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.

@PurpleSkies2026 sorry you’re poorly 🙁.

@EmeraldRoulette I’ve realised the way to get my brain going is to work out in the mornings but I couldn’t this morning as I had to drop DS off. Well I could have but I made excuses and didn’t which was a mistake!

@PurpleSkies2026 it's called Allicin Max

you can get it at Amazon or boots and probably health food shops

A bit more information here
https://napiers.net/products/allicin-max-garlic

I'm sure they used to have an official website, but it's not coming up

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding yes I'm the same, but I just cannot get on with morning workouts. I did do a short workout just after I posted. Hopefully get two proper ones in over the weekend.

@PurpleSkies2026 just to add, if I've actually got a bug, I also take oregano oil capsules. Like a natural antibiotic or anti-viral or both. I'm not one of these people who has a cupboard full of herbal remedies, but these I have found genuinely helpful, unless it's just a coincidence.

Health food shop guy told me not to take more than two oregano capsules per day though. I'm not quite sure why.

Thanks! I think I'll get some of that.

Yes oregano, thyme etc. have good properties, I use then liberally on food too - must stock up.

It's really sunny here, but I have absolutely no motivation

I'm back to feeling motivated around 8 pm! Doesn't last long though.

@EmeraldRoulette it’s really sunny here too. I had my pole dancing show yesterday which went better than I could have hoped and it was such a boost! Some people might say I shouldn’t have done it while I’m off sick, but it’s the best thing I could have done for my mental health. I think the fluoxetine is starting to work too, sertraline was good for me for years but I think my body is used to it now.

That’s amazing you did the show! Well done. Absolutely you did the right thing doing it. So glad you had a boost.

It’s been sunny here so I had a walk earlier.

I’m wondering whether to increase my antidepressant dose. I am functioning and having moments that feel nice and moments of connection and motivation. But work (I work 2 days a week l) feels anxiety provoking and depleting and I am pretty tearful in the mornings and overwhelmed.

It’s hard going.

I’m not sure the Luminette glasses are helping. I just don’t think they are bright enough compared to the Lumie light boxes so I’m using the Lumie mini instead.

I hope I can send the glasses back.

How is everyone else doing today?

I have been thinking there should be a place where anyone experiencing SAD could go with sunshine, yoga, nature, therapy dogs, group creative activities and therapists on hand in each town! Fully funded ☺️

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding glad the show went well

@JoJo36 that's interesting about the glasses. I saw those and it does seem to have a money back guarantee doesn't it?

I ended up feeling weirdly anxious today - obviously that's the flipside of feeling really low. I think it's manageable without medication but it is annoying.

Historically, this is the worst time for me so I suppose there's only like a month to go before things start to improve, in theory. It does depend a lot on what's going on around you. I haven't got anything to complain about so I won't complain 🤐

Just feel odd.

@JoJo36 I would certainly use that service if it existed!

We had a very cold but sunny dog walk and then as soon as we got back in the car, the heavens opened. I seem to be getting lucky with just avoiding the rain this year.

Oh and I ordered a Christmas colouring book and alcohol based pens so I’m looking forward to them coming tomorrow.

My flu headache seems to have gone. I'm still a bit sweaty feeling, so my body definitely hasn't 'stood down' yet from the flu (if that's what it was). I've managed to eat a really decent meal yesterday and today - before flu my diet was terrible - so I'm using this as an opportunity to reintroduce variety and start enjoying healthy food again. I also did a reset on my flat as it had turned into a bit of a cave with me being ill. I forced myself to sit outside for about 4 minutes in the sun.

Slept in the day and managed to get more in control of my cough. Tomorrow morning I need to wash my hair - 7am start.

Am using this illness as an opportunity to kickstart a complete reset.

That sounds like a lovely way to take some positive out of being poorly. And I find I usually feel good after sorting things in the home out a bit.

I was supposed to be on a training day today (that I was looking forward to) but have decided not to go and to take care of myself instead after an upset stomach recently.

I’m going to speak to my manager later about maybe reducing my duties for a bit.

Just taking things one day at a time seems to be helpful.

Its soooo dark here today.

I've returned to work today, was very unsure about it, but there's no sign of headache or body aches, and I've rested so much.

Just a bit sweaty if I exert myself, and a cough which I'm managing (thank you cough medicine). Going to keep my home nice and warm.

Proceeding with caution.

@PurpleSkies2026 I hope you're okay

I just came on to say - oh my God, the lack of brain power. Having to deal with any level of being busy makes me feel anxious!

having to check and recheck calculations ... I don't know if I'm being mad, but it's like my brain doesn't even work enough to put them in the spreadsheet correctly to begin with!

@EmeraldRoulette I hear you! I feel so brain-fogged it's worrying

This hideous weather isn't helping. I came home from work early in the dark and can just gear lashing rain 😩 It's time for sounds of the rain forest, a spritz of sunscreen and the SAD lamp

After a nice weekend where I questioned if I should be off sick at all, I’ve crashed and burned again today. It’s rained constantly since yesterday afternoon. My colouring book and pens came though and that really helped calm me down so that was a good idea!

Good to hear. I'm in the midst of the post flu fatigue. I am getting better daily but it's been a sobering reminder about the importance of physical and mental health.

I will often push forward as soon as I feel better but think with age I am learning that having more time to recover is vital - plus making sure that rest time is proper rest time.

@PurpleSkies2026 hope you're getting enough rest. These things can be so debilitating.

I'm stuck in "absolutely no motivation"mode

Every year I think it would be a good idea to get some domestics out of the way, but it's hard enough doing the things you have to do at this time of year. So it never happens.

I had actually forgotten how bad it all was, and you know why? It's because last year we had the joy of the Eras tour that went on till the first week of December! And the year before that I was recovering from a full on nervous breakdown. So that was horrendous. But in a way, it means there's a two year memory hole in my normal experience of winter. So last year for a nice reason, the year before that for an awful reason. (actually I don't really know how I got through 2023.).

Anyway I would just really like some motivation to get stuff done around the flat. But it's December 3. So not long till the shortest day which helps! Just a weird countdown.

The post viral fatigue is so wearing isn’t it and always makes me feel a bit vulnerable.

Totally relate with the brain fog. I also get clumsy.

I found Monday super hard with the grey and wet. I kept crying and just felt so sad.

I spoke to the Dr and they suggested increasing my antidepressant (that I have been on for 3 months and has been helping). I wept with relief and also worry about side effects and how I will feel in the next 4 weeks.

I really hope it helps. I am doing so much self care and good stuff and it’s exhausting. I would so love to just feel good without all the extra things I have to do (or maybe still do some of them but feel reliably ok most of the time).

Blue skies here today and some sun. Thank goodness.

It’s hard isn’t when you feel ok and think ‘oh I could work’ and then feel guilty.

But you need this time and it’s ok to feel better and take all the time you need. Work stress can add so much to how hard things are and really tip them over into being unmanageable.

Well done on the colouring front!

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding I had to google about the alcohol based colouring pens - now I know how people are doing such lovely stuff with colouring pens, which I always imagined as being a bit like kiddy colouring pens

Sorry to harp on everyone, but today is just like.... wow. No brain at all. I tried reading in front of my SAD lamp this morning instead of pointlessly browsing online or being on here, but it doesn't seem to have done my brain any good? Perhaps it sucked up some of my brain power for the day.

Slept really badly last night, even for me. Trying to have a good workout now.... at least that's the plan, I'm doing really easy workouts but I'm going to try and do a difficult one now in the hope that it will help with sleep ... and in turn that I can get more done tomorrow I do have a Friday deadline.

Honestly, on Monday, I felt like my brain wasn't working at all so I was constantly doublechecking my work and triple checking actually. Today I've hardly done anything 😳 going to lose business if I keep this up. (though I do always panic about this at this time of year.)

That workout was soooooooo hard

Someone, please praise me for working out! 😂

@EmeraldRoulette well done on your workout 🎉. I’m sorry your brain isn’t working, that’s how I feel too but t sounds like you’re self employed so can’t take time off?

I’m trying to use my time off to do things that will improve my mental health so going i ok n the cross trainer in the morning, walking the dog at lunch time and pole dancing in the evening. After all that I haven’t really done anything else!

My colouring definitely looks like a child has done it 😂 but look… I found a picture of me to colour 😂😂. I’ll have to look up fancy things I can try with my pens.

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding thank you

I really need the encouragement! So much time on my own makes it even harder.

I really hope that helps with sleep tonight.

That's a really cute picture. There's an artist on Instagram who does these fantastic pictures of Taylor Swift and I was very surprised to see that they're all done with colouring pens, she does videos of how she draws them, so I can see that she's got really good quality pens.

I tried to colouring book with pencils once ages ago, it was supposed to help wind down before sleep. In reality, I just sat there trying to decide between seven shades of blue 😂

editing to add - have you got a cross trainer at home? So jealous. A cross trainer, a rowing machine and a full set of weight is what I'd want at home. And a Pilates machine. And an infinity pool.

You know, just enough room for a country estate generally 😂

@EmeraldRoulette it’s worth making yourself do it though isn’t it? I am lucky enough to have a “gym” (just a spare room in reality) with a cross trainer, rowing machine, weight machine and of course, most importantly, my pole. Sometimes I have to fight DS for the use of it though!

That’s cool about the artist that does Taylor Swift drawings, I’d never be creative enough to do my own drawings! I’ve spotted a pole dancing colouring book on Amazon that I’m going to get next as I’m already a bit sick of Christmas pictures 🙈. My ones are only cheap ones off Amazon but the colours are nice and vibrant and not scratchy and I really enjoy the choosing the colour part! They are a bit thick though so I might get some thinner ones.