The English winter makes me depressed every year. Did anyone move because of it? Where?

[Winterhater7]

I get depressed every single winter. It starts in November and tends to really ramp up in January (this year it’s ramping up early) and doesn’t lift until early April. I am sick of living like this!

I also feel vaguely unwell in the winter. Tired, heacachey. I take a really high quality multivitamin, so I get vitamin D etc. I also spend a good amount of time outdoors all year round because of the sport I do.

Did anyone else feel like this and decide to move away??? Where did you go?

I haven't moved, but I dream of doing so every year! I would go somewhere where the sun shines in winter - southern Spain or the Canary Islands would be perfect for me because I don't require summer weather - just a milder and sunnier climate.

Yes same! I don’t need the heat, just the sun and lighter mornings / evenings.

I have primary age children, so I know a move would be harder; but even they struggle in the winter and don’t want to get up in the morning / go to school etc. In the summer, they’re out the door easily!

Do you have any options for moving abroad? I've lived abroad several times and it's hard if you don't speak the language and don't have any familiarity with that country/culture, but I do really hate English winters and it seems to get worse as I get older.

My kids secondary age and they hate going away at Christmas, so we always have to be at home until then, but we either go away for New Year or in Feb half-term to get a dose of sun somewhere and that keeps me going. Once they're independent adults I dream of spending three months every winter somewhere else ...

It might be worth having blood tests to check for any deficiencies just in case because you shouldn't feel ill all winter, there must be a reason.

Another random thought, do you have a gas boiler and if so has it been serviced recently? Faulty boilers can cause headaches.

My husband's aunt used to spend every winter in Spain. There was a little community of English pensioners, who used to meet there every year.

As I’m reading your post I’m sitting in front of my big and very, very bright SAD lamp. It comes out in October and I use it til March.

I take vitamin D all year. I believe I read that the strength of the sun in winter is not enough to top up your vit D levels, you are living on your reserves. Getting out in the fresh air is still good though.

Also the darker complexion you are, the higher levels you need. It’s worth googling. I think I read that in Scandinavia they put sad lamps in the overhead lightning in schools etc. I have what’s called a sallow complexion, I tan easily and don’t burn.

I always dream of a tropical island, lush forest, white sand, azure sea and bright blue sky. I fancy the sound of the pensioners meet-up every winter.

When I can spend all day in the garden in the middle of summer I always feel energised, like you do when you’ve had a really, really good nights sleep.

I can’t recommend a SAD lamp highly enough. Buy a good one though, I think Lumie do the best. I think I spent about £100 on mine many years ago. I had to replace the bulbs as they grew less bright. I wouldn’t be without it.

I have name changed for this!

I was a real hater of winter

This is my third winter just south of the Loire, in France. I didn't move for climate reasons, but to be near family after my OH died. I moved from SE of the UK.

The climate is not tropical at all, but snow is rare and as the average temperature is higher everything stays greener all winter. Being on Central European Time it is light later in the evenings which makes a HUGE difference to me. Last Saturday, a lovely clear sunny day, there was still light in the Western sky at 1800H. Yes, it doesn't get light until 0800H but as I am retired it doesn't make much difference to me.

And summer is pretty much guaranteed to be warm/hot so you know you have good weather ahead.

Easier winters were not part of reason for moving but they have made a huge difference to me.

I hate the winter with a passion. I feel the cold so badly it is actually painful and I loath the dark mornings and evenings. I'm also on the spectrum so finding winter clothing that doesn't make me go insane is a huge challenge. I can't wear wool and various other fabrics or layers of any kind and shoes and socks are like pergatory. In the summer I can just pull on a slightly oversized cotton dress and slip into flip flops and I am deliriously happy. I did move to Southern Italy many years ago where the winters are (usually) much milder and shorter. I really do wonder why on earth I came back.

Yes, not the only reason but miserable Winters was definitely a factor in our decision to move to Sydney. 16 years later it is the best decision we ever made.

Thank you! I got a Lumie lamp from marketplace yesterday and am going to try it today!

Do you work with it on next to you?

I also feel energised from spending the whole day outside in the summer. To be honest, I’m someone who needs to spend a large chunk of the day outside. If I spent all day outside in the winter (and I’d be freezing because I also have raynaud’s - it’s like my body wasn’t built for it! Despite all the layers I wear!) I might find life more bearable!

Glad to hear you’ve got one. It won’t be like magic, but over the weeks you’ll probably feel ok, then it’s only when you look back you realise that feeling ok is a really big improvement!

im now retired, so my light is on my bedside table. It should come with instructions on time and distance for using light, but I probably use mine for at least a couple of hours, but I think benefits can be had for 20 mins.

I used to feel the cold intensely, layers and layers in winter and chilblains. Menopause has changed me, I now seem to have my own internal heating.

Yes, winter has always just been that period of time that isn’t summer.

I definitely dream of spending the winter months in a better climate. I hate the snow and we live at a fairly high elevation for West Yorkshire so get more than our share (upside is we don't have a flood risk as everywhere is downhill).

DS is at uni now, which makes it somewhat more plausible to imagine doing, but the cat would absolutely not tolerate it (and of course couldn't be left for that amount of time). Annoyingly, I have a job which could definitely be done from abroad (have done precisely 1 business trip per year since the pandemic started).

One day.

I changed my outlook on winter and that made such a huge difference to me. Get outside every day, I go running a lot more in winter than summer. And make sure I go for a longish walk at least. Enjoy the change in scenery - I love January when the snowdrops come up, then the daffodils. Living overseas actually made me realize we have quite mild winters compared to many places, although everyone in the UK seems to think we have it the worse! Although where in the uk are you op as obviously this can make a difference to how much sunlight/ rain you get.

I really love Europe for the later light evenings in the winter.

It is something I know would make a big difference to me.

I am considering buying somewhere in France but it’s so hard to know where to buy.

kids are young teens and they need something to do if we are to spend holidays there as I don’t think I could move them now.

I’ve considered aix en Provence, Nice or close by like Vence. Even Cannes. Avignon. I’ve visited them all and liked them but just not sure. I’d like to do the Atlantic coast and love it there too but it rains a lot on that side in the winter. And it’s very humid sometimes in the summer.

but wonder if we’d roast in the summer in those southern cities. However I crave warmth badly. I am miserable in the U.K.

I don’t know how to integrate a bit into society for 6 weeks of the summer and other holiday weeks as well. I’d like to find a community to be part of that we could look to become part of permanently long term.

I think I'm feeling the winter more the older I get. Dark mornings. That grey colour the sky stays all day. Everything's wet, even when it hasn't been raining. The rain. The cold. Dark evenings. Spending eight months looking forward to a semi decent four months.

Years ago I bought my mam a SAD lamp because she would get very down in winter. She never really spoke about it working but we cleared through her house after she passed away recently and it was set up in her bedroom, so she must have been using it. I tried it in the room I'm working from home in and it seems to be a very bright white light. Just need to find somewhere for it to stay.

I used to hate the idea of not being here for Christmas, but the worst thing about a break to somewhere warmer and brighter now would be coming back.

I think my SAD lamp does help @BorrowersAreVermin - and taking a Vitamin D supplement of course.

How people in proper northern Europe cope I don't know. The idea of perpetual darkness is hideous.

Yes OP I feel like this. Moving next year to Mediterranean coast (if all goes to plan).

We’ve lived overseas before and a warm/hot Christmas was fine. Kids enjoyed the novelty of being in the pool on Christmas Day!

I did miss grandparents but they’ve sadly gone now.

Where will you move to? If you’re willing to share?

Im in need of help!

do you speak the language/are you familiar with the country?

@SoySaucePls we looked at many of the places that you mention above. I can pm you with our preferred location if you want.

Basically my Spanish is strong because I did an Erasmus year in Barcelona and kept it going with evening classes over the years. During the pandemic I started learning French (have an ancient gcse) with Duolingo and YouTube. Now I do an in person French class once a week. I want to get to the level where chatting to neighbours or a pharmacist is doable. I’m nearly there really.

I joined a private FB group based in our preferred area to introduce myself and get some local knowledge. Finally dh is from the EU so that makes everything so much easier.

Living in the ME with no real seasons other than ‘hotter’ and ‘less hot’, sunset at the same time all year round, almost no rain, and unchangingly hot, dry weather made me absolutely appreciate north-west European weather, climate seasons, changeability.

Yes. I moved Greece but did it the 'easy' way. The awful UK winters meant that i started to explore for places to move to in my early 20s. I had started to make plans amd applied to some EFL agencies to move to Asia and then met my Greek husband, so I moved to Greece instead. Much better winters, but lately climate change means the summers have become unbearable in the last 5 years.

How does Brexit affect moving to Southern European countries? Can you get a visa if you have a big enough pension pot? Do you have to have private medical insurance if you are a permanent resident? Genuinely interested.
Of course I'm goingy Brexit will be undone to an extent to a certain extent eventually...

My DH and I are retiring and thinking of either buying in Spain or taking a long rental over the winter.
I can't bear the winter, it massively impacts my MH.
I'm an outdoor person and even though I make the effort to get out in winter the grey skies and relentless rain get me down.

My parents would go to Spain for three months immediately after new year. They loved it. Warm evenings, blue sky and sunlight. That’s what I will be doing once I retire or I persuade work I can wfh abroad.