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.

I salute all of you who go out after 6pm. I just can't.. I'm dreading the clock change. It'll be even worse. I'm working from home today and have already takens loads of vitamins (no real sign of the 5-htp helping so far, has anyone else noticedanything?) and have the SAD lamp on. I have a Dr's appointment at 3.15 and I don't want to go out then (or more to the point, come home in the gloom after). It's already grey and depressing and I just want to hibernate.

@mrsdiddlydoo they are definitely family 🥰💔. We lasted exactly a month (coincidentally). When it happened, I said I could never go through it again but we couldn’t be without a dog and we got very lucky with our pup!

December will come round quick enough and at least I have an actual appointment, I thought I’d be out on so waiting list to be fair.

I always find January and February the worst months. I do love Christmas and Halloween so at least there’s a few nice things coming up to keep me going. I hate bonfire night though due to the aforementioned dogs.

I weirdly feel a bit better today but I think it might be because I ate an emergency Snickers yesterday due to low blood sugar. If I could sort my eating issues, I think things would seem a lot less bad tbh 🙁.

@lyingonthebeach I struggle to go out after dark too especially as I struggle driving in the dark and it makes me really tired. I hate the clocks going back!

@lyingonthebeach I find it's impossible to tell how SAD is going to show itself

But in general, I'm a late person and a night owl. Often in winter, this gets exaggerated. So I was out last night, and ended up being awake until about 3 am. This is not untypical for me. I always really struggle with an early start even if it's summer.

Happily, I'm not working today so I didn't get up till 10.

One lady, I spoke to last night said this weather has finally pushed her to pay for a workspace. She said her home is just too gloomy.

I might have to consider that. I feel like I've exhausted every practical lighting option there is.

Today is horrible, but not as dark grey as yesterday thank goodness.

It's funny how a lot of us seem pretty similar.

I've utterly failed this morning. It was tough from the get go and after a late start at work I've had to log off and go sick because I'm a mess today.

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding well done for the emergency snickers yesterday. It can be so hard and I know from personal experience. Every little bit counts.

@mrsdiddlydoo thank you that means a lot. And you haven’t failed, you’ve done what you need to do! And well done for recognising that.

Oh dear
I had no motivation to do anything today

Something I was really procrastinating about ended up taking 10 minutes! It was just a real "can't engage brain today".

editing to add - I thought it was going to take ages. I just couldn't frame a correct perception of the task in my mind.

@EmeraldRoulette I was the opposite yesterday, I did a proper day of work, took DS for a hair cut and the puppy to get weighed at the vets, did my pole dancing, fake tan and painted my nails! Today I can’t get going again 🤷‍♀️.

Nice bit of sun here ..
It's lovely..it's not warm though,I'm cold .but the sun is very welcome

@Fukcedoff enjoy! The sun makes the difference. Same here in bite-sized bits but I'll take it.

I'm so looking forward to the spring and getting back in my dresses

I've been using the sad lamp. Only small amounts as I'm prone to migraines but it seems to help. Today is bright and sunny albeit cold, which I'll take.

Roll on spring.

I managed to get going and get things done but have seriously crashed and burned now 😭😭.

I managed to muddle through yesterday and then collapsed when I finished work. Evening on the sofa with the kids. Still in bed now. I can see it's brighter outside but cba to reach to open the blind. Meh. Good luck guys with your weekends x

Ruddy clocks!!!!!😡. It's not even 4pm and it's dark and grim😱. And I'm getting a cold. And I'm as grumpy as hell. Rrraaaggghhh!!@@

Agree it's rubbish with the clocks. My cat was up at 3.30, my dog at 5.30. On the plus side, the mornings are lighter for a bit. I hope your cold isn't too unpleasant!

100% agree. Clock change sucks. I'm so muddled up. And the greyness outside is 😭

It's horrible getting dark so early. I pulled the curtains across at 5. Really depressing.

My least favourite weekend of the year is the one when the clocks go back. Ugh.

For me it will now be a countdown to winter solstice and a gradual return of the light.

Can I join this thread? My anxiety has massively kicked in last night. I typically get crippling anxiety at this time of year. I only realised it was SAD last year when I reached absolute crisis point, then heard on the news that we'd experienced record low levels of light due to the weather! I can't face another 5 months like that. I woke up in the early hours with anxiety off the scale, and it's still with me in the background while I'm at work. Is there anyone else who mainly suffers with anxiety?

Yes me, anxiety is up there for me along with despondency. I’m having very disturbed sleep along with insomnia at the moment. I’m trying to do a bit of yoga and a meditation early evening. I would like to read in bed but my dh gets grumpy about that 🙄

Of course @FernwoodRydal! I think I’m mainly depression but do get a lot of anxiety too.

last night wasn’t too bad for us as we wanted it to be dark to go to Blackpool lights! But tonight I was driving home at 5pm and it was going dark which is just ridiculous 😡.

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding so true. I hope you enjoyed the lights.

I want to go to bed at 5 now. I swear that my SAD is getting worse as I get older

I go to bed at 6 but turn out the light around 8.30.

My excuse is animals who get me up at 4 or 5 plus a chronic illness and I'm a terrible sleeper.

At 6 until 8.30 I read, listen to audio books and watch old comedies to pass these dark evenings. Currently it's Keeping Up Appearances!

@FernwoodRydal I'm a mix of both anxiety and depression. It varies depending on how burnout I'm feeling. The last 10 days have been particularly anxious, some of it is just me and my character and brain, some of it is linked to my hormones, and at this time of year a lot of it is linked to the season. I dread this time of year which doesn't help. Roll on the equinox in Dec.

@Idontknowhatnametochoose i was looking for something to watch on iplayer the other day and saw Keeping Up with Appearances! I want to try to get the kids to watch it. Probably won't work but in my head they will love it! Probably not fast enough for them and their info hungry attention spans.

I'm so tired. I've an appointment at the docs tomorrow to discuss my current headspace. I'm so worried about it slipping and getting worse. Managed to get some morning cold sun the 2 mornings. Looking forward to bed now! I think I could get in and stay there until tomorrow.