To absolutely dread winter

[Notagoodtime]

I love this time of year. My kids are so much easier to entertain with paddling pools, trips to beach and picnics. We eat outside and have so much time outdoors. No house to heat so energy bills lower too.
I’m just dreading the winter months where the kids seem to pick up every germ that’s going. It’s dark at 4:30 and I find it so much harder to get up on dark mornings. I have so much more energy in the summer.

Moving to a warmer country is not an option so Any suggestions on how to embrace the winter months! I feel a bit panicky just thinking about the winter months.

I didn't hate winter until we got a dog. Now said dog is constantly caked in mud/cow shit from October- May. That said I spend most of summer chasing away from eating wasps.

It all seemed such a good idea at the time....

Oh god, the gloves. The endless hunt for matching gloves. Where the hell do they go?

I get depressed in Summer, I absolutely HATE it. With a passion.

I am living for Winter, I love the dark mornings and the dark evenings, blazing fire, cold weather etc.

I do know I am in the minority though!

Agree with this. That time of year is very bleak and usually the light is so grey that everything looks grey and depressing. Only the spring flowers starting to appear save my mental health.

No hate winter. It drags on, cold dark and depressing. No sitting in the garden, no picnics, washing takes ages to dry high bills.
Can understand why people go abroad to live.

There's nothing wrong with having a preference and nothing wrong with struggling but after two decades on MN, I'm perpetually surprised that people can't exercise their opinions without denigrating other people for different experiences or for trying to make suggestions.

I loathe summer and find it makes me genuinely ill. I can't manage beaches and suncream and ice cream and I don't find any pleasure in being outside in the heat. But intellectually, I understand why people do like it and I welcome suggestions and ideas for how I can adapt to its inevitability.

It's not as simple as saying there's nothing to embrace about an entire season. I used to whinge the summer away but as I've aged, I've tried to find ways to make it bearable and even to find moments of pleasure.

If winter makes you depressed and miserable then that's something to be talked about of course. But it's possible to do that without wishing ill on people who have made suggestions because they thought they were helping.

Can't say I'm particularly fond of winter either. Hate being cold. I can semi cope if it's freezing cold but it's dry and there is no wind, that's fine. It's when it's cold, wet and windy it makes me as miserable as sin. It doesn't help either that as a community carer I barely have time to dry off before having to go back out in it again so I spend most of the day unable to feel my fingers or toes. Wearing a double layer of socks just makes my feet feel like they're suffocating. Getting up in the dark, going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark is mega depressing and when it's Icy and the roads are treacherous trying to keep your car from not skidding off into another car is no fun either. My car ended up with £1400 worth of damage last year when it spun off the road at a roundabout and smashed into some railings. I was barely driving above 10mph but it was enough to bend the arm of the steering column. The roads had literally gone from being a little frozen but perfectly fine to drive on, to covered in a thick layer of slippery ice with snow over the top an hour later. Now don't get me wrong I love snow, when I'm not having to drive in it. I would say the only good thing this year is I have central heating to be able to get my washing dried within a day but given the increase in energy prices I'm doubtful that will be going on much if at anytime this year.

I agree OP.

I also have SAD and the dark days make me feel really low.

I hate the cold and rain - it badly affects my asthma.

I love spring and summer though

I buy a huge pack of magic gloves from Amazon - you can buy them by the dozen - and then keep in pairs in a basket by the door. Inevitably the pairs get whittled down as individuals gloves get lost but you can put any two together in a pair so it doesn’t really matter… one size fits all so everyone just grabs a pair on the way out the door. They also wash and tumble dry well.

Everyone saying Jan - March is depressing - I find the light changes so much in February - I really notice the days lengthening and there are late afternoons when the sky is pink and the birds are singing and you can really feel and smell spring in the air. I just love the light in February. It always feels to me like the year is opening up.

And as I said upthread I’m almost as far north as you can get in the UK so have less light than most at that time of year!

A holiday or even a weekend away somewhere in February I find helps a great deal.

As for the early darkness, putting clocks back in winter should be consigned to history. Much more use can be made of an hour of daylight at 5pm than 8am.

I don’t see how running paddling pools and organising picnics and days out is easier than staying in on a cold winter night? Just the military grade logistics of packing up everything for the beach and then afterwards sorting out all of the wet sandy gear it’s a massive ball ache… I absolutely love the summer but I wouldn’t say it’s an easier time to look after kids!

Winter is a time to do lovely indoor things - enjoy pretty lights, get excited about the seasonal festivals like Halloween/bonfire night/Xmas etc. watch films, bake, craft etc. A time to chill out and recharge the batteries.

Every season has its lovely times.

The other bonus here is that 2 year old grandchild has not had a toy out for weeks!! Garden and going out everyday am and pm has kept her occupied!

Can’t wait for autumn and winter. Summer is like a period to me: horrid and something to wish away/get over and done with. The only good thing about periods/summer is that as soon as it starts you are working your way through it to then see it off for a while.

I am so envious of those who like warm weather as we don’t seem to have proper winter or cold weather anymore. I’m still waiting for last year’s winter to arrive!!

*HATE summer, the heat and feeling hot, sweaty and ill all the time. Roll on the time when I no longer have to wipe down my soaking wet back every 30 mins or so!!

I hear you- I detest winter in the UK. This year I've decided to try and think about it differently ie telling myself winter definitely doesn't start in September (in my mind it's a slow decline into darkness from there on in) Also I'm going to try and book things so we've got things to look forward to.

Who am I trying to kid? It's horrible! 😂

I love all the seasons but I don't like being too hot. Everything about me slows down.

I love being cold. I love being able to move fast without getting all sweaty. When I had to commute I was on the train platform in a short sleeved top only while everyone else was wrapped up in winter jackets, scarves, hats and gloves! (Scotland so not warm!)

I love being cold at home, my nose gets cold! It's ace. I hate putting the heating on. It makes me sneeze and dries the air out.

I love being cold at home, so that we can warm up with clothes, slippers and blankets. I never let my home get colder than 15°C in winter, except when I have the windows open to clean when it drops to 8°c

I don't even mind the lack of daylight.

I dream of layers and layers of snow. The world looks and sounds so beautiful.

I have the luxury of enjoying all this because I'm relatively young, fit, healthy and live in a modernish insulatedish home.

My DC prefer being cold too. My DH misses the warmth and the long day light hours we get. In summer it's still light almost till midnight!

Like I say I love all the seasons, but I come alive when it's cold!

I dream of layers and layers of snow. The world looks and sounds so beautiful.

Yeah but honestly how often is actually like that? I agree but it's mostly grey and miserable

I don't dislike summer but I can't function when it's too hot, it's been pretty grim for me lately. A nice summery day of 20 degrees is perfect for me..

I do like the winter too (not the rain) but crisp days snuggled up is very enjoyable too.

I hate winter. It's dark, cold and miserable. I live in a village and have to drive to work (6am start and no public transport), on ungritted roads in the snow and/or ice which can be terrifying, as well as thick fog on country lanes with sharp bends. I just long for the light mornings and warm days.

Not if that poster lives on the east coast of Scotland like I do. I’ve just had a quick flick through my photos from Jan and Feb this year to check I don’t have rose tinted spectacles on… lots of lovely snow, beautiful frosts, clear skies. I’ve attached a very typical example.

A couple of grey days but nothing Id call miserable. That said I’m always shocked by how miserable it is at my in laws’ in winter, they live in the south west of England. I grew up in south east England and also remember winters being very damp and dreary. so it can differ a lot depending on where in the country you are!

This obviously isn't practical for everyone, but we found having a dog really helped. We have to get out every day - she hates the rain so it sometimes takes some ingenuity. But it gets us out and we often find it's not so bad once we are out there.

A SAD lamp might help too.

I dream of layers and layers of snow. Your dream is my nightmare.

I get cold urticaria. For about 2-3 months a year, sometimes less, I don't need to take antihistamines to stop my whole body coming out in hives

So yes I love summer, I hate winter

I used to hate winter but have grown to love it due to the lack of neighbourhood noise in the winter months. Am so over lawnmowers, power tools, shit music and stinking bbqs and basically being unable to get any peace whatsoever. Roll on the dark quiet nights.

I hate the dark of winter. We've had mild winters and I hope that carries on.
It would make it better if they didn't mess around with the clocks.
I always try to get out in the day as getting out in some daylight helps a lot.
Then I give in and try to embrace all the homely blankets on the sofa, reading cosy books, soup on the stove, cake in the oven, movie nights and game nights stuff.