Usually we can rely on having a summer holiday which gives us a break from the normal routine and gives a sense of well-being from having had time away from the humdrum of everyday life. 

This year, however, things may have been different for a lot of people as the uncertainty of the pandemic, vaccinations and tests have all played their part in us not having had that break.
It is now autumn again and with it the prospect of darker evenings and colder weather. 

Does this fill you with dread and despondency? Or are you looking forward to the change of season and the thought of roaring fires and lovely woolly jumpers?
Everyone is different and we all react in different ways to the changing of season which is of course something that we have no control over.

Autumn and winter blues are very common and some people absolutely dread the coming months. However there are some things that you could try to ease these feelings.

• Making sure you get outside as often as you can, even if the weather is wet.
• Eating well with lots of variety of fresh, colourful foods
• Having something to look forward to, like a treat or outing
• Vitamin D supplements are said to have very beneficial effects during the winter 

Not keeping these feelings to yourself can also be beneficial as we may not realise that lots of other people feel the same and can share experiences. You may find that you have some friends or acquaintances who feel similar to yourself and who would be only to willing to go on walks or outings to break up the winter months.
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It is very easy to get home and just shut the curtains and wait out the winter, only going out when absolutely necessary, but just making some simple changes can make all the difference to your mood and outlook.
It is also worth remembering that the seasons will change again and light and warmth will always return, and this is something to look forward to.
 

I realise I have published this before but I keep getting asked for this so I will just put this out there again, sorry to repeat myself but this is a recurring issue.
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It is almost certain that most people will experience grief at some point in their life and it will probably be very difficult to deal with.
The death of a loved one is a very personal and individual thing and it cannot be predicted how a person may react.
After a bereavement a person may feel some or all of the following:-

• Sadness or depression
• Shock, denial, disbelief
• Numbness
• Panic and confusion
• Anger
• Relief

 
Sadness is a normal part of the grieving process and after a loss shock denial and disbelief can be brought on by the realisation that their loved one is not coming back.
Numbness can be the body’s way of protecting us from the full impact of the loss whilst we deal with it at our own pace.
Panic or confusion can be brought on by the thought of having to cope alone or how to fill the gap left by the person we have lost.
Anger is our way of trying to find something to blame for what is seen as an unfair and painful event.
Relief can be felt if, for example, there had been a long or painful illness or if the relationship had been a difficult one. This is a normal response and does not mean the person was not cared for.
Any or all of these feelings can be felt after a death and there is no right or wrong way to feel. Grief as a very personal thing some people will let it take its course, whereas others may need outside help in the form of talking therapy.
There can also be some confusion around the length of time that grieving takes. This is entirely personal – it takes as long as it takes. Some people may feel that a year still feels as if it happened yesterday, or it may feel like a lifetime ago.
People around you may have expectations around how quickly a grieving person might ‘move on’, but it may take a long time to come to terms with life without that person.
The first year can often be difficult as you move through the ‘firsts’, like birthdays, anniversaries, Christmas. These can bring feeling of grief back to the surface.
As time passes, people around you may forget what you have been through and you may feel pushed into moving on. But your grief cannot be pushed aside or forgotten and the aim is to find a way of living and coping with it. Being able to talk about that person can be a huge relief and can be a great comfort, and finding support, either individual or as a group could help.