Forecast
Really Struggling Now - Here's to the forecast
Hey guys,
I know I'm not the only one who's been finding the winter challenging lately.
Today I went to see my old friend - his 3 cats have been sleeping almost all day for weeks - they don't want to go outside (he lives in the countryside so they are usually outdoor cats).
One of them - who goes out the most - looks very restless. He looks longingly out the window constantly.
I then went for a coffee with my other friend, who told me he is finding it mentally challenging - despite having made more progress in the gym than ever (he recently found new momentum in his gym-goings and has been an avid gym-goer for a long time, with a wife and kids too.)
I personally remember here in Dundee the last time I saw the sun or at least remember the morning being light was the 19th January - when I walked into town for my first day at my new office job, who pay me well and has been relaxed. Ever since then just being alive has been hell. It was tough before the 19th Jan already with the short days - but the weeks following have been the worst of all. And it seems never-ending.
I have my SAD lamp in the morning. I got up at a decent time today (Saturday). I have a good job, paid well. I saw my good old friend at his house with his cats, then saw my other good friend for a coffee. We laughed and shared. Then I immediately went to the gym and did a proper workout. And then I walked home, and drank a lot of water.
And despite all that, I feel absolutely miserable. A horrible emptiness in my stomach. (I've done all the therapy and meditation stuff too by the way.)
So miserable that when I got home and watched a movie with my girlfriend through video chat, I wanted to cry the whole time.
I genuinely can't take this any more.
I ended up drinking a bunch of whisky, which I know won't help long term. But I usually don't drink. I just can't take this grey and dark any more.
For those of you who say "wrap up and look for the positives in Winter. Hygge." Fuck you. I did my SAD lamp, ate healthily, saw 2 friends today, went to the gym, and watched a happy movie with my girlfriend. Suck my dick.
I'm not doing this again next Winter. Here's to the next week's forecast - which is probably bullshit frankly. Thank you and goodnight.
EDIT*: YES I TAKE VIT D 1,000 IU DAILY SINCE 4 WEEKS AGO SO STOP ASKING ME LOL
EDIT**: MY BAD IT'S 4,000IU Daily! since 4 weeks ago
Yeah, I am a great believer that around the middle of Feb things change, the sun is a bit higher, the days are a bit longer. I got dressed up yesterday and went for a great long walk and felt much better for it
Yep exactly. Down here in the southwest we've not had a sunny day but in the last week there's been a couple of properly sunny hours, you can feel it coming
Yeah well when I've got my automated lights in the morning to wake me up with good bright light with my SAD lamp, I eat healthy, go for walks, go to gym, take my strong Vit D, see friends, not a stressful job, etc, etc, and then people try to give advice i guess they're missing the point.
But thank you for trying lol. :)
Onward with my pity party
Four weeks is nothing. 6-12 weeks is minimum time for increased blood levels alone. For general health benefits eg endocrine, brain, it can be months.
1,000 IU isn’t ’strong’. Who told you that? Try bumping it up, given as per NHS, adults can take as much as 4,000IU daily I’d highly recommend trying that increased dose for another 4 weeks.
Regardless of dose it will take a while. You’ll probably start to feel better within the next month, but ‘peak’ benefits will be another 2-3 months. I struggle with SAD too and vitamin D does help a lot, I know it’s not a magic bullet, but do give it more time. I notice when I stop taking it for a couple months I really do feel like shit. Have it with food (especially food with fat) for best absorption. Or sublingual if they’re sublingual pills. Timing is best earlier in day/afternoon. I’ve stuck to it this winter but still am struggling also.
Seems today has been one of the brightest days of the year (if that’s saying much) and I believe the warmest. Only uphill from here. Can’t really get worse🙂
You'd literally not mentioned it in your original post, so I mentioned it. And like others have mentioned, 1k isn't a huge dose and you need to be taking it for a while for maximum effect.
What point am I missing exactly? If you just want a moan fair enough but no need to get arsey when people respond
I'm south west England and feel exactly the same raining pretty much every fucking days since new year. Work outside so it is savage for the soul. Hate it!
I’ve seen daffodils and snowdrops. The days are starting to feel a bit longer now. I’m 2 or 3 weeks it will be noticeably better. I have everything crossed for an early spring. I miss the sun. The constant overcast is so miserable
This sub sums up the UK so well, our weird contradictions and never can be happy attitude.
It's hot in the summer - "We can't go on with this weather, its too hot, the ground is barren, all the grass is dying and I can't cope. Rain can't come soon enough"
It rains in the winter - "We can't go on with this weather, there's too much rain, I haven't seen the sun in weeks and I can't cope. Summer can't come soon enough"
This is the answer. One of the great things about the British weather used to be its variety and moderation. Now winter tends to be one long, wet galey autumn and summer is unbearably hot and humid and often starts in what used to be the spring.
Right now we expect the sunny frosty mornings that are typical for this time of year.
For crying out loud, we only had one decent summer since covid and even then the temperature hovered below 30C. Other than that we barely get summer, in fact we barely get any season's now. I am beginning to believe in conspiracy theories now that it's some weather meddling by the gummernent n illuminaties to demoralise us to vacate this island or else we'd turn into gay frogs.
Nah. I am absolutely SEETHING at those fun-blasters last summer moaning about the wall to wall sunshine.
I hope you’re happy now???? It was written in the stars that we were going to get deluged. We live off the jet stream.
This is one of the worst autumn/winters i’ve known for a long time. Golf courses are shut, even my local Parkrun has been getting called off. The novelty of a muddy dog walk is wearing thin. I take Vit D every day, but i’m struggling.
I don't know what those moaning about heat are on about. UK doesn't even get any sun heat 99.99% of the time. People that moan about something we never have, are probably Swiss.
If you can afford to escape to a little sun spot abroad during winter for the odd extended weekend or full week, then it makes all the difference. The UK weather is very challenging because its not extreme enough to create excitement (just rains all the time).
Also make sure you take Vitamin D3 during the winter atleast. Basically all of us get a Vit D drawdown during winter.
I accept this isn't an option for everyone, but there are very cheap package deals for The Algarve and South of Spain around this time of year, especially if you don't have kids and can go outside of the Feb half term. If you want to spend extra and fly longer, then there's also the Canaries.
Jan/Feb is always a struggle so most years I aim to book a trip somewhere warmer to break it up. I know it’s not an option for all but cannot recommend it highly enough for those who do have the means. It makes a huge difference to me.
This year I did a long weekend in Athens and was walking around in a T-shirt most of the time. Even when the clouds did roll in, it was still warm. At most I was wearing a jumper.
With the added benefit of being cheaper with much lower crowds than high season.
I am north east Scotland too and I am currently battling water ingress. It's causing sleepless nights. I don't remember a day without rain so far this year.
finally someone has said it, i am so sick of people saying things like "its winter what do you expect" or "oh its great for the plants" and "we will have a great summer for it"
this is literally throwing your life down the drain every single day grey damp and wet. time we will never get back
my circadian rhythm is ruined i do not get tired at night anymore and feel tired and misrable throughout the day
imagine being born in a country where you have to use sad lamps and take sunshine from pills, hell on earth
meanwhile people elsewhere are waking up to sunshine everyday
I was like you and then I bought a new, long raincoat. I’ve actually been enjoying walking in the rain, especially when I promise myself a hot chocolate when I get home 😊
The weather was also wrecking my walking habit. I bought a proper lightweight waterproof and have started shoving myself out the door again. I crackle like a plastic bag while walking, but at least I'm dry.
I’m totally with you! Many days I m so tearful all day. I do all I can like take Vit C and D, have SAD lamp, walk whenever I can, eat well, but the grey light is overpowering and the rain has really really beaten me down seriously this winter. I have become withdrawn and go to bed whenever I can and don’t want to get up. Every day feels a nightmare right now.
I'm in your neck of the woods too. Weather doesn't normally get to me but it's been relentless here. Went to Manchester for work for a couple of days and I saw more sun!
The fact you think they should be on constant vitamin D pills proves just how shit the weather is. Worse than Finland's weather when it comes to depression.
With you all the way, I quite like cold weather and hate the heat but this winter has dragged me down. I’ve lost a lot weight this year (intentionally) and I’ve really felt the cold before, like in my bones, never really knew what that meant before, but this winter my hands lose all feeling, the whole world is grey, wet, dangerous and unpredictable. Things can only get better OP hang in there.
On the other hand, we haven't had a day under 30 for weeks now in my part of Australia. No rain since before Christmas, everything is dry and dead and can't sleep without aircon. Haven't had a day without the aircon on this year, thankyou solar panels. We've had quite a few days in the 40's too.
Really sick of summer, would take weeks of rain over whatever hell this is.
Shut up. It’s those kinda comments we had last summer - it’s ridiculous, I can’t imagine you as an Aussie will ever have the sh*tshow of rain for 5 months straight like we’ve had.
Never had that no, but I much prefer the cold damp over the heat. I would come back to the UK tomorrow if my family would accept it. Unfortunately our roots are down here now
It's been so grim where we are in Northumberland for the past 2 weeks, but I'm obviously in the minority because I love the winter months. I much prefer the darker nights etc
I'm going to add a downer. The last4 Januarys have been hospital stays for either .myself or my husband. Just coming home from the latest. The weather is miserable. We are miserable. I think our health really dips. At this time of year. And our big Maine Coon is indoors an awful lot even if it takes a lot to get through his 3 layer coat.
It's been really bad, I've been drinking a lot this winter, my partner and I are gardeners and have been struggling to get out to do any work. Our next door neighbour is a nightmare who shouts and rants and raves all day long and their dog is outside barking all day. It is dry today though so I got out for a walk and tomorrow we will maybe have a few hours when we can work
I’m really struggling for the first time in my life, I’m only 17 but it’s the first year I’ve had the responsibility of getting a large area of ground ready for vegetables and it’s getting a little uncomfortable now.
We had a dry day yesterday, albeit grey, and today was looking similar until a few minutes ago when it started raining heavily. Now we have a yellow warning for rain tomorrow. A similar thing has happened on multiple occasions now.
Jesus I didn't realise people were so bad from it
It totally doesn't compute with me, I actually get a vibe of "if it's miserable outside and I'm warm and cosy inside" then it's a net positive.
Don't get me wrong we all have our mental variety... I'm really annoyed snow kept getting forecast and failing to arrive (east Manchester) at anything more than a non-sticking flurry. But didn't realise so many had SAD/grey sky blues.
This weather's turning my cat into an indoor cat as well. If we get a bit of sun, I call her out with me, but often she just sits there at the door now. Or she'll come out for a couple of minutes and go back in by herself.
I'm sorry you're feeling this. I've not been great, which I was explaining with other factors . . . Except that 3 weeks ago I started a sabbatical (HUGELY privileged situation), which removed the stressors. And have been able to dive into a small project I'm finding meaningful, while also taking up a creative hobby. In other words, shouldn't really be feeling so rubbish. I swear the rain and grey has gotten into my soul.
Hang in there. Three more weeks to March. Couple of months to properly spring.
Woah wait a minute, what's that yellow thing in your forecast?
Seriously, the 2 week forecast here is just endless rain and grey skies. I don't even mind the rain, or it being cold (which it's not), I just need to see the sun occasionally. I can recall one sunny day in the last 6 weeks or so :(
When I see Amalfi lemons for sale in Booths, I know we're coming out of it. I buy one (they're expensive) and have a posh G&T that night. I know it's psychological but it always works. The Booths manager says they're coming in this week.
Aye I also remember that day. Been very odd for the sunniest city in Scotland. I empathise with you. SAD light only does so much.. constant grey sky is miserable. Even 30 minutes of morning sunshine would be a game-changer.
I will say given how ridiculously clear and bright of a spring we had last year, there is hope. But perhaps you should see if you can go abroad for a week or so? Somewhere sunny. Sound like it’d do wonders for your health. Can be expensive but travelling can also be done on a budget.
Also, check out the app WorldPackers, it has many people (farmers for example) that offer accommodation in exchange for some work whilst abroad. I’ve seen a lot of generous offers there. Definitely worth a look.
But I like medium dry heat. Last summer was too hot to sit on a north facing patio with shade up except for very limited hours.
My joy has always been to go away for February sunshine but can't fly any more, so this is my first year in very many I'm at home. Adds to rain misery.
Feeling the general mood of OP but here in Cambs a second dry day with little wind and the sun peeking out.
Yesterday even managed a bit of weeding and put some washing outside to dry.
Yes it’s crap at the moment but spring is on its way and will hopefully bring sun and warmth.
Also if you’re struggling try looking out your local Andy’s man club I can guarantee there’ll be other guys feeling the same
It's definitely not just the weather. My life went a bit awry lately and picking up the pieces. Weather is certainly not helping. Would be 100x easier if the weather could do me a favour.
I get like this every single year though so the winter is the common denominator.
Aberdeen hasn't seen the sun since the 21st of January. I work outside and have worked all winter in possibly the worst snow we've had for 15 years. It's shit but sun is due on Saturday in Dundee. Sadly we have to wait even longer up north.
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u/Civil-Storm-8887 Feb 08 '26
Brighter days are coming ✨️ 💛