4 Strategies To Cope With The Clocks Changing (Part 2)
Last week I wrote about some tips and tricks I am using to manage the end of daylight savings.
I really wanted to have a plan in place because last year was so bad.
Yep, that about sums it up 😂
So this year I have four strategies to keep the seasonal affective disorder at bay:
- Leave the house
- Double down on self-care
- Embrace the changing season
- Treat yo'self
In part 1 I covered (in quite a bit of detail!) the first two strategies. Here I will plan out the last to pillars of my plan to keep the daylight savings dread at bay!
Embrace the changing season
“Life starts all over again when it gets crisp in the fall.” —F. Scott Fitzgerald
Yes, it's going to be dark all the time. Yes, it's going to get cold. Yes, most of your energy is going to be used on the tasks of getting dressed and undressed from now on. But, it's not all bad. Crisp autumnal days can be glorious, and the changing of the season can feel very special if you lean into it (I've heard). So this year I will use the following tactics to embrace the mood:
- Light all the candles. If you've been saving your candles for a special occasion, this is it. If you need to shop for candles Beauty Pie and TK Maxx are a good place to start. The other day I lit a candle at 8 am, and it really helped cheer up the very gloomy and grey morning.
- Get into hot drinks. This one might be obvious to anyone living in the UK but if I am honest I only really got into tea (I can hear shocked gasps) in 2020. But now I really enjoy a cup of earl grey, rooibos or morning tea, especially if it's an excuse to take a little break or break up the day.
- Indulge in (healthy-ish) comfort food. Confession - I am getting very bored with cooking at the moment. But Autumn seems like a good time to mix things up. I've browsed my Sainsbury magazine for inspiration and this Mac and 3-cheese stuffed squash recipe could be the kick-start (or kick up the pants!) I need.
Treat yo'self
There are specific autumnal treats that I think will help ease the pain of saying goodbye to summer for six (more like nine!) months. Treats don't have to be expensive - just because something is affordable doesn't meant it's not a treat!
- Autumnal scents. Of course candles often come scented, but earlier this year I treated myself to a diffuser. And I've been waiting until now to indulge in some Forest Therapy. I still need to order it (as I can't find it in stock in any physical shops) but I can't wait!
- Autumnal drinks. It seems to be a global staple now, but I've never actually had a spiced pumpkin latte 😲 So 2021 is the year. My plan is to wait until it gets cold and gloomy enough to indulge, but I probably won't have to that wait long!
- Autumnal activities. Earlier this year I spotted the perfect autumnal puzzle in a charity shop so snapped it up right away. It was super cheap and I presume it will keep me entertained on a drizzly day. Audio books or audio dramas are especially good for this time of year. BBC radio has some great Cosy Up to Autumn programming which I will definitely be tuning into
Bonus tips
- Music 🎵 I know music makes me feel better, and yet I hardly use it in this way. So I want to incorporate more music into my daily life. I've started to leave music playing in one room of my house all day. This way I get a little jolt of music therapy whenever I walk into that room.
- Swing therapy - soon to be trademarked 😆 If you are lucky enough to live near a swing - use it! Swinging is so much fun, and is good way to reconnect with fun memories and our inner kid.
If you also struggle with this time of year I'd love to hear your strategies for coping - please add them in the comments!
Natalie x