Happy one extra hour in bed!! Or to parents, happy waking up at 5.30am & wondering why. The change in seasons has hit us like a ton of bricks this year after having such an incredible summer (I mean, it was actually hot, in the UK!). It seems to have suddenly got cold enough to turn the heating on & I’m one of those who are known as the heating hitler & refuses to put it on until mid November so that’s saying something.
With the turn of Autumn comes a whole new thing to contend with which I personally struggle with; the dark mornings & evenings. It seems like the number of daylight hours we get are rapidly decreasing & I’m one of those that needs a bit of sunshine or I’m a misery.
I think that everyone suffers slightly with SAD (seasonal affective disorder) & its often common to feel a bit ‘blah’ & moody around this time of year. If you look up the symptoms, it basically all links to us wanting to curl up, eat stodgy food & hibernate for the Winter…if that doesn’t describe my life right now then I don’t know what does.
The absolute last thing you want to do when it’s cold & miserable outside is get out from under that thick, warm duvet & face the world but I’m going to share some tips on how to banish the blues & get up & keep up despite these dark days.
Get a good nights sleep – sounds like an obvious one but most importantly, make sure you’re getting enough sleep so that when your alarm does go off at 7am & it’s still pitch black, you know you’ve had your full recommended 8 hours.
Give your home a mini makeover – what better way to beat the blues than by giving some TLC to the place you’ll be spending those dark mornings & evenings; your home. Do some decorating or DIY to turn it in to somewhere you’ll be happy to be.
Ban technology – experts say that you shouldn’t have any technology (TV’s & phones) in your bedroom as it distrusts our natural rhythm & can overstimulate us before bed. Try reading a book before bed instead of checking Insta…I’m definitely guilty of this.
Perfect preparation prevents poor performance – you want to try to diminish as many reasons to hate mornings as possible, so prepare as much as you can in advance when it’s not dark & gloomy. We’ve all been there; madly pulling clothes out of your wardrobe & hunting high & low for your keys before racing out the front door & forgetting your lunch. Use the night before to lay everything out.
Temperature – again, a bit of an obvious one but finding the right temperature for your house is vital. Too cold & you’ll be shivering all night long but whack the thermostat up & you’ll be sweating yourself awake. Nows the time to bring out the winter duvet & bedding plus if you get really chilly then invest in an electric blanket.
Plan a holiday – winter sun is always the nicest kind…forget a Summer holiday, if you’re anything like me when you do manage to venture abroad it ends up nicer weather back at home anyway.
Make time for yourself – it’s easy with dark mornings & nights to fall into a mode of hibernation. Of course being lazy to some extent is a real nice feeling, but make sure you have enough time for yourself. Take a long bubble bath, take up a new hobby, read a book, catch up with old friends.
Exercise – probably the last thing you want to do, but exercise releases some amazing endorphins & is amazing for you physically as well as mentally. Try yoga as a gentle, mindful form.
Do you have any advice on how to deal with the get up & go at this time of year?
Love,