2025/26 SAD thread

[Idstillratherbepaddleboarding]

It’s 1st September tomorrow so we’re back for another year’s SAD thread.

Welcome all old and new who struggles in the cold and dark months for advice and general moaning!

The only rule is no talk of snuggling under blankets, crunching in leaves (which will realistically be a soggy wet mulch, or pumpkin spiced anything!

Advice from previous years’ threads:

A SAD lamp can help as can a daylight alarm clock.
Try to get outdoors when the weather/ light allows it.
Try to keep up with your exercise routine or start a new one!
Remember to take your vitamin D and multi vitamins.
Try to have something to look forward to.

Thanks, everyone

I understand the point about not caring what others think, but when you've had experiences of complete isolation, I mean literally nobody to talk to for weeks, then it's really not that easy to say.

I agree about the wreath making being expensive, it seems like an easy way to spend time with these nice people without having to explain that compared to them, I haven't been doing much. If I can't do it, I'll just have to style it out! 😂

@EmeraldRoulette I agree wreath making sounds like a nice, gentle way to get out and about. And if you become overwhelmed you can pretend your concentrating really hard on the wreath.

I had a horrible training day at work. I just wanted to run out and nearly did a few times. I mean the training wasn’t horrible but I’m just not in the right headspace. I couldn’t focus at all, I couldn’t even read the presentation or handouts.

Just climbed into bed. Is it spring yet?

I've also just got into bed. I sprayed myself with Ambre soldier, I've got a glass of pink bubbles and am going to watch some episodes of Benidorm. I'll pretend it's summer- it'll keep me right for an hour or so

😆 should say ambre solair . Won't let me correct

😆 should say ambre solair . Won't let me correct

@lyingonthebeach that's okay

Finding a tanned soldier would be one way to feel better. I wouldn't judge.

@lying on the beach 😂😂.

I wish that helped me, we’ve been watching Selling Sunset and Selling the OC and it’s just making me mad with jealousy 😭.

Oh yes! 😅

🤣🤣🤣 Love it. Inspirational.

I seem to be crawling from one day to another. Heard dd say to her friend today - we can't make too much noise because my mum is having some of her wobbly days 🥹 Have to focus on the fact I'm doing a good thing sharing how I'm not always 100% (barely even ever 10%) and not hiding my MH struggles from them.

In other news I started HRT this week. Started ok. Went a bit 🙄🥴😵‍💫😵 Today has been a little better but now all I want to do is climb into bed.

Oh and now the dog's farted and it smells like something died.

Hope everyone is hanging on OK 😘

O brainpower, where are thou

rumours abound - sun on Monday. It'll be freezing though.

I've just bought a dress ..that I'm going to save for spring..I could purchase some tights ( ugh ) and wear it with boots now ..
I hate being all bundled up in coats and jumpers , finding it hard to move around and cold .it just adds to my stress around the dark evenings and lack of sunlight

Arrgghhh another day!
Slept like poo last night. Thanks body... Just make it more difficult!

It’s actually really sunny here but I think I’m genuinely having a mental breakdown 🙁. I’m also not sleeping and waking up at 5:30 for some reason @mrsdiddlydoo .

@Fukcedoff I bought some… tolerable… tights from Matalan recently. They’re nice and soft and thick as I can’t stand sheer ones.

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding I managed to drag myself out for a decent dog walk with the family. That thin line between resting but doing things 'good for your wellbeing' is tricky. I've done a load of washing. Hung it out in the garden. Eaten a wrap. Having to convince myself that this is enough and my worth isn't defined by how much I do. I feel anxious and stressed but have climbed under my fluffy blanket on the sofa with a herbal tea. Trying to repeat rest is an activity to convince my brain to relax into it. Eugh! I hope you can manage to get some sun of your face. It's cloudy and drizzly here.

Trying not to get scared how close Christmas is. If I could fast forward to 2026 I probably would.

@mrsdiddlydoo we have had a nice, sunny day and I also got a lovely dog walk. I know what you mean about rest but I spend all day at work stuck in front of a computer so I get restless and when I sit still, my brain starts racing at a million miles an hour 😭. I’m not even going to bother looking forward to 2026 as every year since Covid I’ve thought that the next year can’t get any worse and somehow it does.

I’m waking around 5:30am too, just feeling uneasy and anxious but not really sure why🤔 Also when I am asleep I’m having very vivid dreams, again in the dreams I feel stressed.

Did manage to get out to a local very pretty gardens with the dog this morning, but didn’t enjoy it as much as I normally would. So annoyed with myself!
Here’s to hopefully a better nights sleep for us all tonight.

@MissyB1 I wonder what it is about 5:30?? It’s definitely not the dog waking me as he doesn’t wake up til the “breakfast alarm” goes off (actually my wake up alarm but he’s come to associate it with breakfast 😂). Yes, I’m also having horrible, vivid stress dreams that leave me exhausted when I wake up 😭.

I'm the opposite. I'm awake till silly o'clock.

Currently battling period pain and lack of sleep headache. It was actually sunny today and not freezing. But I couldn't really walk much because of all that.

The main thing that suffering as usual, I just can't seem to get any domestics done. I know it's really rubbish. I did get a healthy shop in at the weekend. Also, the place is hugely untidy and I've got to book someone to sort out a broken curtain rail. I'm actually wondering if I should take the opportunity to get a thicker curtain. But at the moment all the boring stuff of measuring etc is beyond me.

I need someone to give me a boot up the backside to do the cleaning. I think I've got about another hour of work to do and then I should start a proper tidy up and Hoover at 6:30. Can someone please badger me to do it? I'm not here tomorrow and I don't really want to walk in after another day of work, finding the place a bit chaotic. I mean it's not horrendous, it's just an hour tidying that I couldn't find the motivation to do at the weekend.

Hello everyone, just wanted to jump on. I’ve only just found this thread.

I’m so glad I’m not alone feeling wobbly and low this time of year. It’s really shit isn’t it?!

It sometimes feels like I’ve misplaced my confidence. Where has it gone? And unlike my glasses I can’t put spare confidence in every room.

Anyway, I have some Luminette SAD glasses arriving soon. They are very pricey but I’m hoping they help with getting some light therapy before 10 am (which is supposed to be really important for sleep and resetting your circadian rhythms) as I can get up, have breakfast and do things with them on.

Sitting by my SAD lamp is good but not always easy with work/daughter etc.

I am also doing a gratitude list daily and two meditations. It’s a huge amount of self care but I’m scared of feeling really low.

I wish it all felt easier.

A friend messaged me recently to say ‘5 weeks until turnaround day for us sensitive beings’. Does anyone else sometimes feel a bit better after the winter solstice Dec 21st?

Kind of like we are on the other side even though Jan and Feb can be rough.

Thanks for reading all of that and wishing us all some moments of uplift, connection and warmth.

xxxc

Hi @JoJo36 I posted about those glasses too

Couldn't really get my head around it and it's very expensive so let us know how you get on

Yeah, I feel better after the darkest day out of the way

Now can someone please wave some virtual pom-poms at me? 😂 (not a euphemism) 🤪

Welcome @JoJo36 🙂. @EmeraldRoulette did you find your motivation?? If so please send me some!

I actually feel worse after Christmas, because by then winter has totally ground me down. I have lost any remnants of positivity by then. It’s not just lack of light, it’s the bad weather and cold temperatures, rain and mud. I don’t start to feel better until March at the earliest. January to March are always the worst months for my mental health.

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding I managed about half an hour of basic tidying

Then I did some stretching exercises which was a bonus, I wasn't due to do anything today

Tomorrow, I've got to do my regular workout. Pfft. I do struggle after walking home in the cold. I really wish I was a morning exerciser but I'm just not.

@EmeraldRoulette that’s really good! I actually love a morning workout but I struggle for time.

Just in case I needed something to really rip me over the edge, my dishwasher has broken 😭😭😭.

@MissyB1 after Christmas is the worst for me too, it’s April before I feel better and a quarter of the year has gone by already!