How do you cope with winter?

[Wintercopping]

Posting for some traffic and advice.

Being in the UK for nearly 20 years; grew up in a country near the Ecuator with no seasons.

I wonder if I ever going to get use to the English grey skies and darkness; especially in winter.

I do meditation, yoga, take magnesium, vitamin D, have a SAD lamp. What else can I do? DH and kids don’t seem affected by it.

We can’t move for the moment; our jobs are here and would like youngest to finish school, currently in year 9.

Pretend I'm a bird and fly away for the winter.

We have the worst of both worlds. Not cold enough for ice skating, sledding, cross country skiing and the things that make cold winters fun in other places. But miserable, wet, chilly, low light. And the TV is shite! I sympathise!

It's hard but try to embrace the changing seasons. For me the dark winter makes the spring sweeter when it arrives 🌷🌱💐 I know that might not help you in Nivember, though!... Brightly coloured knitwear helps, I think - something that makes you smile and that you couldn't wear in the summer.

All you need to watch on the TV is this! Make sure to put the sound up too. ☀️🐚🏖️

I agree with other posters. Once we’re past the winter solstice (only just over 6 weeks), I know in my mind, the hours of daylight are gradually getting longer, therefore heading in the right direction. It always takes me a couple of weeks to adjust to the clock change in October.

I find November and December the worst - not helped by this typical anticyclonic grey gloom we’re currently experiencing. A cold, crisp sunny day really lifts my mood and I try and get outside as much as possible to get as much natural light.

However depressing it is at this time of the year, I try and remind myself that the days are even shorter in Scandinavia now and in the northern part of Norway, they don’t see ANY full daylight between November 21 and January 21! I can’t imagine how awful that must be.

I'm British, but I really hate the winter! However, as a PP said, I think it makes a lot of sense to follow the natural rhythms of our bodies, things that our ancestors naturally did as a result of the darkness, which include a form of hibernation.

I take supplements, try to get out in the daylight every day, exercise regularly, but I also sleep lots and we always take at least one holiday in the winter. I find if I have a break from the grey gloom that sort of tides me over until the clocks go forward again and my mood lifts. It's hard! I look forward to retirement, when we can spend a big chunk of the winter somewhere sunny.

Thank you all. All advice help as I really want to be positive and embrace it and not wake up, look st the sky and feel like I want to cry. Apart from the one to pretend to be a bird and fly away from the winter, actually I was looking at a tv show about nature on the weekend and did have that thought that I would be nice to be a bird if I have to choose an animal

I struggle with it. But I manage with a combination of acceptance and adaptation. I have lived in seasonless places, and it can be a bit samey.
I try to live quite differently in winter / summer, and embrace the variety. Summer, outdoors a lot, sleep less, busy out and about at events etc.
Winter is reading, tv binging, cooking, early nights, friends round for dinner, indoor projects (summer is about the garden, winter is house jobs, making it nice to be indoors)
You definitely need to get outside in winter though, walks to a nice pub or cafe. Apparently you don't need actual sunshine to mitigate against vit D deficit, just daylight.
So anytime between 9am-3pm lol!

Basically, I hate it. Born and bred in the UK loathe this time of year. Find the long nights, dreary days depressing. Only feel better once we get past the solstice and days start to get longer.

I know it sounds daft but at this time of year I do into quite a big health kick mode…it gets me in better shape for Xmas celebrations and protects me more from winter bugs. Lots more fruit and veg, health foods that I don’t usually eat, online workouts at home. I have a break at Xmas, then carry on in January ready for the summer when I take the foot off the pedal a bit. It just distracts me from the dark and cold and gives me the energy I need to get through. I do have a very warm winter puffer jacket that feels like a cuddle though - it does help with getting out of the house.

Books hols for Oct and Feb - a must ! I just missed my Oct hols and was miserable for a week.

plan your life so if the weather is sunny you can drop everything and sit in the sun (with a drink). Know where the sunny cafes or pubs are, even when the sun is low. This helps me a lot.

exercise in the garden if south facing. If north facing garden then sell the house and move !

I think where you grew up and spent most of your childhood have a be impact on your adult life.

I am sure people who grew up here and with seasons wouldn’t consider anything different. It is not that one is better than the other. These things are somehow in your genes.

DH grew up in Australia but culture is not that different, language is the same and both have seasons so He is not affected. Kids born and raised in England so again used to it, in fact DD1 loves it, including the rain.

I want to love it and embrace it too.

Get outside as much as possible especially if it is sunny.

For example last Sunday it was sunny and we'd booked to go out for a roast supper day dinner but it was so warm in the middle of the day that we sat outside (admittedly with coats on).

But without knowing the temperature it really did look almost summery.

Crisp sunny winter days cheer me up almost as much as summer days. You do need the clothes for it though.

Good point. We live in a modern house but it is north west facing do maybe that doesn’t help either. We have lots of windows but doesn’t seem to be enough

Any tips on SE Asia destinations? I’ve been looking for February but wouldn’t mind some pointers, places that are family friendly ideally! Thailand, Goa?

Our house is north facing, very dark in the winter, definitely doesn't help!

It was much worse for me when I was working. I hated being in the office when it got dark outside and all I could see out the windows was the office reflected back at me. I felt really trapped and anxious. So much better since I retired. The dark mornings I’m still in bed with a cup of tea rather than getting to work. It’s possible to go out for a longish walk and get some fresh air. Now we’ve got into the habit of booking a holiday somewhere hot in January/Feb so we have that to look forward to after Christmas. This wouldn’t have been possible when I was working.

Here's what I do

Mindsets first - we're on a wheel that's turning down to the solstice, then it will start rolling up again to longer days in about six weeks. The world needs rest time just as we do, so it can wake up and get busy in spring.

I follow a woman on Insta who lives on Svalbard - they've just begun polar night and won't see sunrise for months. It's beautiful. See the beauty in winter skies, leafless tree shapes, winter flowering plants, evergreens. Look, the spring bulbs are already beginning to shoot green out of the earth! It's coming.

Enjoy winter dressing. Get the most beautiful coat you can, make it even more beautiful with scarves, brooches, sparkle.

Get outside in daylight as much as possible. This was super difficult when I worked 9-5, as it was dark when I left home, dark when I left work. Easier doing shift work.

Bring light in. Rethink your home lighting with lamps, fairy lights, candles.

Warm up your space - yes, I do like velvet and wooly throws and winter cushions and all the hot choc and comfort food cliches! Bring in the evergreens - it looks stunning indoors, much nicer than tinselly Christmas tat. Holly, ivy, fir. Tapping into ancient traditions.

Eat seasonally and BE in the winter. Plan and do the fun things. London to see the lights and the shop windows. Carol concerts, panto. Learn to ice skate.

Be active at home - declutter, deep clean, decorate, dig, tidy and plant for spring. Tiring yourself out and feeling pleased with anything you achieve will help you sleep better.

Same, I find living so much of my life in the dark quite depressing

November & December:

• Get excited about Christmas
• Nights out and parties galore
• Winter sun break somewhere (usually just after Christmas)

January & February:

• Dry January
• Go to the theatre and cinema
• Enjoy the slowdown: lots of walks, staying local.

March & April:

• Holiday
• Socialising / catching up with friends

Having an open fire. I'm off today. I've been out for my run, done my cleaning and now I'm out to have a hot shower and light the fire so my living room feels like a sauna. And I have absolutely zero shame in saying I'll be having a cosy day watching something and enjoying the last of the Halloween chocolate that the trick or treaters didn't take.

I've always seen the point of " Autumn cleaning" rather then " Spring cleaning". Then your indoor environment is at its best when you are using it most.

Grew up with it so used to it by now, but I do tend to feel my regular depression sneaking up on me more so in winter. I normally spend winter completely pampering myself. Making my home warm & cozy, lots of candles, warm lighting, blankets, etc. I always buy myself fluffy socks, and treat myself to little things like that. Warm, rich recipes, slow living, etc. I get outside as much as I can (or want to) and will always leave my blinds & windows open for as long as I have daylight/natural light.

ETA: I’ve also started “journaling” recently. Bought a 6 minute journal off Amazon, it’s supposed to focus on gratitude. You write in it in the morning for 3 mins, and in the evening for 3 mins. I’m normally not someone who’d bother with writing down my feelings or anything like that, but have found it’s a nice little routine. Also lots of sheet masks & other skincare bits

I cope very well.
I grew up in Central Europe, where winters can be very harsh.
However, since childhood, I have this unpleasant feeling of dread about Spring. March is a horrible month, don't know why.
These "new beginnings" really tend to destroy me (with a bit of drama, it's just a season).
😐

Some good advice here. I especially agree with a PP who said go outside - it can be the last thing we want to do when it’s cold or dreary but moving around outside does help. I usually try get a walk straight after work and on weekend mornings.

Book a holiday for end of Jan/early Feb if possible. I find I’m okay-ish in the lead up to Christmas as that distracts me, but I find New Year to March utterly miserable!! So it’s nice to have sun to look forward to.

Also going to sleep earlier. I definitely take a longer nights sleep in winter.