Daylight Savings Time

I dislike cauliflower. I detest irresponsible dog owners. I can’t stand Nickelback. I hate BAMA. But above all else, I loathe, absolutely loathe, Daylight Savings Time. Our already short days seem even shorter now, and it won’t be long before Jonathan is walking to and from work in the dark.

It’s only November 1, and already the sun begins setting at around 4pm:

By 5, it looks like this:

It’s almost impossible to delay dinner until 7:30 when my circadian rhythms start yelling ‘eat some grub and go to bed’ at 5:30.

The only good thing about the time change is that, as of now, it still gets light early enough for me to go for my morning runs with Bailey. By 7:30 there is generally enough light to permit braving the forest trails for a jog.

However, the weirdest thing about Scottish daylight is how drastically it changes from day to day. There is a noticeable difference each morning when I walk Jonathan to work and when I go meet him in the afternoons. The days get shorter by several minutes every day. Before long, 8AM will be swallowed by darkness, and in the heart of winter, I’ll have to wait until 10:30 to get Bailey out for some exercise.

I’m very apprehensive about the amount of darkness here and already notice how it affects my mood, motivation, and outlook. I’ve had several people recommend Vitamin D supplements and "Happy Lights" (UV lamps for the home) to combat Seasonal Affective Disorder. It’s no joke guys. Already I am worried about how I’ll possibly make it through since the little taste I’ve had this week left me quite cranky and listless.  

It helps tremendously that I’ve got an active group of friends, and have joined several of activity groups through the AWA. This week, I’ve had something to do outside the house everyday which helps prevent this homebody from moping around in her pajamas all day. And of course, these scraggle-muffins also give me a reason to resist the flannel robe and get outside for some fresh air:

What are some of your tips for combatting those winter blues?