2026/27 SAD thread

[Idstillratherbepaddleboarding]

It’s not quite September yet but the weather is getting worse and the nights are certainly drawing in so I decided today is the day for a new thread!

I’ve stolen the wording from last year’s first post as it’s perfect 🤣🤣.

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 for the new thread @Idstillratherbepaddleboarding you’ve reminded me to order my vitamin D spray.

I have a pair of Luminette 3 light therapy glasses to try this year. Used to have a desk lamp but found it losing effectiveness, probably from not being close enough to my face. But with the glasses can just put them on first thing and carry on with morning routine

I'm wondering when to start using the sad lamp. When do others start?

Somewhere around when it's no longer light when getting up in the morning for me

@Idontknowhatnametochoose I started yesterday! Been continuing with my vitamin routine all summer to hopefully build some reserves or at least some sense of routine as the lower I get, the less I do the things that actually help 🙈.

Same for me. The dark mornings are a real trigger 😫; SAD lamp at breakfast, super-strength Vitamin D and lots of planning holidays.

I'm going to start putting the lamp on at breakfast. I take vitamin d all year. Thanks everyone. I hope this winter doesn't hit too hard for us all.

Well that's been a darn hot and sweaty summer. Just caught up with the end of the previous thread and thought I'd best mark my place plus much more importantly say hello to my winter companions and support crew.

Trying not to obsess over the time the sun is rising and setting. Or the time of year. Or all the back to school things I haven't done yet. Because if I don't do them the season has to stay the same right?!

After a horrible, stormy and dark weekend, it's now quite bright - a bit breezy and some clouds - and warm. But, there's a distinct feel of autumn in the air and it's throwing me off kilter. I am sleeping a lot and just feel unbalanced. Is anyone else like this?

I had no idea this thread existed every year. Thank goodness. I despise all the snuggling under blankets, ‘dark cosy nights’ pumpkin loving posts. Who are these people? I live for the summer!

So glad to find this. I just dread all of it.. Autumn is fine-ish I can appreciate the colours- just. But it’s the 7/8 months of utter darkness and cold. I keep telling myself I just need to change my mindset and embrace it but I just hate it.
Thanks for the tips. I’ll start of the Vitamin D today and weirdly my bedside lamp has given up the ghost so I think I’ll look for one that doubles up as a SAD lamp if such a thing exists?

I had so much to do on Saturday - I sat down with a cup of tea on the sofa pre chores and fell asleep for 2 hours. This is absolutely not like me. I did put it down to the change of seasons. Who knows?

@Skatefordinner you have found your people! I’m not sure such a thing as a bedside lamp that doubles as a SAD lamp exists, although it’s a great idea, maybe you need to go on Dragon’s Den? A SAD lamp would work as a normal lamp but you wouldn’t want it on as you’re going to bed as it would confuse your circadian rhythms.

@lyingonthebeach , the change in season definitely throws me off kilter 🙁.

We had a busy weekend at an outdoor event but fortunately I spent a lot of it in a tractor (don’t ask!) and at least it was warm still.

I have forgotten to order my fluoxetine, so have been without it all weekend and my prescription won’t be ready till probably Thursday 😭😭. Why won’t my brain let me order it before it runs out? Every month i say I’ll order it the week before but every month I forget and forget until it’s too late 🙈🙈.

The darker mornings and evenings are already getting to me I think. I’m ok in the daytime (as long as it’s not raining), but my mood is quite low in the darker hours. I did two big Countryside walks over the weekend which I enjoyed, but then when the evening comes the anxiety starts to kick in. Arrrgh!

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding can you set a reminder on your phone or Alexa (if you have one) to order your medication?

Can I join you?

The general gloominess of these last few days has really got to me and the amazing hot, bright periods we had during the summer seem a long way back.
I don't like the darker evenings but I do get some satisfaction from being able to close the curtains and shut it all out.

@MissyB1 yes but I keep forgetting to set a reminder 🤣🙈. The problem is that they won’t set it up as a repeat prescription so I can’t order it on the app, I have to ring up for it so I have to remember when the doctors is open, which is when I’m at work 🙈🙈. It opens in 10 mins so I’m gonna ring then but I’m sure it’ll be crazy busy after the bank holiday weekend!

@MissyB1 do you have an evening hobby you could do to help? I get a huge boost from doing my pole dancing about 7pm even if I don’t feel like it before I start.

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding crikey they should let you put the request in online! Phoning up every time is so inefficient.

Yes I need an evening class. I am a member of a gym that has classes so I need to pick one, they also have a lovely pool so I could do an evening swim. I need to get motivated.

Talk about cutting it fine. DS's new school shoes arrived at 9.10pm tonight (thanks Evri...) but the socks I've ordered are a child's size not his big man child size feet. I keep making mistakes like that. My brain is a numpty.

Definitely off kilter here. Today has been so miserable. Managed my first wholesome half day with the kids all summer but the drizzle delayed the dog walk but we got out and had a stomp. Interesting chat with the kids. One loves autumn. The other winter. And then there's me... The darker evenings are a challenge and they aren't even that bad yet.

@Idstillratherbepaddleboarding even if I set a reminder and an alarm I still forget to do things and miss the alarms. I've run out of 100mg sertraline tablets so whilst I wait for my prescription I've been taking what I can find in the bottom of my drawer which this week has been 4 x 25mg... I wish there was a more grown up grown up in the house that could do all the adulting for me.

Welcome @MagpiePi and @Skatefordinner

@Skatefordinner one of my sad lamps has multiple settings and brightness levels and could probably pass as some kind of reading light on the lower settings.
Must admit over the summer I keep finding it on DHs desk so he can take calls with the blind shut - he's using it almost like an influencers light for videos!

@mrsdiddlydoo haha they definitely work well as an influencer light 🤣🤣. I love a million times less bad on Teams when I have mine on (not that I’m an influencer!).

It's raining and grey. I've got the SAD lamp on. 😭 it's still September FFS. Rrraaaggghhh!

I put the heating on last night. ☹️

Being cold is one of the things that sets me off on a downward spiral. I’m thinking of putting my electric blanket under the throw on the sofa.

Hello you bunch of lovely miseries. I have abominal insomnia and can truthfully report it now gets light about 5.30 rather than 3.30. Sob.

we need to all adopt the brace position

I briefly considered heating yesterday but held out. However you have reminded me to unearth my heated throw. One of the only things I actually look forward to as it gets colder.
My Adult DD messaged me yesterday very excited yesterday as she had had her first pumpkin spiced latte of the season. I told her she was not my people 😂

Sun is out here today, trying to savour it! Wish I could bottle it actually!

@MissyB1 same here. I've booked Tenerefe holiday for new year; the mere thought will help me over the next few months

@Skatefordinner me too, it was a nice enough day but my feet were freezing in the evening 😭. I opted for my oodie instead.

Today sucks already though, it’s cold and rainy and I’m up far too early to take DS to work for 8am. And I can feel the rumblings of a cold starting 😡. Urghhh.

Today I’m going to sort out my pole room so I can put my hoop in there, get the tortoises’ indoor house ready and bring them in for winter, then read my book. What is everyone else up to?