5 ways I'm going to combat the 4pm winter blues

If you need me I'll be cosplaying my life like I'm in a Nora Ephron film

The retro one on my windowsill may not have done or the one in my car, but the clocks went back this weekend, which means we’re now officially in the season of drawing our curtains at 4pm.

Previously this would have bought me joy, but, over the last few years, I’ve realised I don’t entirely hate summer.

Yes, I hate the heat and the pressure to cram your weekends with plans because everyone on Instagram is at a rooftop bar and your mum forever ingrained in you that you can’t stay inside when it’s sunny.

But, those extra hours of sun do make the days seem longer, more free and more light, especially for those of us prone to a bit of melancholy.

It’s only been a day but already, this newsletter, which was meant to have been published at 7am this morning, is running 8 hours behind schedule because I couldn’t be bothered to write it last night.

As tempting as it is to slip into days of unwashed hair and daytime snoodie wearing (especially if you work from home, like me), I’m determined not to plod through these next few months like I normally would.

Inspired by the TikTok ‘soft life’ girlies, I’m going to romanticise this time of year instead - just a little - but enough to make me embrace the dark days ahead.

TikTok · bad art everyday

Tiktok failed to load.

Enable 3rd party cookies or use another browser

Here’s how I plan to do just that and remember, these aren’t big changes:

1. Embrace the coziness

In my previous flat I used to always have a candle burning, but since living on my own I never light them. That’s the problem with being a solo rolo, something small like lighting a candle can feel incredibly pointless when it’s just for you. But, no, not this year. I’m going to turn off that big light and get the cosy mood lighting going instead.

2. Break the silence

I have this habit of sitting in silence when I’m working from home. No background noise, no lofi playlist, nothing, and remember, I work for myself as well, I am the one colleague. Whether it’s having a film on in the background (Nightmare Before Christmas, currently) or finally using my Roberts speaker, my winter months will have some form of soundtrack.

3. Get my arse back in the kitchen

It’s the season of soup and toast and spag bol and all the warming foods you couldn’t face over summer. Rather than spending £20 on a lukewarm Deliveroo and once again, inspired by my obsession with The Bear, I want to get back in the kitchen and put some heart back into my cooking.

4. Complete my Lego set

Last year I bought a Van Gogh Lego set to keep me occupied when the thought of going out was too much to bear. Of course I never completed it, although I did finally finish a giant prawn cross stitch that I’d been sewing since lockdown. This season, while I bunker down for the evenings, I want that Lego set completed.

5. Invest in my myself

Finally, I want to use these months to be a little more selfish. There’s so many things I would do for other people, but would never do for myself and I feel like I want to really work on my self care in all kinds of different ways. Whether that’s finally applying the nightly foot cream my heels are crying out for, turning down the social plans I don’t want to do or taking myself on a short walk everyday when I have no other plans. Even just putting a film on in the evening rather than editing another video for social media or writing a Substack or reading my inbox. My lines between work and personal are so blurred that my free time just ends up being phone scrolling time and I’d like to change that.

Like I said, nothing big at all, but just something to give this winter more of a When Harry Met Sally vibe than my usual Kathy Bates in Misery one.

If this has inspired you to make your own list I would love to hear it.