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.

@JoJo36 I’ve been feeling weird today, like something bad is happening but I don’t I know what. It’s not a nice feeling!

I did get to witness something pretty cool this morning when the dog went out of his morning wee. We has a row of huge trees behind our house where crows nest all summer. They are so loud and it used to be annoying, but we don’t really notice them anymore. This morning, they all arrived back. There were hundreds of them circling around deciding which spot to claim. The dog was fascinated!

That’s so cool! Lovely when that sort of thing happens.

xx

The foreboding feeling is really unpleasant isn’t it?

I feel low today. The grey weather doesn’t help.

I just want my husband to be home 😔. Two more nights. It’s felt like a very long trip (5 nights, 6 days). I wish I felt more robust without him but just for now I feel better when he is around.

I had a nice evening yesterday with a friend. I felt looked after which I feel really grateful for.

Taking things one day at a time. Thinking of you all and hope you are doing ok.

Hi everyone, I've been lurking on this thread for a couple of weeks - would've joined in sooner, but thought everything was lifting. Today has but hard though - it's so grey!

Does anyone else feel helpless with SAD? I genuinely am so sensitive to the weather that as soon as I wake up, before I even look outside, I know what the weather is based on how I feel. It's like my body can sense sunshine and lighten (or grey and be totally flat and fatigued).

What meds have people tried? Xxx

Yes absolutely. I think it’s called meterorsensitivity.

‘We are biological beings and were never meant to be neutral about the weather.’ This was from an article in The Times a few weeks ago.

I thought things were lifting too. The setbacks are really rough aren’t they?

Oh wow : I didn't realize there was a name for it! (Now I have a rabbit hole to disappear into on the grey days - sounds obsessive, but will give me something to do!)

Yes, the setbacks are so horrid. I always say to people, "Never underestimate February," and then always end up getting hammered by it myself! Xxx

This rain is making me feel awful. It's so bleak. I honestly want to cry.

@BramleySweet welcome. This site really helps me. I obviously don't want others to suffer, but knowing I am not alone is a comfort.

@idontknowhatnametochoose i hear you. It's relentless. We get the tease of the occasional day with bits of blue/bright and then more, and more of this hideous, wet grey. I'll join you in a good cry and rant. 😥😡😰

That’s such a good quote ‘never underestimate February’!

I think I underestimate it every year xx

Same, have had a very weepy day 🥹😔

I’ll join too if that’s ok!

It’s been very hard to hold onto hope it will all pass today. I really need a stretch of consistent brightness to help me feel more balanced and hopeful 🙏🏻

I’ve found my people!

What. A. Winter. 🙁

This has been one of the hardest ones for me. I am a problem solver and find that I start wondering about changing jobs, having more therapy, moving house, changing my HRT or changing my wardrobe. Anything to feel better, but I know that once the sun is out and it’s warmer, I wont care as much about any of these external things and will be more resilient.

I’ve always felt slightly ashamed about how much the winter affects me.

I bought an electric blanket and that has really helped with how dysregulated/ anxious/ depressed I feel when it’s cold in the house. Our house is so cold even with the central heating on and the open fire that I just live in my bed.

I hate the fact that I can’t afford to just go somewhere hot and sunny.

I have started to use fake tan to kind of trick myself into thinking it’s a glow.

I actually love the fake tan and electric blanket idea. I find it really difficult to accept Winter and steer into it and steer into the Sadness, but a blanket might help to feel cosy at least. And the tan would be a great reminder that Spring is on the way - even just the smell of it might help!

This weather is so gross though. Walked the dog this morning and it was so grim. Mood only lifted briefly when the sun came out this afternoon - we just need a change in the weather! Xx

Hi everyone

Probably not the best place to ask, but has this winter felt really long? Honestly, last winter wasn't this bad. It's strange because it hasn't been that cold that often - but it's been full on relentless grey.

People who have seen me before will know that nothing annoys me more than my brain not working properly and I just cannot get it to engage and do the right things at the moment. It's really frustrating.

The forecast is constantly changing, but it looks as if Wednesday will be the only day next week that's not grey!

I feel like I'm on my last nerve all the time

Next winter, I'm going to need a duvet coat that has a waterproof coating, if such a thing exists. I do own a raincoat that the water kind of beads off but it's too thin.

@EmeraldRoulette yes it has felt very long! I think because we’ve had so much rain. I personally wouldn’t mind cold weather as long as it was dry and with some sun. But relentless rain is unbearable. I’ve had no motivation for anything, and I I feel really disorganised all the time, which then makes me anxious. I’m seriously considering whether next winter I ask the GP for anti depressants.

Fucking hell, we were meant to be flying to New York tomorrow for my 40th birthday and the flight’s been cancelled due to a massive snow storm 😭. Still, at least we’re safe and I hope everyone on the east coast of the USA is too.

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding oh no! What happens about rescheduling?

I hope you manage to have a good 40th nonetheless. Bit shocking though.

@MissyB1 thank you for your answer and I'm sorry you're feeling so bad.

I just get these old moments where I wonder if something else is wrong with me! But it's lack of sunshine. Normally working out makes me feel better. I'm doing it, but it's not doing anything for me at the moment.

I was feeling particularly annoyed when I posted because I messed up a personal admin thing today. The kind of brain fail that just doesn't happen in summer if you know what I mean.

@EmeraldRoulette tbh with our history with holidays, it’s not a surprise at all. We have no luck! They wanted to send us on Wednesday but we’d be coming back on Friday so that would be silly. We are getting a refund and will book again later in the year. I can’t fault the airline or booking company at all and it’s no one’s fault.

TBH, I was really struggling with leaving my dog and with having the headspace to plan and do activities so maybe it will be better to go another time.

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding i'm glad you're okay with it

I would not be able to wander around in the cold anyway. I've had to go to New York in the winter for work and it's just eye freezing cold! Our security guard used to take the Mickey out of me for how well wrapped up I was.

Although to be fair, that happens in this country as well 😂

I hope you have a lovely birthday.

This is so rubbish... I'm very glad you're safe and I hope you can do some special things this week to make up for the missed trip. Fingers crossed you can plan a trip later on in the year. And happy birthday to you! 🎉 🎂

Well this is it, I’d rather not go and get our money back than be there and stuck in the hotel room! DH and I are going for a night in a spa in the Lake District for my actual birthday which will be nice and I’ve never had a spa day before!

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding Happy birthday for tomorrow 🍾.

And you've got NY (hopefully with 🌞 ) to look forward to.

I don't have anything as terrific as NY, but having is few little things to look forward to during this abysmal weather is helping, in a small way. Sunny thoughts to you all.

I hope you have a lovely birthday too.

And I totally agree, having little things to look forward to helps. As long as winter doesn’t steal my energy!

A spa day sounds very restorative ☺️

Really struggling with sleep this February. Awake two hours in the night. Have doubled my vitamin d3 but by the time it kicks in it will be April.