Stay warm
Time to fess up; I have never liked Autumn or Winter. *gasps!*
I have always hated the leaves falling off the trees, the gradual decent into closing darkness and the need for countless layers that make me cold sweat like a melting ice cube has been shoved under my clothes. The worst part of it all is the SAD. Both my mum and I have suffered from it for as long as I can remember and have often found that escaping to warmer climates during December has been a great solution to the problem.
But, it isn't always possible and the majority of this time of year is spent struggling to get out of bed, plastering my under eyes with concealer (and still failing to cover up the dark circles) and refusing to take off my fluffy Primark PJs. As soon as the clocks change, it's all downhill. I wake up early but outside it still looks like midnight and all I feel is a wave of dread and negativity washing over me. To top it all off, I now work in a shopping centre; the retail equivalent of a coal mine; arrive in the dark, go home in the dark.
This year, I said to myself that I was going to try and fight the SAD. Why should I feel this way in a time of year that brings so much joy to other people?
So, I thought I'd share the little ways I'm attempting to brighten up the dark mornings and warm up my soul in the chilly air.
1. SEASONAL DECOR
This year has been the first year that I've got a house that is all my own. I can do literally whatever I want with it. In previous years I tried to incorporate some form of seasonal decorations, but it eventually fell flat when I realised my home just didn't feel like home.
So, I went to Home Sense, filled up a basket of Autumn homeware and stuck it up around the house. Immediately I felt more at ease. I also recycled one of my old duvets into a snuggly blanket for the sofa with a brushed cotton cover so I can turn into a burrito at any given moment.
Christmas is where I'm going to really go all out though and I absolutely cannot wait.
2. CLOTHING
I have always hated Winter clothing, simply because I've always found it to be entirely boring and drab looking. Thanks to the wonders of Instagram, though, I have discovered a whole new love for cosy clothing, Autumnal tones and fluffy coats. I truly think that how you dress and how you feel in those clothes can have the biggest impact on your mood and being able to feel good about myself AND keep warm?! That's the biggest mood-booster ever.
3. KEEP BUSY
This is one that I try to work towards all year round, but especially nowadays. It's so easy to sit on the sofa, curl up in a ball and refuse to do anything because it's too cold and too dark. But, getting up at my usual time and getting jobs done has worked wonders for my mood. Instead of focusing on the surroundings, my mind is working towards completing tasks. And of course, once they're done I feel flipping awesome because I've been productive!
Seasonal activities have also helped, like my visit to the pumpkin patch made me feel all warm and fuzzy inside!
4. LOOK AROUND
"Look around, look around at how lucky we are to be alive right now." - Hamilton
Had to throw a Hamilton quote in here somewhere! My mum is a great person for this. Whenever we take Oscar for a walk she always tells me to look at the golden trees, the blue skies, the birds. There is so much beauty in the world, even when it all seems to be dying in the cold. Taking a walk in nature not only gives me exercise (mood-booster!) but allows me get some form of sun (mood-booster and ghost-appearance-fighter!).
5. TRAVEL
In my post about moving on after a big change, I mentioned wanting to travel a lot more, even if it was for a day or two. I've managed to visit a place a month so far, with Copenhagen coming up very soon. Short city breaks allow me to get away from the typical boring routine and have an adventure, immediately lifting my mood.
Obviously, all these things don't cure my SAD entirely, but they do help and mean I'm much less of a crabby monster to be around.
Let me know if you suffer from SAD and if you have any ways of fighting it!
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