How do you find happiness or enjoyment in winter?

[Incogg]

I'm already struggling with the cold and rain and dark. In summer, I often drive out to the countryside for a walk or to the coast for a swim in the sea. If nothing else I sit out in the garden enjoying the sun.
But for the last few weeks I feel like I get in from work, get some tea, and am then just wishing my life away until I can go to bed.

Does anyone else relate? And if not, how do you stay cheerful in winter?

Ah yes. But that’s 32 days.
Im miserable most of 5 months. Genuinely miserable. Don’t want to leave the house even if it’s bright. Don’t enjoy going to do the things that bring me joy. I think that’s why people seem bitter - summer haters have a much better time then bang in about how fabulous cold and damp are if you just put on a big jumper and moan for the whole two months they don’t like. It seems unbalanced.

We get lots of miserable, rainy weather in July and August. There wasn’t much hiding from the sun this year. I think it was nice for about 2 weeks in June. Then again for a week in September.

Those who like shit rainy weather with a variation of about 10 degrees live in the right country. Not sure why you moan after enjoying 6 months of cold and dark. Ooooh it’s 24 degrees for 2 days I can’t cope!

I will give you that of course. There are far more cold and dark days than sunny ones. I also can understand why people hate them so much. I am in a tiny minority of people who love those days. My husband ideal would be to move to Spain when the kids are gone as he adores Summer and thinks I’m nuts.

But I am not moaning. I am saying why I hate Summer but I am not bashing those who love it.

We get lots of miserable, rainy weather in July and August. There wasn’t much hiding from the sun this year. I think it was nice for about 2 weeks in June. Then again for a week in September.

That's it, isn't it? We are in Scotland, we had a couple of nice weeks early June, the rest of the summer was a wash out. A hot summer in Scotland is a total rarity. In contrast, we are guaranteed cold, dark, wet and windy from October - March.

Reading.

Also it’s not just the sun for me, I loathe the long bright nights too. It’s not all about sunny weather. My husband on the other hand adores it and can be out in the garden pottering till 9pm. Horses for courses.

Yes horses for courses. I guess I just struggle to see the appeal of lying on the sofa under a blanket of a dark evening for 5-6 months. (I don’t do this but this is touted as a main reason to love winter). Occasionally maybe.

But summer evenings - sitting in the garden, taking the dog for a walk along the river, going for a run (don’t like running in the dark). Much nicer driving kids to clubs in the light. Meeting friends for outside drinks. BBQs, swimming in my local lake..

Ditto the light mornings - so much more opportunity to get out and about. I feel like it’s the middle of the night at 7am - my body clock hates it - feels like I’m working against it and I’m exhausted.

Plus constant colds and viruses flying around.

But fair play if you love dark and cold and wet.

Hate it, done enjoy any of it. Bring on the Summer.

I'm autistic and for me it's very much a sensory thing.

Summer in the UK is humid, sticky and unpleasant. You have to wear sunscreen or layers to protect your skin. You sweat, you smell, you can't get comfortable because you're hot and sweaty all the time. Our homes aren't designed for the heat so it's not like you can escape it by going inside and sitting with the air-conditioning on. I find being too hot really overwhelming and stressful.

In winter, you can put layers on if you're cold. You know that you can come home, put the heating on and stay warm and cosy all evening. I don't sweat, I don't feel uncomfortable, I don't feel overwhelmed - instead I feel safe and cosy and comfortable.

You make an excellent argument in fairness and I know I may come across as being a bit weird but that’s the way my head is wired . I will admit though that I wish I could embrace Summer a bit more since so many people enjoy it. I must have the opposite of SAD. The wrong way round 😂

Funny you should mention the word safe. That really struck a chord with me. Never realised that before. I don’t get overwhelmed in Winter either. I guess all our brains are different and we find comfort where we can be it Summer or Winter.

feels like I’m working against it and I’m exhausted

This also struck a chord with me. I feel the same in Summer… like I am fighting against it. Lots of food for thought on this thread actually.

I think it’s just different personality types. I feel claustrophobic in winter because of the endless dark. I love being outside - that is restricted in winter. Don’t get me wrong, I love running and walking on a cold, sunny frosty day. The weather doesn’t stop me from getting out - spend hours outside. But the hours of darkness do have an impact on my life and enjoyment.

What I will say is I don’t often recognise the ‘hot, humid, sticky
summers as described on here. Definitely not this year. So imagine the reverse - the sun and heat give you energy yet you don’t get your usual top up in the summer so you’re straight back in to the cold and dark with little respite. It’s tricky for SAD sufferers we need a decent summer which is not guaranteed in this country. (And why we get a little tetchy and argumentative on these threads!).

But without a doubt you can guarantee 5+ months of cold and dreary weather.

We’d be happy with a decent month of sunny weather in summer as so often it’s a complete let down

@Icantbedoingwithit it's definitely just different strokes for different folks.

For me, there are less obligations and pressures in winter too, which definitely helps me feel less overwhelmed!

I still have just as many social events in Winter. What about Christmas? Exhausting amount of pressure and engagements normally when I’m feeling tired and ill. We’re still now catching up with people I didn’t get to see. For once I want to lie at home under a blanket.

The difference is I have to socialise whilst feeling more tired plus loads of low level illness flying around. I’d quite like to hibernate until April/May to be honest.

Christmas just isn't a big social event for me. It's just DH and I at home so it's really not much different to any other day. We both see our parents at some point, but as we're both off work for two weeks, there's very little pressure or rush.

Most of my social life revolves around being outside with the dogs, so it's naturally limited in winter by work and the weather.

I am thinking of joining a local choir.

I have booked a hair restyle end of January.

Gives things to look forward to!

We get lots of miserable, rainy weather in July and August. There wasn’t much hiding from the sun this year. I think it was nice for about 2 weeks in June. Then again for a week in September
I am one of the few people who liked the weather this summer. Never got too hot, and the rain days gave me a good balance of being out with the kids and at home during the hols.

I agree with PP that in winter you can control your temperature but you can’t escape the heat when it’s hot in summer. I hate that. When it’s too hot I just don’t want to do anything, I’m too hot. I can be more active and outdoors when it’s cold. I even like running in the rain, so that doesn’t stop me either. Only heat.

Also agree with PP that I hate the long light nights. I go to bed earlier than most people so long nights really don’t suit me.

I have embraced hygge: the joy of coziness and comfort, mindful of the important things: family and friends, peace, calm, nature
It's helping with my mental health over the winter too.

@cardibach Maybe I need to move nearer to the equator…

I've been thinking this for a while. I think because we've got the gulf and jet streams here we forget how far north we are in the UK but really our daylight varies massively over 12 months, not helped by bloody daylight saving. I've lived further south and for me it's a nice balance. Winter goes on so fucking long here and it's dark for less than eight hours in summer which is bad for circadian rhythms.

And yes, most self-proclaimed winter lovers have spent the entire thread talking about the things they do to make themselves feel happy that alleviate the discomfort of winter. I think that's what other folk are getting annoyed at - the refusal to accept what they're doing. Rhapsodic accounts of spending months under a blanket just means you like blankets.

And yes, most self-proclaimed winter lovers have spent the entire thread talking about the things they do to make themselves feel happy that alleviate the discomfort of winter. I think that's what other folk are getting annoyed at - the refusal to accept what they're doing. Rhapsodic accounts of spending months under a blanket just means you like blankets.

This makes no sense to me

Yes, I like blankets but I can't sit and get cosy under a warm blanket when it's 30 degrees outside and I'm sweating just walking down the street. Ergo I like winter because it means I can sit under blankets - just like the summer lovers like summer because it means they can do all the outdoorsy things they enjoy.

It’s basically do you like to sit under a blanket for 6 months or do you like to get out and about in the daylight.

If we had perpetual sunshine for 9 months of the year I would lose my mind. I can understand how the summer lovers can feel short changed in regard to the weather and how Winter could bring them down when it lasts for so long. That is totally understandable.