Get ready to beat the darker days

Get ready to beat the darker days

Clocks going back is traditionally a signal for the start of autumn comforts: an extra hour in bed in the morning, cosy evenings in, Halloween treats, Christmas on the horizon.

As per many of the other annual routines we’ve become dependent on, Covid-19 means that’s changed too. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a form of depression caused by a lack of sunlight, is reported to affect 1 in 3 of the UK population. This year the shorter darker days are going to make more of us understand what SAD really means and feels like. 

WFH and living under higher tier restrictions will mean fewer opportunities for being outside. Getting out after work is more difficult. Going to the gym in the rain may seem too much of a bother, walking the dog is a chore. Low mood tends to create a vicious circle of low motivation to get out at all.

What if-Christmas

For hundreds of years Christmas has been used as a release valve, a celebration that takes advantage of the dark days as a time for rest and feasting – as well as the solstice marking the beginning of the return of the light. But this year we have a “what if” Christmas – what if we’re not allowed to celebrate together, what if we go into a national lockdown, what’s it going to be like being at home alone? The pressures of the festive season can be tough enough in themselves but the new uncertainty may cause significant anxiety and other mental health issues, as well as encouraging rule-breaking and risk-taking over health.

Mindset matters

It’s worth looking to Scandinavia and populations who have a culture of coping with what might be only two to three hours of light a day. How do they do it? Research suggests it’s all about attitude. If you just think in terms of the benefits that the winter months bring – the cosy feelings, the particular charms of winter light and scenery, the chance to do things you can only do in cold weather, whether that’s outdoors or indoors – then you are going to build a positive mindset that sees you through.

And, of course, talking always helps, being open about how you’re feeling, accepting that simple things like a lack of sunlight can have a real impact on our state of mind. Then it’s possible to start finding straightforward, practical ways to thrive through the winter.