Anyone feeling the winter blues already?

[Blakey3166]

Hi all,
Lurker, occasional posts!
Are any of you really feeling the winter blues already?
I am.
I'm full time mum on own, at the moment I seem to be leaving for work (dropping at breakfast club en route) in the dark and then coming home via afterschool club in the dark.
Quick walk with dog and then in to cook tea/tidy up/wash up/sort laundry before collapsing on sofa at 8.30 watching shite tv:-( the days are the same all week, I don't see my house in daylight. Don't speak to anyone from 4pm till 8am over the age of 6 yrs!!
I really can't see how anythings gonna change before spring which feels so far away?!! I also would like to meet someone but where when an how?! I get 2 free week nights each week but their filled with food shop and more cleaning etc etc nothing fun:-(:-( anyone in same boat with these feelings?

Could you get your shopping online and have it delivered to free up one of your child-free evenings?
Also, try and make sure you get out for a walk on your lunch break at work if possible. So you at least see some daylight and get a bit of vitamin D in your system.
I do sympathise, this time of year is mega-depressing.

winter blues... too dark, too wet, too much tidying up as they are inside more and making more mess as it is the time of year that aggrevates ds's ASD behaviour with all the changes at school. throwing things and a general increas in rushing about like a bull in a china shop.

Cardiff, nice ideas but I am out in weather all day at work ( transport policing) so I walk all day, it's just if grey with no sunlight it does me in!
I do get the shopping delivered.
Have no energy on my child free ones to seem to get out an no one to do anything with :-( I think Susan's right too, too much time indoors with kids, I love sitting in garden , them playing on trampoline etc.
Don't mind the cold but hate these grey wet miserable days :-(

Yep feel the same. There doesn't seem to be any daylight and even my dog behaves differently in the dark. I'm walking as much as possible and making sure I see some light when I can. My life consists of work house work and working from home. I'm a big lover of coffee shops and I treat myself to a coffee on the walk to the car from work once a week. I find being around other people in streets etc actually helps me. Strangely although I am alone quite a lot I don't feel lonely. Since having a bout of severe depression I've come to the conclusion I need a lot of time by myself processing, thinking and reading something. My days are spent with people so I get enough interaction with my 10/15 minute relationships

Thanks ladies, I guess I'm not alone.fastcargirl, I love coffee shops too but feel a bit lonely in them sometimes.
I think I would say same, I'm around lots of ppl all day, literally hundreds( my job involves transport) an I think I'm the same, when I'm not there I do enjoy time to process, think and plan, but I know I can overdo this too instead of enjoying the moment, it just seems to be short on "the moments"!!
Ah well onwards an upwards eh?!

Your life sounds like many people. You feel your whole life is dedicated to taking care of responsibility and you have no me time.

What do you do during lunch? I usually go to the gym to exercise. I find that working out is a great stress reliever and I also have made friends at the gym. Although I don't use this time to socialize, we do schedule other times where we can go for coffee during time off; such as, on the weekend. We even bring our kids, that is if they too have children.

If you don't have time to go to the gym, you could try and go for walks during your lunch time off. Take 30 minutes. I usually eat my lunch at my desk when I return from the gym. I see other people at work going for walks during lunch with co-workers.

Many people suffer from winter blues because they don't get enough sunlight. The best way to overcome this is to go out early in the morning for at least 30 minutes. If you cannot do this, then I suggest light therapy lamp. These products help with Seasonal affective disorder, depression, winter blues, sleep disorder and more. You usually sit with them for about 30 minutes a day or twice daily. My brother suffers from seasonal depression. He lives in Ohio. He bought one of these lamps and he says it has helped him a lot.

Hope this helps...

Can I also sugesst taking vitamin D.. I do only during the winter despite been out for over 1 1/2 hours a day on school run .. So spend the time outside. I think it does help.It is recommended for everyone in the winter.