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Getting Through the Darker Evenings
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items I love autumn. Give me jumpers, cold air and crunchy leaves and I’m happy 😂 But I know the darker evenings can be really difficult for a lot of people, especially when it suddenly feels like the day is over at 4pm. These are some gentle things that ...
Sections
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Before the Daylight Disappears
Making the Early Darkness Feel a Bit Nicer
Comfort for the Properly Hard Evenings
Giving Myself Something to Do After Dark
Tiny Bits of Self-Care
Little Reasons to Look Forward to Autumn
Before the Daylight Disappears
I know “just go outside” isn't particularly helpful advice when you're already struggling. These are more about getting a little daylight into the day wherever it actually fits
Take a Tiny Daylight Walk
Open Your Curtains When You Wake
Ten minutes still counts. Going outside doesn't suddenly have to become a hike just because someone called it self-care
Take a Tiny Daylight Walk
Having water beside me is one of those ridiculously basic things that makes a long day slightly easier
Water Bottle with Straw
Making the Early Darkness Feel a Bit Nicer
I can't control the fact it's dark ridiculously early, but I can make my little corner of the evening feel less bleak
Gilmore Girls, a cosy evening and a candle that literally smells like Luke’s Diner? This was always going to make the autumn list 😂
Gilmore Girls Luke’s Diner Candle
I love being able to make this brighter when the afternoon starts getting dark and then turn it right down once I actually want the cosy evening lighting
Ambient Table Lamp
A warm bath, soft lighting, comfy clothes waiting for afterwards and nowhere else I need to be. It doesn’t have to be a whole routine, just something that makes the evening feel a little nicer
Make an After-Dark Routine
Comfort for the Properly Hard Evenings
Not every evening needs to be productive or aesthetic. Sometimes I just need to make being in my body and being in my space a little easier
One of my favourite comfort things. If I’m having a rough evening, there’s a very good chance I’m under this
Harlow Weighted Blanket
A few sprays before bed and my brain gets a little reminder that yes, we are actually meant to sleep eventually
NEOM Wellbeing Perfect Night's Sleep Pillow Mist
For the nights when I have enough energy for a bath and want to stay in there for approximately three business days
NEOM Nights Sleep Bath Foam
This is much more my level of self-care on a tired night. Hand cream I can manage
NEOM Sleep Hand Balm
Water, meds, charger, lip balm, headphones. Basically anything I know I’ll be annoyed about having to get back up for
Keep the Things You Need Within Reach
Giving Myself Something to Do After Dark
One of those books that feels very easy to pick up when my concentration isn't giving me much to work with
Before the Coffee Gets Cold
Cosy, funny and there’s actually a plot to keep me occupied. Ideal dark-evening reading
The Thursday Murder Club
A colouring book AND self-love therapy?! Count me in
Self-Love: Girl Therapy Colouring Book
Give me a colouring book, a ridiculous number of pens and something mindless on TV and I’m sorted for the evening
48 Colour Markers with Colouring Book
I like having something I can do for twenty minutes and then abandon on the table until tomorrow
A Book Lovers Garden 1000 Piece Jigsaw Puzzle
If my brain can't cope with learning six new characters and three different plotlines, back to the comfort shows we go
Your Comfort Show
Just songs I actually want to hear when I’m pottering around at home. No carefully curated seasonal soundtrack required
Chill Evening Playlist
Tiny Bits of Self-Care
Put it on from the sofa and suddenly I've technically done some self-care. Love that for me
Holy Hydration! Lip Mask
If I've washed my face and put moisturiser on, I'm counting the skincare routine as complete
Holy Hydration! Face Cream
The kind of thing I want within arm's reach because I absolutely will not remember where I put it otherwise
Squeeze Me Glow Moisturizing Lip Balm
Little Reasons to Look Forward to Autumn
Buying myself one book I'm genuinely excited about makes staying in on a dark evening feel considerably more appealing
Books to Read This Autumn
There is basically always a blanket on my sofa anyway, but autumn makes it feel officially justified
CozyChic® Throw
Gets me out of the house, costs nothing and I come home with books. Very hard to find a downside
Library While It's Light
The second it gets properly cold I basically want to live in one enormous jumper until spring
Your Fave Oversized Sweater
When It’s More Than Just a Dark Evening
Cosy routines can help make darker evenings a little easier, but sometimes it’s more than that. These are worth saving somewhere even if you don’t need them right now
You don’t have to wait until things get really bad to tell someone you’re struggling. Sometimes even just saying it out loud helps someone else know you need a bit more support
Tell Someone If You Can
Call: 0800 83 85 87 This one is specifically for people in Scotland aged 16+ who are feeling low, anxious or overwhelmed. You can phone or use their webchat, which is especially helpful if talking on the phone isn’t your thing. It’s open 6pm–2am Mond...
Breathing Space
Free, confidential and available 24/7. You don’t have to wait until you’re in a crisis to call either
Samaritans
For the evenings when sending a message feels much easier than making a phone call. Shout offers free, confidential text-based mental-health support across the UK
Shout
A space to talk to other people who understand mental-health struggles, rather than having to explain everything from scratch. It’s worth noting that this is peer support rather than a crisis service
Side by Side
If you’re in Scotland and need urgent mental-health help that can’t wait for your usual healthcare service, NHS 24 is available on 111. Breathing Space also directs people to NHS 24 for urgent help outside its service
NHS 24