Getting Throught these Cold and Dark Times

[LLajax]

This is meant to be kind of a cheerful thread- it is literally getting cold and dark outside and I would like to hear from people what they're doing to combat the early winter blues. (Plus if I really like someone's strategy, I might take it in myself).

Personally, I throw myself whole-heartedly into the winter holidays. I've got the tree all up (sorry militant post-Thanksgiving-ers...I need the cheer and glad tidings), and I've got old timey Christmas tunes playing while I draft SoPs and write papers and do class readings (you know, Bing Crosby, Glenn Miller Band, Nat King Cole, etc.).

Also, I love winter themed candles (how can you be stressed when everything smells so good?) Stress. Breathe in. Destress. Repeat.

Thanks to daylight savings time (seriously, whoever invented that clearly doesn't have a schedule anything like mine. A legislator of leisure, I think. Or a vampire.), it gets dark absurdly early now, and unfortunately, its only going to get earlier for now. Why is it getting dim at 4pm? Why? Do you have any idea what this does to my circadian rhythms? Anyways, to combat early-darkness-depression-and-sleepiness-syndrome, I think I'm going to put some holiday lights up (not the multi-colored kind, since I get too easily distracted), both for festiveness and for some extra light in my room.

What is everyone else doing to combat stress/cold/darkness?

[cunninlynguist]

One word: Skyrim.

Aside from that, I sympathize with you. The winter is my least favorite season, and while I love being outside during the rest of the year, I cannot stand cold weather sports or anything that celebrates the frigid temperatures. That's not wholly unexpected, though -- I spent my childhood in the south.

[ktel]

I've moved to a slightly milder climate so I hope the winter will be less miserable. Although winters in my hometown are at least very sunny when the sun comes out. I have a feeling it will be very grey here.

Seeing no sunlight all day definitely affects me though. On long days when I don't leave until 5 or later I definitely feel pretty bummed out that I missed the sun. I try to stay active and stuff like that.

[waddle]

What is everyone else doing to combat stress/cold/darkness?

I tried a few different things and I think that pushing my schedule earlier works best for me (i.e., keeps me most energized during the day). I've been trying (on and off) to get up at 6 and take the first bus in to work at sunrise ~7 (early for me). I figure if I work a 10 hour day, with an hour for lunch, that puts me at 6 PM, which isn't too late that I get drowsy (plus I've got no windows in my office, so it doesn't matter that the sun sets at 4 unless I go outside), and the ground & air haven't cooled down that much so walking home is still doable.

Edited December 3, 2011 by waddle

[HDPFDan]

Taking a weeklong vacation with my girlfriend in Miami starting 12/30. I've never been (and have never taken a warm-weather vacation in the winter, for that matter) so I'm hoping to restore my sanity with a week of relaxation on the beach after all this GRE/application stress.

Edited December 21, 2011 by HDPFDan

[wildviolet]

Going to a conference in Florida in January!

[A Finicky Bean]

Going to a conference in Florida in January!

Oh, hey, so am I....PAT?

Edited December 21, 2011 by A Finicky Bean

[Chande]

I live in Florida but even here it gets dark by 6 pm and it's messing up my sleep schedule.

[glow_gene]

I'm painting pottery (all nerdy pottery) and staying in the lab with the lights on. My employer is out so I am ONLY working on projects that are interesting/working. This is no time for finicky things that drive me up a wall.

I'm also spending a ridiculous amount of time in various coffee shops, internalizing the Christmas songs.

I'm from the Bahamas and thought I would be going home for Christmas but apparently my family is going to visit my brother in Philly this year. So..even though it won't be warm...there will be the warmth and joy of family...or something...

[litjust]

I'm on vacation until a few days after the new year, so I'm relaxing. Also, baking! Tonight I made vegan cinnamon rolls

[Ameonna]

I'm using my free time to attempt to learn Japanese. Thus far, I can only say a few words (and with terrible pronunciation besides), but it's fun and challenging and it keeps me busy. The busier I am, the less I think about adcomm deliberating over my applications!

[rabbabari]

I live in Iceland. I get 3 hours of daylight per day during the winter months.

Move up here and then we can discuss darkness and cold.

[Bimmerman]

Before winter break, I helped my friend brew beer (aka: drink lots of beer for "comparison"); over the vacation I rebuilt my car's engine in my parents' unheated garage in CO (just got it running again tonight! Success!).

That, and brewery tours. All the above have helped me get over first quarter of grad school.

[OnceAndFutureGrad]

I think rabbabari wins at this contest, unless we have a poster from Alaska...or Svalbard! Then again, I would do anything for a sauna or hot tub right about now, and from what I understand Iceland is full of hot springs and facilities that take advantage of them. I live near the ocean and it seems like it can never get warm enough, even indoors near a heater while drinking tea. There's a Korean bathhouse about two hours away and I'm counting down the days until I can visit. My problem is that I don't like the sun much (very fair skin) but I don't like the cold either...where is there little sun but it never goes below freezing?

[rabbabari]

I think rabbabari wins at this contest, unless we have a poster from Alaska...or Svalbard! Then again, I would do anything for a sauna or hot tub right about now, and from what I understand Iceland is full of hot springs and facilities that take advantage of them. I live near the ocean and it seems like it can never get warm enough, even indoors near a heater while drinking tea. There's a Korean bathhouse about two hours away and I'm counting down the days until I can visit. My problem is that I don't like the sun much (very fair skin) but I don't like the cold either...where is there little sun but it never goes below freezing?

You're absolutely right. Heading to a geothermal pool for a swim in about an hour.

[LLajax]

My problem is that I don't like the sun much (very fair skin) but I don't like the cold either...where is there little sun but it never goes below freezing?

Floor of a tropical rain forest? One of those super-heated crystal caves in Mexico? Wherever bats live?

[OnceAndFutureGrad]

One of those super-heated crystal caves in Mexico?

Superman had it right! I certainly feel like I'm under enough pressure, har har.

[DrinkAwayTheDays]

FUS RO DAH!