S.A.D hitting me early this year

[Jameshow]

First part of my life, I lived in Aberdeenshire, then the second part, I lived just outside Inverness, up in the hills.
It was cold in winter, toilet frozen in the morning, diesel frozen in the tractor. lol. We had the same long dark days in winter, but it was never the damp cold that we get where I live now. I live at the bottom of a valley, so the dampness just hangs about some days. Right in the middle of winter, some days the temperature hangs about 2C, misty, so it never gets proper daylight. It's utterly miserable for cycling. I would prefer it to be colder, however, in summer , it's just beautiful. .

Road? Touring? Audax?

Cheers James

 

[Sandyn]

Road? Touring? Audax?

Road

 

[RobinBHM]

Gas and leccy prices are making me SAD

 

[Jameshow]

Road

Me too hoping for some good rides this winter having run most of the summer!

Along with woodworking too!

Cheers James

 

[Stigmorgan]

Some areas of the country seem to have worse winter weather.

Here in yorkshire the weather tends to blow through and is gone, however in Buckinghamshire it tended to hang around murky days on end, same with clevedon where my wife grew up.

Haywards heath tended to get local
storms which went round and round between the north and south downs.

Cheers James

Where I'm Bucks? I grew up in Aylesbury

 

[Terry - Somerset]

The most utterly depressing time of year is November. Dark going to work, dark on the way home. If driving a lot (which I did at times) it is a sea of rear lights ahead, and the glare of headlights coming towards you.

A few years ago following retirement we resolved to spend a substantial part of the winter in southern Spain. Unable to go last year for obvious reasons. Treat it not as a holiday but a different place to live for part of the year.

Winter rentals are fairly cheap - an apartment for a month is about what you would pay for a week peak season. Mornings - get up, light jumper, wander up the road to buy bread for breakfast. Lunch usually outside. Evenings a bit cool.

Much healthier than UK - time outside and exercise is a pleasure not a chore.

I appreciate it may not be for everybody for different reasons - family, health, cost, still working etc. But would totally commend the idea!

 

[Trainee neophyte]

Giving up my 2 hour siesta I find very depressing. It's not too hot to work now, so its all day mayhem, with an hour off for coffee at 2:00pm. No more afternoon naps until next June.

I also suffer from view fatigue: because it's always there, I tend not to look. I have to make a point of actively appreciating the view. Vitamin D probably isn't a problem owing to sun and grass-fed pig lard, although I get my suntan in the winter, as it's too hot to go out of the shade in the summer. I'm ready to get into winter mode and light the fire, but it won't happen until the end of November unless global warming has made it colder.

Huge thunderstorm out to sea this morning, so very dramatic.

 

[Sandyn]

A few years ago following retirement we resolved to spend a substantial part of the winter in southern Spain. Unable to go last year for obvious reasons. Treat it not as a holiday but a different place to live for part of the year.

That sounds the way to go if you can, Nice climate

 

[Keith Cocker]

I quite like Autumn and early Winter. It’s January and February that really get me down. I turn into grumpy badger mode as my wife calls it after Christmas!

 

[John_L]

I’ve been taking D3 for about 15+ years and I have found it very effective against SAD and avoiding / fighting off winter bugs. In northern latitudes above Birmingham, from late September you can spend all day outside and your body won’t generate enough D3 because there isn’t enough energy in the sun. I take 10,000 IU tablets from a company called Clinica as you will struggle to find tablets above 800 IU. Until COVID there hadn’t been much research into D3 and winter infections but it seems that the medical community are now more positive about it.

I would also recommend magnesium supplement, as most people are severely deficient in this mineral and it can help with sleep especially if you are prone to restlessness / restless leg syndrom.

Another aid for sleep which I started using recently, is a weighted blanket and it’s surprising effective.

 

[johnny]

yes funny you should ask that . This past few days I have felt dog tired. I have been sleeping for an hour after dinner in front of the tv most nights and on waking I just feel like I am not really fully awake. Like you if I force myself to do some activity I'm ok but the moment I stop fatigue sets in very quickly and I feel I just want to flop in an armchair and close my eyes and doze.

I've never really given much creedence to SAD but I do notice a huge difference to my mood when the sun comes out and I feel some warmth on my skin in the Autumm and Winter months.,... I think I might construct a light screen to use for 20 minutes in the morning with my coffee and see if it makes a difference.
I can see from where I am sitting that both my cats are in the garden snoozing directly in the morning sun ....maybe they know something we don't eh

 

[johnny]

Road

another roady here too although I've not been out much this year .

I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes and Hypothyroidism back in 2016 and since then I have struggled to reduce the carbs in my diet which I know has a huge effect on my energy levels.
I have also done a lot of research and I now take quite a few supplements to improve my general health.
Daily I take
4000IU of Vit D3
375mg Magnesium
90ug Vit K2
1000ug Vit B12
50mg Vit B6
15mg Zinc

If i stop taking these for about 5-7 days my arthritis comes back in my ankles wrists thumbs and fingers with a vengence. it can be so bad that I have to sit up in an armchair all night especially when I get restless legs as well. Within a week of restarting the supplements the pain subsides almost completely. I think I have narrowed it own to the Magnesium and Vit D3 . Its expensive but to be free of pain what price can you put on that !?

 

[dickm]

idiots that throw their litter out of their cars. I guess it's the same for all over the country. Just about every grass verge in busy areas has 5 to 10 bits of litter per metre. Mainly food wrappers, soft drink tins and bottles.

The one that really gets me is the road out of our village towards the town. About every metre, there is one of those Yakult yoghurt drink pots chucked into the verge. Someone who obviously worries about his (I'm guessing it's a he, but....) internal environment but doesn't give a hoot about the external one.

 

[dickm]

did you get to see the Northern Lights over the last 2 nights?

I wish. Ten-tenths cloud cover as the aurorawatch app kept alerting me to the glories that might be up there.

 

[Ollie78]

Good that vit D3 has been mentioned, it just makes sense in the UK.
I suffer from post viral fatigue which is basically CFS but hopefully temporary.
Very annoying to deal with, hopefully more research will be forthcoming now that people are having long covid which appears to be a post viral fatigue.
Anyway, my point is that my specialist recommended pro-biotic supplements to me, the capsules not the yoghurt stuff which is apparently not effective as mostly digested by the stomach before it gets a chance.
I was sceptical but tried them out, they certainly helped me, after a week I was getting less "brain fog" and was feeling a bit more energetic and happier.
Maybe these will help with SAD as well.
There is growing research that gut bacteria are closely linked to mood and brain function.

Worth a try and cheaper than going to Spain.

Ollie

 

[Sandyn]

Me too hoping for some good rides this winter having run most of the summer!

Along with woodworking too!

I have motivation problems when it's chucking it down, blowing a gale....like today, so my mileage usually dips in the winter. I have decided it invest in some really good winter clothing, but no matter what I wear, after a few hours, the cold soaks through.

 

[Droogs]

I have motivation problems when it's chucking it down, blowing a gale....like today, so my mileage usually dips in the winter. I have decided it invest in some really good winter clothing, but no matter what I wear, after a few hours, the cold soaks through.

@Sandyn

Have you considered one of these
https://www.amazon.co.uk/Electric-C...8H1XLMK5,B08FY5RG16,B08FB9P2FH&srpt=COAT&th=1

 

[Cabinetman]

Good that vit D3 has been mentioned, it just makes sense in the UK.
I suffer from post viral fatigue which is basically CFS but hopefully temporary.
Very annoying to deal with, hopefully more research will be forthcoming now that people are having long covid which appears to be a post viral fatigue.
Anyway, my point is that my specialist recommended pro-biotic supplements to me, the capsules not the yoghurt stuff which is apparently not effective as mostly digested by the stomach before it gets a chance.
I was sceptical but tried them out, they certainly helped me, after a week I was getting less "brain fog" and was feeling a bit more energetic and happier.
Maybe these will help with SAD as well.
There is growing research that gut bacteria are closely linked to mood and brain function.

Worth a try and cheaper than going to Spain.

Ollie

Yes you’re dead right, another very useful probiotic is sauerkraut but it must be raw as in fermented, the easiest place to buy it is in Waitrose (sorry) and I really like it as well which helps. Ian

 

[Cabinetman]

another roady here too although I've not been out much this year .

I was diagnosed with type 2 Diabetes and Hypothyroidism back in 2016 and since then I have struggled to reduce the carbs in my diet which I know has a huge effect on my energy levels.
I have also done a lot of research and I now take quite a few supplements to improve my general health.
Daily I take
4000IU of Vit D3
375mg Magnesium
90ug Vit K2
1000ug Vit B12
50mg Vit B6
15mg Zinc

If i stop taking these for about 5-7 days my arthritis comes back in my ankles wrists thumbs and fingers with a vengence. it can be so bad that I have to sit up in an armchair all night especially when I get restless legs as well. Within a week of restarting the supplements the pain subsides almost completely. I think I have narrowed it own to the Magnesium and Vit D3 . Its expensive but to be free of pain what price can you put on that !?

Quite right about the supplements, as I mentioned before – magnesium try magnesium L-Threonate, it’s been developed by MIT (University in America) and it’s particularly good because it’s absorbed by the body more easily.
Dr Mercola sells it, I like his products as he really investigates the health benefits he really rates vitamin D and zinc so you’re on the right course there. Ian

 

[Sandyn]

Have you considered one of these

Thanks!!! no, hadn't thought of that. A great idea for cycling in really cold weather, but what REALLY interests me is using the jacket in the workshop.

I can't see the wattage anywhere. Would be interesting to know