Lockdown and Dark Nights

[Hellin301]

Lockdown is so much more difficult this time with little to do. Anyone else struggling?

Nights have been drawing in for a while. What have you been doing in the last couple of weeks leading up to lockdown?

For you or dc?

Early walk with dog who doesn't like the dark as he associates it with fireworks PJ's on at 6pm ( bliss for me) TV, games, reading and just lounging with a candle on after a long day at work and school for DC ( aged 13) - glass of 🍷 at weekend. I suppose we've always done this so not much different for us.

Must just be me then

I get up earlier to get sunlight in that way. Set the alarm for 5.30am today and exercised until 8.30am before the madness of the rest of the day.

What would you usually do at this time of year? Sunday - Thursday nights look pretty similar for me, do it's only Fri/Sat which are a bit more boring.
I'd rather be out this evening, but I can't and only 4 weekends of it, so not a major PITA.

I think it’s a mindset thing knowing that it is darker days unlike the first lockdown with the beautiful weather.

I am working this time rather than work from home so it is only weekends for me but I planning to go out everyday like I did first time for daily exercise- is that something you can do OP?
Are you work from home ?

Yes, in summer I could do a bike ride at 630 or 7. It felt like i had a lot of evening. Now it's dark when I go for my run and it's shit. 530 feels like bed time.

And even when our ld ends next week, I can't go to a friend's house. Can't do pub cos you're only allowed 4 people, so that would mean leaving people out.

I love the cosiness of dark nights. Try to dwell on positives op.

Scented candles and table lamps, pyjamas on as soon as you want, closing the curtains and enjoying SCD on Saturday nights, The Last Leg or whatever yoyr favourite autumn winter tv is, knitting, a good book, winter food. Feeling safe and warm. Watching out for Christmas decorations, Christmas.

I’m sure there must be something about winter that you can embrace. I used to hate dark days but I’ve realised that they happen, so just make the best of a bad time.

I work from home and find it very difficult to get out in the day, I rarely finish work before 6,30. I don’t mind going out when its cold, but I’m not really up for walking in the park when its cold and dark.
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This time of year I would usually out at gigs theatre, cinema. In the summer I stayed down on my allotment quite late in the evening - not an option now.
So yes, I will find this much tougher

@Calmandmeasured1

Nights have been drawing in for a while. What have you been doing in the last couple of weeks leading up to lockdown?

DCs' swimming, karate and meeting my Brownies outside broke the evenings up and meant that there was more definition to the week than weekend/ school day.

DS1 has ASD and needs time to unwind and process after school. He needs to get home to his safe space and chill. By the point he's feeling emotionally stable, it's dark and uninviting out.

There's a hell of a lot of screen time going on and we're all too drained by the year to fight it.

I actually think there is more to do this time. You can meet with one friend. You can drive where you want. You can go out not just for a walk, but for recreation so having a sit and chat is allowed. I have kids, so the playgrounds being open makes a big difference.

Yes it is hard OP. I have three young DC including a toddler, one of whom is self isolating due to a case in school. DH works until 7pm so that’s the earliest I get to go ‘out and about’ on my own for some headspace. Options are limited in the dark with everything shut. I’d normally go for a swim, or a run, or a long dog walk.

It's the going to and from to work in the dark and then nothing to look forward to at weekends. Kids going stir crazy cos no brownies etc. Bit hard to go to the park when it's dark and walks are grim when all you can see are street lights and cars.

It’s a lot harder. My DH has worked outside the home throughout and in the spring/summer I would go for a walk/run in the local park when he got in from work about 6.30pm. Was ‘me’ time after a day of looking after DS and WFH. Can’t really do that now because of the dark nights and I’m really missing it. He leaves in the morning at 7am so it’s not really doable to go first thing.

I always find November a shitty month. It just gets darker and darker every day, and this last week where I live has been grey, dull, very wet and foggy. Totally miserable.

It's OK to feel like that and despite what a hardcore on MN tell you, you don't have to suck it up and be delighted about being in another lockdown. It's OK to say you are finding it hard and struggling. You are not alone in that, but people just love to play the race to the bottom game with "all you need to do is stay at home while people are DYING" game.

Telling people that they can just put their pjs on and be "cosy" doesn't help either. Fine if you like that sort of thing but if you're the sort of person who'd much prefer to be either out and about on a light night, or in a bar, at a gig, out at a restaurant, it's really not helpful at all.

It's different when it's cold and dark outside so early, these are our seasons and whilst we all usually can still go out to somewhere indoors these options aren't available at the moment. Don't get me wrong we miss what you can do in autumn/winter, the urge to go for a family swim, with adults in lanes kids in general has reached almost cold turkey levels. And in summer there was light and heat. Which helps.

But we have to try and get through this with as much of our mental health in tact as possible. And trust me I needed medical intervention with my mental health this summer - never happened before - so I am not being flippant.

At the moment, instead of summer evenings in garden, kids in sprinkler and pool I have a 1000 piece funky (not chocolate box image) jigsaw that we do a bit of each evening together and have a chat before their favourite parent YouTube takes over.

Instead of summer salady buffet food eaten outside we make autmnal soups and oven baked warming the kitchen whilst they do their homework because I am to stingy to put the heating on until 7pm.

We do wrap up and head out because in the darker months you can see the stars, not the same as a beach sea/sky horizon but you can if just for a few minutes get lost in the scope and majesty of the sky, binoculars/telescopes help is you have but not necessary.

In summer we would sit outside and listen to music but we read more (uplifting) fiction in winter.

Instead of evening walks we have yoga mats and hand weights for stretching and resistance.

It's impossible to replace group activities, be that sports, orchestra, pub drinks, brownies etc. And some houses are easier to be trapped in than others. I understand.

It's balls, I know it is, but if you can replace some of what you do in summer with different options this autumn/winter it might help a bit to keep you a bit more sane.

I am just one other trying to swim uptide and not sink again. It's a battle some days.