Totally Dreading Winter

[birling16]

My thinking is I'm OKish menatlly at the moment. Not much in the wellness bank though. I absolutely know mood will deteriorate when the darkness comes.
Have a SAD lamp and know about nutrition and so on. I just find it a slog.

Fingers crossed we are going to have a much colder, blue sky winter this year with sunny days. It’s the endless rain and grey cloud followed by darkness that depresses me. Apparently it’s looking like it’s going to be quite a dry clear winter so fingers crossed.

For thr first time ever I'm dreading winter no idea why, I'm usually ok with thr change of seasons. Realised today that sunrise today was 7.10 am, darkness is closing in.

Same here.
For me, it's not only that it saps my happiness. It's also the little things like not being able to dry my washing on the line as quickly, driving in the dark, heating bills, losing my evening walks around the fields...I dread it. Roll on Spring.

Same. My house gets very little sun in winter, garden gets none at all, but it gets the full force of the wind and rain on one side. I worry about leaks and tiles all the time.

It's a sense of isolation for me. Of being " different from". No community, no friends popping in, dislike Christmas. Have to put the work in.

I feel ya girl, I’m also dreading winter and I pretty much do every year. However my top tips are:

1. Make your favourite nutritious comfort foods, for me these are chillis, stews, bolognese, fish pies. Plenty of vegetables.
2. Take high strength vitamin D.
3. Try to get as much sunlight and natural light as possible with walks outside.
4. HYGGE - get cosy, candles, blankets, hot water bottles, cacao, hot chocolate.
5. Try to plan some nice things in the diary - for me it’s going to a spa, massages, going to see the lights being switched on, facial.
6. EXERCISE

Best of luck x

Me too op. I absolutely loathe it. It's not even the cold so much... although I don't enjoy that..it's the darkness. When the weather is grey, I feel so lethargic and low. I really need to see some blue skies to feel ok and some sun. November and December are the worst for me. Once January comes I know the days are slowly getting longer. I also have a sad lamp...it helps a bit. But each year I'm finding winter gets harder and harder for me to deal with. My dream is to emigrate.

I definitely think these feelings are exasperated by Christmas and the weather...I am always pleased to see January comes round and know Christmas is over for another year

Would you consider going to church?
Some churches are very open in fostering a community without the need for belief of a higher.
And you don’t have to tell anyone anyway, you can go and give thanks just as you are for being here.

Thank You, I have tried, might give it another go. Used to go to SA but felt bad as not a believer. Also it was very full on. Tried local Church, cried throughout the entire service, nobody spoke to me. The talk was how they were God's chosen people.

What’s SA?
It will take more than one visit and maybe going to a few different churches to find a community that feels right for you

We have a very welcoming church if England old church with bells close - how about bell ringing?

I wouldn’t cope with any we are God’s people brigade something a bit more lightweight

If you find one it can be a time to use the theme of the service to philosophise internally for an hour or so.

Our church does coffee morning, toddler group, quiz night. Not saying you will get a community instantly but it could be a start and give you a reason to leave the house at the weekend.

@Comedycook you say it's the darkness that gets to you & your dream is to emigrate but do be careful if you manage to fulfill that dream. Lots of warmer countries, being nearer the equator, have days & nights that are more equal in length so you could be somewhere that's warm & still dark.

I've spent some time in Africa and realised there how much I love our long summer evenings in the UK. The price for them is, however, short days and long nights in the winter, both of them often dark. I'd hate those extreme north places that stay light all summer and remain dark all winter, though.

I can only suggest filling your home with light - fairy lights, lamps, whatever it takes, and embracing it as someone suggested with hearty, warming foods and cosiness.

You'll get through it. We'll get through it.

SA = Salvation Army, I think.

Thank You, Salvation Army.

Yes I've noticed that...one of my obsessions is checking temperatures and sunrise/sunset times at random places across the world! 😂

At least I'm hoping that once my DC are grown up, we can have several holidays a year to warm/sunny places to at least break up the year a bit.

@Rightsraptor my dream is not to emigrate. A week away would help. No chance. Thanks though!

I'm very cold already and I'm worried how I'm going to heat my house for the next 6 months. I already pay an extortionate amount for gas and electricity so I'm trying to cut back.

Apparently? And how do you know how the winter is going to look like three months in advance ? You should not give false hope to someone who is struggling mentally.

Find a local pub or cafe
Take a newspaper or book

Fill your evenings reading escape fiction or an online course about something you want to learn about

Search Facebook for local interest groups build up posts until you feel confident enough to go to a meet up

Find organised winter nature walks, finding mushrooms or bats Nordic walking

How much cash & outdoor space do you have?
I want a garden sauna, I am going to clear a space for one this year and make my case for installation next year

Have you got a suitable house for a couple of cats? Something to look after even a tank of fish

Nothing comes to people easy you need to put in time money effort - walk around your neighbourhood, read notice boards, decorate your interior, start creating the house and lifestyle you want. Do a jigsaw, listen to music, create a reading corner, get a fancy coffee machine, learn a new winter hot cocktail, bake a sticky toffee pudding

you can feed your brain to release endorphins

Obama going to take apart a spring mattress today and try and get it into 2 rubble bags - pointless perhaps but there’s plenty more to take tip and it will make a difference - random I understand- but I am interested to see how small it breaks down to. This sort of thing keeps me occupied for hours. Yes the house becomes a tip but it’s only temporary

and that’s how to think of winter - it’s only temporary - our nature needs it to shut down and have the energy come spring - winter is not going to go away anytime soon

and we’ve had a fantastic summer this year, too hot and dry in many ways but Vit D levels have been replenished

life is what you make it @birling16 whatever that is

If you look on the mental health board op, there's a 2025/26 SAD thread...there was one last year too which really helped me out.

I could have written that myself! The absolute worst thing is the darkness - dark in the morning, dark in early afternoon, dark during the day when it's gloomy - horrible! I am not one for hot chocolate, pyjamas and 'snuggling' either so that doesn't help. You mention emigrating - I wish I had done that some years ago - a PP mentioned that many countries get dark early just as we do, but I think the difference is that it is still warm enough to sit outside and not as all-enveloping like darkness in this country is!!

Me too!
I'm struggling already with the evenings drawing in.
I loathe all the hygge hot choc snuggles bollocks so am trying to find other ways of lifting my mood for the months ahead

And I've booked a sunny holiday for February to get me through

Yeah same...I don't need to snuggle under a blanket and eat soup...unless I'm unwell!

Despise winter.

Cold. Miserable. Damp.