'We can't live in eternal summer': How people are beating the autumn blues

Counsellors say it's important to stay active and get plenty of fresh air, even when it's cold outside

Lotts Dlandu used to dread autumn and winter.

It would make her feel tired and lethargic, and she struggled with it for 10 years.

"I'd feel quite down, really isolated, moody," the 28-year-old London-based employment specialist says. "I would hibernate and feel really down and super pessimistic.

"I wouldn't see friends or go out much - just sit in the dark, feeling really down."

After realising how her mood was tied to the season, she decided to dramatically shake up her routine. Instead of staying in her room as the days grew shorter, Lotts got busy.

Now, she starts planning her social calendar weeks in advance and largely avoids working from home so that she can get human contact everyday.

When she does work remotely, she goes to a café or co-working space for a change of scenery and the opportunity to socialise.

"I try to be at home as little as possible," Lotts says.

That means she has to "get out in the cold […] rather than be warm in my bed and work in my robe."

On the rare occasion Lotts actually stays at home, she has her desk right by her window, which she keeps open even if it's cold. Her room is "as bright as possible" and full of fresh air.

Sleep and sun

Many people experience a change in mood between the seasons.

"It's quite symbolic, the way that the weather changes and how our mood mirrors that," says Georgia Alker, a counsellor at Treehouse Wellbeing and Counselling.

As we spend less time in the sun, we get less serotonin and more melatonin, hormones that influence mood and sleep, she says. This can leave people feeling tired and isolated.

Miss Alker stresses it's important to eat a balanced diet, do exercise and spend time outside - even when all you want to do is cuddle up under the duvet.

Counsellor Eden Oz says starting the day by sitting in your garden can help boost your mood

The "burst of fresh air" from just sitting outside with a morning cup of coffee is really good for us, says Eden Oz, a therapeutic counsellor at Bond Counselling.

Light therapy - sitting in front of a box that mimics natural light - can also help. By reducing melatonin and boosting serotonin, it can improve your mood, energy and sleep, Miss Alker says.

She notes the importance of keeping waking and sleeping times similar throughout the year to regulate your circadian rhythm.

Sunrise alarm clocks can help with that too - they mimic daylight and start gradually getting brighter before they ring.

Zoe's sunrise alarm clock has helped her feel more motivated of a morning

Zoe Smith, 25, from East Sussex, calls hers a "game-changer".

She wakes up at 05:00 every day to go to the gym and struggles to get out of bed when it's dark outside.

Her alarm clock makes getting up early "not feel quite as sad and miserable", Zoe says. "It's made such a difference to my motivation and energy in the mornings."

Zoe says she struggles to get out of bed when it's dark in the morning

It's not unusual to notice your wellbeing change between the seasons, but for people who experience a significant drop in mood, irritability and lethargy, it could be seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression.

The NHS recommends people who think they might have SAD and are struggling to cope see their GP.

Candles, cinnamon and getting cosy

Counsellor Eden Oz suggests people can "romanticise" autumn and winter to change how they see those seasons

Lotts and Zoe's approach of staying active might help a lot of people experiencing autumn blues - but it's certainly not for everyone.

Some suggest you need to fully embrace the season - by which they mean getting cosy.

Miss Oz recommends drawing yourself a hot bath, lighting candles and snuggling under a blanket. She suggests romanticising the winter and darkness. "It's a good way to put a different spin on how you're viewing winter."

Hannah Matthews turns to baking to feel warm and cosy in winter

The concept of "romanticising" the colder months has also become popular on TikTok, with videos of crunchy autumn leaves, flickering candles and steaming hot drinks.

TikToker Ellie Richardson says it's about "looking for the joy in really everyday things".

In the lull between sunny days in summer and the excitement of Christmas, "it feels like everything slows down a little bit in autumn, and we just have to find our best ways to keep going through that," the 24-year-old from Lincoln says.

She enjoys curling up in fluffy pyjamas, drinking pumpkin spice lattes and the smell of cinnamon.

Hannah enjoys cooking with seasonal produce - like apples in the autumn and winter

It's a similar story for Hannah Matthew, whose TikTok account is full of videos of baking ingredients, gently flickering candles and tea pouring from pretty pots.

An avid gardener, the 30-year-old decorates her home with pumpkins and autumnal flowers from her garden in South Wales and makes the most of the seasonal produce she grows by making pear risotto, plum jam and apple crumble.

Having a comfortable and cosy home environment is "all the more important if you're going to be trapped in it for a bit longer".

Summer can't go on forever, Jodie says

"Sometimes staying indoors and being cosy is what you need," agrees Jodie Rogers, 30, who says she's embraced a new mindset about how she views autumn.

"We can't live in an eternal summer."