Why Don't You... Beat The Winter Blues Before They Begin?
The leaves are turning, the jumpers are back out, soon the clocks will be going back and we'll be entering the Winter darkness...
I hate the darkness, and if, like me, you suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder or the Winter Blues, this time of year can fill you with dread. The dark mornings. Night setting in before you've left work. The life battery never quite feeling charged. If this sounds familiar, then you're in the right place, because here are a bunch of ideas that could mean that this is the year that you beat the Winter Blues before they begin. You don't have to wait for it to arrive and then try to dig yourself out. October is your window. The clocks haven't gone back yet, there's still some light in the evenings, and you've got just enough energy to put a few good habits in place before you need them.
Think of it as winter-proofing. Not your house. You.
Why October?
The clocks go back on Sunday 25 October. After that, most of us are commuting in the dark at both ends of the day, and motivation tends to go wherever the daylight went.
That's why now matters. It is so much easier to keep going to a class you already love than to start one in a cold, wet January when even getting out of bed is a hassle. Book it in now, get to know the people, make it part of your week, and by the time winter properly bites it'll just be what you do on a Tuesday.
Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a recognised form of depression, and the winter blues sit on a spectrum. Hobbies won't fix everything. If winter really floors you, have a chat with your GP too. But mindfulness, movement, good company and a bit of daylight are some of the best tools going, and they're all out there in St Albans and Hertfordshire - if you know where to look. So let's beat the blues and why don't you...
…Get Physical
Exercise is one of the most reliable mood boosters going, and it's usually the first thing to go once it starts getting dark before tea time. The trick is to pick something you actually enjoy, book a regular slot now while it's still light, and let the routine carry you on the days motivation doesn't turn up. Bonus points if it comes with people.
Athena Ladies Running Club – Athena's 0–5k beginners' courses are your ticket from sofa to 5k. One is already under way (5 October to 23 November), and the last one of the year starts on 4 November and finishes on 23 December. Sign up now and you'll be running past the Christmas lights. It's a ladies-only club built on support rather than speed, and the community is half the point.
Miles And Mates – A free 5k social run for men on Thursday evenings at 7pm. Go at your own pace, fast or slow, then finish at The Verulam for a drink and a chat. It's a judgement-free space to talk, which is exactly what a lot of us need come November.
Jive Swing – They call themselves the UK's friendliest swing dance club, and you don't need a partner or any experience. Exercise, music and new faces all in one evening. Triple win.
Zumba with Crishi – A fun, friendly Saturday morning class in Fleetville that will get you fit without it ever feeling like a workout. It's very hard to stay grumpy with Latin beats blaring.
Bounce St Albans – Fitness on a mini trampoline, choreographed to banging tunes. The trampoline soaks up most of the impact, so it's kind on your joints, and there are three class types (Bounce, Blast and Barbells) with options for every fitness level. Classes run at Trestle Arts Base and Hertfordshire Combat Centre. You will leave grinning.
…Be Creative
Creativity is mindfulness in disguise. When your hands are busy, your head goes quiet. And at the end of a dark evening you've got something to show for it, which beats another night of scrolling.
Clay with Carole – Learn pottery with Carole Sender, a former Great Pottery Throwdown contestant, and her daughter Talia. Wheel throwing or hand building, beginners to improvers. Their six-week courses give you a weekly date with clay right through the darkest stretch of the year. There's even Pots and Prosecco if you fancy a creative date night.
Kate Buchanan – Textile artist Kate believes we're all creative and just need a little time and space to play. Her printing, watercolour, collage and stitch workshops run in tiny groups of two to four, mostly in her studio in Pirton, with tea and cake throughout. Cosy doesn't cover it.
Natalia Millman Art – Creative rest, breathwork and mindful mark-making for busy minds. No artistic talent required, which is good news for most of us. It's less about the picture and more about giving your head a couple of hours off.
Mindful Artbox – Nishma has been an art teacher for over 18 years and is also a qualified sound healer, so her sessions sit right where creativity meets calm. Choose from relaxed Sip N Paint and Dine & Paint evenings, seasonal workshops and community sound baths. It's all about enjoying the process, not getting it right. Groups are small, so book early.
Arty Pants – Half term in late October can feel very long when it's dark by five. Arty Pants is running a Kids Craft Camp on Thursday 29 October at Marshalswick Community Centre, 10am to 3pm, with morning, afternoon or full-day tickets from £15 (ages 5+ only). The kids get a day of seasonal crafting. You get a breather, and maybe a walk in the daylight while they're busy.
…Look After Your Mind & Soul
If winter makes your head feel heavy, give it some proper attention. These are the activities that help you slow down, switch off and reset, plus one that does the exact opposite.
Clarity Yoga – I found Clarity Yoga Shala to be a genuine oasis of calm in the middle of St Albans (read my review), with classes for complete beginners right up to advanced. They also have a special event on Sunday 25 October, the very day the clocks go back. Reclaiming the Loss of Innocence is a two-hour journey (4pm to 6pm) of restorative yoga, deep relaxation with gong, guided meditation and, to finish, dance. It's £35 and it's a Black History Month fundraiser for the children of Congo, with proceeds going to Ubuntu Heart. Spend your extra hour well.
Heart & Earth – Forest bathing: slow, guided, mindful time among the trees. It gets you outside and into the daylight, and with the autumn colours at their best right now, this is the moment to try it.
Balanced with Becs – Becca is a registered nurse and yoga teacher who runs women-only sessions for anyone mentally overloaded and running on empty. Her Unwind & Reset evenings are limited to just three women and combine gentle movement, yoga nidra, aromatherapy and a sound bath in a peaceful garden studio. Pure reset.
Pier Pressure – Not all mind care is quiet. Sometimes the best thing for an overthinking brain is a puzzle that needs every bit of it. This award-winning escape room venue in Welwyn Garden City has Otto's Oddities, a 60-minute room set in a Victorian-era toymaker's shop. There's also The Seven Seals, a two-hour outdoor puzzle trail around the town centre played on your phone, which gets you out in the daylight while you're at it.
…Feel Good
The Pioneer Club – On Sunday 18 October, The Pioneer Club goes Unplugged: a day of discovery and creativity for just £5 per person. Bang a drum, play a guitar, hit a punchbag, write a book, fix a bike, ride a skateboard, build a circuit, play a tabletop game, draw and illustrate, or discover street art. There's food and drink too, including Glaze Bakery and La Scatola Pizza. The Pioneer is a St Albans charity that's been going since 1941 and is home to the UK's oldest indoor skatepark, so your ticket does some good as well as making you feel good.
And if you want a guaranteed lift, sing. Singing with other people gets you breathing deeply, gets you out of your own head and makes you feel part of something, which is exactly what the dark months tend to take away. It's good for the soul, and really, you don't need to be any good at it.
The Collaboration Choir – St Albans – A friendly community pop choir for adults, meeting every Tuesday morning (10.30am to 12pm) at St Mary's Church Hall in Marshalswick. Choir Director Amy Cordina teaches a favourite pop song piece by piece, building the harmonies together until it's ready to perform. No experience needed, your first session is a free trial, and with socials and performance opportunities thrown in, it's a ready-made group of friends to see you through the winter.
Singing Mamas St Albans – A relaxed weekly singing circle for mums and their little ones, every Monday morning at St Paul's Church, Blandford Road, led by Siew-Lee. No sheet music, no experience and no pressure: you learn uplifting songs by ear while the children play in the middle of the circle, then it's tea, cake and a chat. If dark mornings at home with a baby feel long, this is a lovely way to start the week. On Monday 19 October (10am to 11.30am) there's a Photography Special, with local family photographer Cam Velucci capturing the session. There's a pop-up portrait studio, a free digital portrait of you and your little one, and an exclusive discount on a full family shoot. Adults £12, babies and children go free.
...And Don't Forget The Daylight!
Here's some science - sitting next to a sunny window is nowhere near as good as actually stepping outside. Light is measured in lux, and the difference between indoors and out is huge. A well-lit room is usually just a few hundred lux. Head outdoors on a grey, overcast winter's day and you're still typically getting several thousand, often ten times as much or more, and on a bright day it can be tens of thousands. The SAD light boxes people buy are 10,000 lux, which tells you something. They're basically trying to bottle the outdoors.
That outdoor light does a lot of heavy lifting. Daylight, especially in the morning, helps set your body clock (your circadian rhythm), which tells you when to feel awake and when to wind down. Get that working and you tend to sleep better at night and feel more alert during the day, which are exactly the things that start to wobble when winter sets in.
According to the NHS, from October to early March we don't make enough vitamin D from sunlight in the UK, and window glass blocks the UVB rays your skin needs to make it anyway. That's why the NHS advises everyone to consider a daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement through autumn and winter. So: daylight for your body clock, sleep and energy, and maybe a supplement for your vitamin D.
Dates For Your Diary
Sunday 18 October – Unplugged at The Pioneer Club, 12pm to 6pm
Monday 19 October – Singing Mamas Photography Special, St Paul's Church, 10am to 11.30am
Sunday 25 October – Clocks go back, and Reclaiming the Loss of Innocence at Clarity Yoga, 4pm to 6pm
Thursday 29 October – Arty Pants Kids Craft Camp, Marshalswick Community Centre
Wednesday 4 November – Athena's last 0–5k course of the year begins
Your October Plan
Here's the simple version. Before the clocks go back on 25 October, book:
One thing that calms you down
One thing that gets you moving
One thing that gets you out with other people
Then add some proper outdoor daylight every day (ideally in the morning), and keep turning up. That's it. That's the plan.
If you want to know more about why hobbies are so good for your head, have a read of The Best Hobbies For Mental Health.
And if you sign up to our free monthly newsletter, you'll get our What's On guide, the latest offers and 10% off your first booking. Which makes this the cheapest your winter-proofing is ever going to be.
Winter's coming either way. This year, let's be ready for it.
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