAD. I loathe the darkness and once the clocks go back count the days until the Winter solstice and the nights start drawing out again.

I try to focus on all the fun events and plan lots of fun things for those - Halloween trick or treating and a Halloween party with friends, bonfire night, we celebrate thanksgiving as we have American family, and then Christmas and NYE. I always find these get me through October til Dec. I find Jan to March harder to get through as there is so little happening.

Yes but focus on January being lighter than December!

My list of winter things to do (I know they are bespoke but OP asked for ideas):

Declutter the kid's enormous pile of old school books, intention is to keep a couple of bits from each child from each school year and recycle/bin the rest.

Sort out a couple/few photo albums. As with everyone I have about 100,000 digital photos so need to get a selection printed out into albums.

And sort out house admin, shread old insurance documents that sort of thing.

Make some linen clothes for next summer, summers are not going to get cooler, I like linen but struggle to find what I want when I want it so I will make some if I start in winter I might have something by the summer.

Learn how to play one or two songs on piano, something fun, George Michael or Guns'n'Roses. Total beginner but everyone has to start somewhere.

I like the relatively new solve the murder case file games, you get suspect photos and autopsy reports etc and play detective. I have a couple of these to play then pass on.

Master Indian chai from scratch.

Will still go out, walks, panto, theatre, exercise and read.

Yes I have started taking vitamin D and I think that I will take a multivitamin as well x just to give me a top up,
Thinking of getting some nice warm lounge suits so I can feel cozy when I'm at home without wearing my pajamas,
Love the idea of sorting out the kids rooms ( especially when they are at school!) And I've got some messy cupboards of my own to sort out,
Think I will try and be more social and have people over more often at the weekends instead of being a hermit!

Join a book club or set yourself a winter book reading challenge.

Plan exercise now with a weekly routine. If you can get to a class or gym, great. Otherwise, home videos. And as much good old fashioned walking outdoors as possible.

New hobby - colouring, knitting, card making, singing. Whatever tickles your pickle. Maybe you could use it to help with Christmas?

Home cooking new recipes - dig out the cookbooks.

Book in some activities to look forward to. Such as theatre, light shows etc. Around Christmas, if that's your thing.

Routine + excitement + healthiness = winter survival

Having clothes that you can go out in all weathers is a game changer. Plenty of thin layers so you're not bulked up, good, warm walking shoes. Then get out as much as possible. Often we miss a good day as it can look so much worse they the window than when we're out embracing it.

Early walks with friends, stopping for a coffee somewhere. Or on your own stopping off somewhere cosy with a book.

If you're taking vitamin D you need to take magnesium too.

Red wine.

Ohh what is the magnesium for ??

https://pubmed.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/29480918/#:~:text=Magnesium%20assists%20in%20the%20activation,in%20the%20liver%20and%20kidneys.

I still try and get outdoors for a walk and some fresh air, helps me sleep better. I tend to go to bed earlier as l start work very early so l have a shower or bath and listen to some nice music. l don't mind going to bed earlier in the winter.
I also enjoy planning my garden for next year, chose different plants to grow, ideas for changing the borders, pots, etc.
I quite like the winter months, for nature it's a time of deep rest, we should adopt the same rhythm.

I quite like the winter months, for nature it's a time of deep rest, we should adopt the same rhythm.

Amen to that.

I was going to say about rest too. Winter gets easier if you accept that it's natural and normal to have a period of reduced activity for a few months if the year. Try to embrace it.

Why does activity need to reduce in winter in the 21st century when we have electricity? I think keeping activity up will keep endorphins flowing and stave off low mood.

I love the thought about nature being at rest in the winter and us taking the lead from that x

I think my problem comes from feeling bored and restless in the winter months, but that's my attitude that I need to work on! Once it's dark I feel a bit trapped like the day is done and there's nothing else to do but go to bed! So I'm thinking maybe some evening activities even like going out for tea mid week or going to the cinema just so it doesn't feel like I'm in all the time!
I would love a winter holiday abroad but can't really stretch to that this year, and instead of me feeling sad about this or being a bit jealous of others going away I need to just get over that!!!
I like the idea of a project, so I may decorate some of the DCs bedrooms, can't beat fresh paint!!
Definitely will get some magnesium to take along with the vit D, is there anything else that I should be taking??

@YorkieTheRabbit

Do you remember where you got your silver acorn lights from?

I'm trying to find some nice autumn lights. Trying to get away from orange plastic lights.