How do you get through long, dark evenings?

a reply to: Pitou
Honestly I just cook hearty stew in the winter months, drink cocoa.

I go tanning a few times a week, not for very long or even with the intention of getting a tan. I'm a cheapskate and hit Planet Fitness, so I use the beds as much as I want for free. I'm pretty sure they use florescent bulbs, as no one as far as I can tell ever seems to get a tan. Either way, a couple of minutes seems to help.

Vitamin D helps...here in Alaska they add it to the milk we buy.

I dunno, I was born an raised in Alaska where it's dark and cold 9 months of the year, and constant daylight the other 4. I'm just used to it and it doesn't bother me at all. I've seen lots of people move here and loose their collective minds and turn to drugs and alcohol to cope (which is sad) or get really depressed.

I think exercise helps too -- hence why going to the gym is a good idea even if you avoid the tanning beds. Some people have little LED lamps that purportedly give off full spectrum light at their desks, but I have no idea if they really work.

Wish I had more, but like I said I was raised in the cold and dark.

Oh, you think the darkness is your ally, but you merely adopted the dark. I was born in it, moulded by it. I didn’t see the light until I was already a man; by then, it was nothing to me but blinding!

I'm a Wisconsin native and still live there, so, yeah the cold and dark are on the way.

I like to stay busy with crafting-knitting, sewing, and trying to teach myself crochet. I collect dolls and love to restore vintage Barbie dolls. I restyle and reroot hair, touch up paint on rubs on the faces and sew clothing for them. There's usually something on TV to watch, or a book to read or something to do on the computer.

My 2 dogs are a lot of company, especially on the nights when hubby is working second shift. When it's colder, I don't really mind them sitting on the couch with me (and usually all over me.) I've learned to knit with a dog under each arm on occasion.

I sleep better in the winter. It stays darker in the really early morning and it's a lot cooler at night than in summer months.

Don't know why, but I crave foods with tomato sauce and meat more in the winter than summer, so spaghetti, ravioli and lasagna taste really good.

I do know that the older I get, the sooner I get tired of the cold, snow & ice. That point comes earlier and earlier every year.

a reply to: Pitou

A daylight bulb in one or more of your light fixtures is helpful if possible. Otherwise vitamins and diet to help overall health and mood, and engrossing books or hobbies to involve your mind in something other than the dark.

I also find it sometimes helps to remember the hectic days of summer with the endless chores and activities, remember those chaotic days and be grateful for the brief reprieve that Mother Nature offers us to cozy up by the fire and truly rest our bones.

I was prescribed a SAD light last year by my physician and it made the world of difference in my life. The biggest downfall in your case is that you want to use it to start your day rather than finish it. Best of luck in your journey. And always remember that no matter how dark it gets, the light is on its way back to us!