5 Ways to Stay Positive As it Gets Darker

As the months get colder and darker, it’s easy to feel sad about losing a bit of sun and warm weather.

As someone who loves Summer, I hate it when I have to put away my Summer dresses and choose warm Autumn and Winter outfit choices. However, there is so much to love in this season- and just because the days are darker, it doesn’t mean you have to feel sad!

In this blog post, I’ve come up with 5 tips to stay positive as it gets darker, finding a few ways to enjoy the cooler months.

1. Get as much light as possible

As the days get darker, it can feel like everything is dark and low. To stay positive as it gets darker, try and get as much light as possible! Get out and about whenever the sun is out, and make the most of daylight hours.

If you’re working all day during the week, make the most of your weekends to enjoy the cool, crisp and (occasionally) sunny Autumn days.

2. Focus on the positives

There are so many positives to this time of year. Nothing beats that cosy feeling of wrapping up in a jumper, pouring a cup of tea and reading a good book.

Autumn and Winter are full of exciting things, and it’s a great time to really cherish those evenings in. I love those days when you have an excuse to stay inside, and you can just chill with the heating on full blast or catch up on some reading.

3. Do what you love

During the darker months, it’s inevitable that some of us will feel a bit down- so try and do what you love whenever you can.

See friends, enjoy your favourite cosy indoor activities and take time for yourself.

If you tend to get a bit down at this time of the year, be kind to yourself and don’t pressure yourself to be happy or perfect all the time.

4. It won’t last forever

In the UK, the seasons run like clockwork. Although we might not have the warmest Summers, during the Winter you always know that Spring and Summer are on the horizon soon!

A great way to stay positive in the darker months is to remember that nothing lasts forever. Soon enough, you’ll be back to wearing Summer outfits and staying outside until late.

5. Enjoy it!

There are lots of things to enjoy about darker nights, even when you’re out and about.

If you like Halloween, the dark is perfect for this spooky season. Instead of feeling down about the darker months, enjoy what they have to offer!

Looking for more fun ways to enjoy the new season? Check out my blog post for 7 top tips to romanticise your Autumn.

Do you feel a bit sad when Summer ends? What is your favourite way to stay positive as it gets darker? Do you enjoy cosy Autumn nights?

Let me know all your thoughts in the comments below 🙂

Happy reading x

86 thoughts

  3. I am SUCH a Summer girl that I really and truly detest Autumn. Misty mornings (frizzy hair) and slippery leaf piles, not to mention a gazillion spiders. Still, as you say, it doesn’t last forever, roll on Spring! x

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    1. Aw bless you! I feel you on the frizzy hair (although mine seems to be wild no matter what I do…) and spiders are the worst! Spring and summer will be here before you know it Lisa, don’t worry 🙂

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  5. Hi Eleanor,

    It’s not that I find myself being sad, I don’t, it’s the feeling that work is never-ending. You wake up – it’s dark, you go to work – it’s dark, you are at work – it’s light, you come again – it’s dark! The only thing that you seem to do in the light is work! 🙂

    I’ll be referring back to this post when those feelings begin 😉

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    1. Aw yes that’s so true! I think for those who don’t have the option of working from home, or who live faraway, it can feel overwhelming. I’m sure you’ll keep those spirits up, and I’m glad I could help 🙂

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  6. I love this time of year for crisp mornings and the events taking place, but I do tend to suffer with darker nights and can feel quite down.

    Hopefully this year I will be able to go out in the day more, due to my work routine and won’t be stuck in an office building.

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    1. I like the sunny days too, you can always tell it’s Autumn sunshine but it’s nice nonetheless 🙂 I hope you manage to get out during the day for a bit of vitamin D and sunshine (when we have it) x

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  7. I definitely don’t mind the darkness (that makes me sound more goth than I am, haha) but I can see for those who are more in-tune with Summer and the sunshine (which I also enjoy) it can be difficult to get through how the darker days Fall brings makes them feel. This is some really great advice and I think knowing it won’t last helps us cope (in any situation). Thanks for sharing!

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    1. Haha there’s nothing wrong with enjoying the dark Autumn nights! Yes I think for me it’s because if I go out in the evening, it’s lovely to walk back in the sunshine- but Autumn definitely has its positives and that’s what we need to focus on x

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  9. as much as i love this time of year, the darkness earlier really gets to me – especially in winter. i’m not the biggest fan of winter tbh. but these are great suggestions to combat it. thanks for sharing.

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  11. That’s a really good tip Lou, I know others who have had a positive experience with that too. I take vitamin D everyday as part of my vitamins, but I never thought about its impact on our mental health- thank you x

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  12. I honestly love the chance to settle in the house earlier and spend the day reading when it gets darker. I am not the biggest fan of going out early morning in the dark, but you get used to it. I think that the idea of having something comfy and warm waiting me home always help x

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  13. I honestly get so depressed now that it’s darker longer outside, so these are helpful tips. I definitely agree with trying to get as much light as possible. My goal is to try to get as much sunlight as possible.

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  19. I actually don’t mind it too much as it gets darker. To me it makes my home feel more cozy and I like lighting candles and adding in more cozy lights as well. So I do enjoy it actually!

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  20. I love autumn but don’t like when winter comes and it’s dark by 5. Thank you for sharing these tips. Personally, embracing the colder nights with a cup of hot chocolate and a film helps me through. I take it as a more relaxing and productive period which always makes me feel better. Thanks for the tips! Em x

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  24. These are great tips for finding positivity. I know sometimes it’s hard to focus on the good things in life, but when it gets dark it really makes me sad sometimes. I sleep with a night light and drink something hot throughout the day to make me feel better.

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  26. Oh yes, I feel a bit sad when summer ends but I know how to enjoy myself during the dark and colder days. I live in Athens and even during winter most of the time is sunny so I enjoy the light as much as possible. I also love staying cozy inside reading a good book or meeting some friends.
    I enjoyed reading this. Thank you!

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  27. I’ve definitely suffered with feeling down when the season changes. You’ve mentioned some really helpful suggestions. One thing I’ve found helpful is waking up before sunrise, grabbing a cuppa and climbing back in bed to watch the sunrise. They are so pretty, especially in Autumn.

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  30. Great tips on how to overcome SAD. Obviously there are downsides to the early dark evenings, but there’s also lovely things too – like curling up on the couch with a good movie and a roaring fire. It’s weird doing that during the summer! Or like you say, Halloween parties!

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  31. Autumn is my absolute favourite month so I love the nights getting darker. January/February time is when I’m not as positive though so I always try and find small positives in each day then.

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  32. I think you’ve described me perfectly! I prefer Spring and Summer to Fall and Winter because of the day length and tendency to more rain! I actually use light therapy starting in November and it does help somewhat. Thanks for all the great suggestions!

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  33. We don’t have autumn in the Philippines. We have rainy season though and I get sad when the sky’s dark and gloomy especially when it’s been raining for days . I love summer too. I like to comfort myself with a hot cup of coffee and cozy up to a book pr Netflix when that happens.

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  34. Although this is my most favourite time of the year I do sometimes struggle with it getting dark earlier especially when coming home from work. This post is very motivational to keep us positive so thank you for sharing!

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  36. Winter is my favourite time of the year. It is the time where I can catch up on things that I can’t do when the weather is too hot. However, your post is very motivating. Thank you for sharing your tips.

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  39. Last year I moved from an area where seasons don’t really change all year back to somewhere with a real winter, and I’ve got to say, this really helps! I think appreciating the cool things about the colder darker seasons, not just “tolerating” them is an important part of it like you say. I haven’t actually made an active effort to get more light in the past, so maybe I need to focus on that a little more!

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    1. Ooh yes that makes sense, knowing the seasons can change is important sometimes! That’s a great point, we all need to learn to see the positives instead of simply tolerating different stages in life 🙂 thanks for sharing your thoughts Sam

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  40. While I do like the colder months, I do get sad when it gets darker earlier. Luckily, because I have a flexible work schedule, I will be able to get out and go for a walk in the morning instead of after work.

    I love your tip of focusing on the positive, as I love wrapping myself in multiple layers and reading a good book. I have a lot of indoor activities and plan to see family and friends more during the darker months.

    You are right; it won’t last forever! 😊

    I don’t feel sad when summer ends, only when it starts to get dark before I even finish work. It can be a bit disheartening, but I do love a cosy Autumn night in.

    Thank you for sharing. 😁

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    1. Ah that’s great to hear, and getting out and about when it’s still light is fantastic for your mental health 🙂 thank you! Staying positive is so important when you already feel down in the colder months- and Spring and Summer are only on the horizon!

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  42. Love this post! Like it’s written especially for me haha! I always tend to get slightly depressed when the days start to become shorter and darker. Thanks for sharing! X

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