With summer well and truly over and autumn tightening it’s grip, those of us who suffer during the short days, long nights and colder, wetter weather need to be looking for silver linings. Whether you’re officially afflicted with SAD or simply not a winter person, when the year tilts towards darkness you need to start finding ways to compensate for a lack of sunlight, whether that’s quite literally with foreign holidays and special lamps, or metaphorically finding ways to lean into the cold, and get cosy, nesting for the duration of the cold, miserable weather.
Let’s have a look at a few different ways you can find or make a silver lining for the gathering clouds of autumn.
Getting Cosy
One advantage of autumn and winter is that the poor weather is a perfect excuse to spend some relaxing time at home, whether it’s with friends or alone, building a nest and eating good food, binging on box sets that you’ve neglected over the summer or playing old fashioned board games as the wind and rain lash the house and make you glad to be inside.
Comfort is paramount on days like this. Pick out the perfect cashmere track pant, and pair it with a soft sweater or much loved hoodie. The pressure’s off and all you need to concentrate on is clothes that make you feel good.
Put some planning into your cosy autumn afternoons – make sure you have everything you need. There’s nothing worse than shutting out the world only to find you need to go out into to buy milk, or wine or biscuits. Stock your cupboards and then prepare for a long, cosy autumn afternoon,
Winter Sun
One of the advantages of growing up is that you’re no longer bound on the wheel of the school holidays. You can seek out holiday bargains when the weather starts to close in, and by avoiding pak times, also avoid peak prices when you escape to the sun shine.
Booking a holiday somewhere warm in the depths of November gives you something to look forward to if you struggle with the winter months and bright sides like that can be the key to surviving with your good mood intact.
Compensating for the Dark
The lack of sunlight hours in the autumn and winter can have serious psychological effects, verging on depression! If you’re prone to the negative affects under the banner of Seasonal Affective Disorder, you need to find a way to top up your levels of the vital light that keeps your mood buoyant in the summer.
Choosing a sad lamp for your bedroom or office is a good way to keep the darkness in check. Just make sure that when you’re picking one, you’re actually able to keep it somewhere you have time to sit and bask in its rays or your investment will be wasted and you won’t be seeing a silver lining to these dreary autumn days.
