How I’m Trying to Stay Positive as We Go into Autumn & Winter
I’m someone who really struggles with the cold, dark winter months, and I do think I get some Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) most years.
This year we haven’t had the greatest summer, with a lot of rain, constantly changing temperatures and just not enough sun for a consistent amount of time.
So I’m a bit gutted it’s over already, to be honest. I’m grateful we’ve just had a few extra nice afternoons of warmth and sunshine so we could sit outside and enjoy it briefly, but I’m totally not ready for it to be Autumn already and be starting to get colder and colder (…and rainier and rainier).
However, I do like quite a lot about Autumn and I don’t want to spend half of the year wishing it away, so I’m determined, this year, to try and embrace the changes and enjoy each season for what it is.
Here is how I am going to do that.
How I’m Trying to Stay Positive as We Go into Autumn & Winter
Enjoy getting cosy
I love snuggling up at home in warm, comfy clothes with a blanket and a hot drink, especially after a cosy but cold winter walk. I love having candles lit and getting snug as a bug on the sofa with my family, and maybe watching a film together.
Looking after myself
I tend to neglect my ‘self-care‘ when in the colder months, and my regular shaving-of-legs tends to fall by the wayside a bit! I do still shave, but not as often as my legs are usually covered up by leggings, and I’m usually tired and just can’t be arsed! That also means that I hardly use a body scrub, nor fake tan, even though it’s the time of year when my skin could actually do with looking after the most, as well as the fact that I feel so much better with a bit of fake tan on.
So I’m going to try to make more of an effort to shave and scrub my body, and put on fake tan more often over the coming months, as it really does make me feel (and look) better.
Of course, now is the time for sniffles and bugs starting up again, and I’ve already got my first cold of the season, which is why getting a flu jab might be a good idea if your doctor recommends it.
Also, if you have any long-lasting conditions such as shingles, now may well be the perfect time to look into a holistic cure for shingles, for example.
Exercise consistently and make it a priority
Another thing that I’m crap at keeping up with in the winter is exercise. However good I’ve been at exercising regularly during the summer months, I get lazy and tired when it’s darker and colder, and I never keep up with it all through the winter.
This, of course, leaves me feeling like crap, and really, I think the only way I will make it happen is to make it a priority, meaning I need to do it in the morning and choose it over other things, even though that might make me anxious. When the house is a mess and I have work to do, I find it incredibly hard to ignore all of that and go and exercise, and I also can’t be arsed in the mornings, so it doesn’t get done.
But, keeping up with regular exercise will help keep me fit and healthy and make everything else easier and my life generally more productive!
Keep spending lots of time outside
Since we moved house at the start of August, we have all spent so much more time outside as we now have a lovely (and much bigger) garden to enjoy (and no awful neighbours swearing and smoking constantly!!). We’ve had all the doors and windows open most of the day, and we’ve gone on more walks.
I really don’t want that to stop and it’s so lovely to be outside even when it’s freezing, so I want to put on my big coat and go and sit outside with a cup of tea even when it’s cold!
Make a bit more effort with my clothes
For me, winter means leggings and a big jumper, and whilst that’s fine sometimes, I do want to feel a bit more put together and like I’ve made a bit of an effort. I’ve put on some weight over the last few years, so lots of my favourite clothes don’t fit me, and I haven’t found any jeans I like, so it’s always leggings.
But I never feel very inspired by my winter dressing, and I think it would make me feel a lot better if I put together some outfits that I feel nice in, that are still easy to wear. I’d like to add more accessories too, which I don’t tend to bother with, but a simple necklace can really make an outfit feel more put-together and stylish. Although, since moving house at the start of August, I still haven’t found where I’ve put my necklaces!
Use lighting and candles to brighten up my days
I love snuggling up in the evenings, when it’s cold outside, and lighting some candles, and I also love the feeling and cosiness that fairy lights bring. So I want to light candles more often as the days get darker and really embrace these seasons and the darkness they bring, even during the day.
I also have one of those Lumie lights, which is meant to help with SAD and can help with mood, energy and focus. I’ve had it for years now but haven’t used it for a while, so I need to get into the habit of using it every morning as part of my routine.
Last year I also invested in the Lumie Wake-up Light Alarm Clock, which I still haven’t flipping set up properly. I did start to when I first got it, but I couldn’t work out how to set the alarm or something like that, so it’s just been sat on my bedside table for months. I’m such an idiot. I’ve added it to my to-do list now because I really think it will help me to wake up more naturally and hopefully not feel like I’ve been hit by a bus every morning.
Start prepping for Christmas early to avoid stress and get excited
My daughter has been counting down to Christmas for MONTHS now, and she’s been driving me crazy. She is so excited about it all, and I love that (but I’d prefer she waited til at least the end of September to keep telling me how many days til Christmas!).
But now it’s September (wait – nearly October – how!?), I’d like to make a start on my Christmas shopping, not only to spread out the cost but also so that I’m not left rushing right at the end and feeling stressed and exhausted.
On the same note, I would love to start wrapping early, as I usually end up stressed and rushing on the 24th of December and have to stay up later than I want, getting it all done. December is always such a busy month, so I think realistically the only way I will avoid that happening is to start wrapping before December, so we’ll see if I get that far!
I think it would be really nice to know what I want to buy for everyone, and especially my daughter, early on, get everything wrapped early so that we can get excited about our first Christmas in our new house and spending time with our family.
The only downside to all this is that I will probably forget what I’ve bought and end up buying too much.
Book some nice events and days out to look forward to
Having something to look forward to, particularly when the weather is rubbish, always helps, so I’d like to have the odd wintery or Christmassy event booked in to make the most of what these seasons offer.
We have annual passes to Wheelgate Theme Park in Newark, and in December, they have Illuminations on (and if you stay later in the day you can sometimes get to see them with a standard ticket). It was lovely last year, enjoying the light show in the dark after an afternoon in the park.
We also enjoy wandering around some local garden centres over Christmastime and seeing all the lights and decorations as well as choosing a new one for our tree.
We’ll also have plenty of cold, wintery walks with our dog at local parks and forests. It always feels so good once you’re out in the cold, wrapped up warmly and going for a bracing walk – that winter air always feels so refreshing and good for the soul. It’s especially lovely when it’s one of those sunshiney days with bright blue skies and crunchy leaves underfoot. I love getting out on those days.
Visit Whitby
I’ve talked before about how lucky we are to have a family cottage in Whitby, and so we tend to go a few times a year. With moving house, we’ve only been once this year, but we’re going for a few days in October and we’re really looking forward to it.
It’s very different in the winter months, but we love it just as much, and love spending time having bracing walks at the beach with our dog, wandering around Whitby and heading into warm shops and cafes, and just getting loads of fresh air and time together. We eat lots, we drink lots, and we play lots of games, read books and really chill out.
It’s always lovely to have a trip to look forward to, and it’s even better when it’s somewhere you are completely relaxed and feel at home, without having the daily grind of your standard days at home with school, work, and housework.
What are you looking forward to in the autumn and winter months? Do you struggle with the darkness and the rubbish weather too?
