How is your mood affected by the changing of the season?

[biscuits]

I love warm weather, longer periods of daylight and the freedom of being able to sit in the garden without losing a nip to frostbite.

I wonder if anyone else struggles with the drop in temperature, greyer skies, darker mornings and evenings?

Are you affected by the change of season?
If you are, how do you find ways to cope with the change of season?

[Mr. Nobody]

I do think that the onset of autumn into winter definitely brings my mood down and I definitely struggle with the cold and lack of daylight,
I think it mainly just feels like I'm fighting the elements rather than enjoying them,
It feels very unhealthy to be indoors so much, both physically and psychologically,
I work during the daylight hours so it's especially difficult to be motivated to do something different after work rather than just keep warm and sit watching TV or something, especially if work has been really stressful or busy etc.
I tend to just fall into a pattern over the winter months where the evenings seem to just pass me by, and before I know it, I'm back in work again,

I have a pretty good SAD light and have a vitamin D supplement that I take,

I think it's the dampness that feels worst, nothing ever seems to dry out properly,

It's so weird that I used to love the dark months, where I'd have an excuse for getting into a video game or something,..
But, somehow, at my age, I can't quite justifiably do that now, it just feels wrong somehow,?

Anyhoo,.. I'm sure I'll fashion some way of turning it around and try and make the most of it somehow.

[Mike.Kzov]

It's affected quite badly. It's the lack of sunshine and light that gets me. I don't mind rain, storms, or snow, it's the leaden, grey overcast English days that are so depressing.

I can see why people would want to move to a country with more yearly sunshine than here. Those dull, sunless days just make everything feel more miserable.

I find it's still worth doing stuff like going on walks in the country, even if the weather's dull. Other ways to make the best of the darker months: go to the cinema more, enjoy autumn, enjoy the festive season. It's a silly thing but video games can actually provide a nice distraction at times. Especially a game set somewhere sunny and pretty!

[Jam do Bronx]

This is something I've struggled with since childhood, but it's more specific than the change in season. Of course, the shorter, darker days and it being generally grey, cold and miserable plays a significant part, but my main issue is that, throughout all my life and even in adulthood, September brings back all those horrendous feelings from childhood of low mood, anxiety and general despair that I felt due to going back to school after the summer holidays. I absolutely f***ing hated that back to school feeling as a child. But for some reason, no matter how old I get, I still feel this every single f***ing September, and it's never stopped. I also feel the same thing (and for the same reasons) every January as it signifies the dread I felt going back to school after the xmas holidays.

Does it even make sense that I'm still experiencing these feelings every September (and January) even years after leaving school (and college/uni)? It really f**ks with me, and was also wondering if anyone else can relate?

I just want it to stop.

[Mr. Nobody]

^
yes, I had such a feeling of loathing and dread in the pit of my stomach going back to school,

During working life it's been more concentrated in early January going back to work after the festive season,

I also completely dreaded going to school,
All that psychological and emotional pain, just to gain knowledge of a few subjects,.. just seems like a very one-sided trade-off,

I had this too after leaving high school, and before being literally forced into work,. I could see all those years of dull repetitive work stretching ahead of me and just couldn't contemplate going ahead with it, it just seemed like selling my soul and saying goodbye to who I was.
I really was a bit lost back then.

[Jen.]

I've always struggled with this as long as I can remember. The last three years have actually been fine since I started using a light alarm clock, and most winter days since then I would feel no different than I would at any other time of the year. This year it has come back worse than ever though... I think a combination of dealing with grief, being out of the country for a few weeks just as the days were getting noticeably shorter and returning to it suddenly being dark at my usual waking up time, plus not realising for a while that I'd set up my light alarm clock wrong this year so that it started getting brighter just 10 minutes before the alarm instead of the usual 30 minutes. Most days recently I seem to have suicidal thoughts, but I'm aware that it will pass. I would probably quite enjoy autumn in other countries. Here you can't even walk around in crisp fallen leaves because it's always raining so within a day they're a brown soggy mess. Winter can be okay on certain days if it's dry enough and there's something to do that can only be enjoyed in winter, but in general I also find it pretty dismal.

[Ronnie_Pickering]

if you got a free article: https://www.telegraph.co.uk/health-f...iftigniter-rhr

Originally Posted by Telegraph

A survey of 5,000 Europeans from Coffee and Health found that when days shorten, 21 per cent of us become more anxious, 24 per cent find it harder to concentrate and 25 per cent lose motivation to exercise

Points in it:
Keeping to a good sleep schedule.
Getting a daily walk if you can (earlier the better)
Mediterranean diet might help (nuts, oils, colourful veg)
Social isolation is not so good
Vit D supplement
SAD lightbox if necessary (30-45mins) (there's a new version out called Red Light Therapy)
Open your blinds/curtains as much as possible

Increase in cravings of carbs can be a sign of SAD.

[Jen.]

^ Permanent no paywall link: https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%...h-air-every%2F

[Ronnie_Pickering]

Originally Posted by Jen.

^ Permanent no paywall link: https://12ft.io/proxy?q=https%3A%2F%...h-air-every%2F

ah thanks I knew there was a way somehow.