Student blogs

People often ask me if I’m used to the seasonal darkness here, but to be honest, my answer is no. The dark season gets me every time. But luckily, I have learnt some tips on the way that make it manageable. I hope they help you, too!

Make it cosy at home

Making it cosy at home is maybe not a very original tip, but it’s an important one. My favourite are the classics: candles and fairy lights. They are simple but make me feel so peaceful and calm. I also love my plants, and although it sometimes is a battle, they usually make it all right through winter. Something else that can feel refreshing is hanging up new pictures on the walls or rearranging furniture a bit. It’s really all about making your home feel like home and putting thought into how you want things to be.

But having it cosy at home also means taking time for cosy things. Watch your favourite show, read that book you’ve been wanting to read, try out new recipes or start arts and crafts projects. All of course in a warm blanket or sweater and woolen socks. And honestly, once you’re warmly wrapped and surrounded by the cosiness of your place, even studying for exams can be a vibe.

Mindset shift

This is something I was only recently made aware of by a classmate, and since then, it hasn’t left my mind. Initially, it always felt like the days somehow cheat on you, with the sky being pitch dark while you’re sitting in class and are not even close to getting on your way home yet. But if you switch your mindset, the new perspective is this: While the world looks like it’s sleeping, you still get to spend several hours of evening. For a person like me, who loves evenings and feels like they always go by too quickly, that’s a nice new way of looking at it.

Make plans and socialise

The colder and darker it gets outside, the more I often just want to hide in a cocoon and stay at home. But it can be so good to overcome that and still make plans, go out and meet up with people. Doesn’t matter if inside our outside, it’s just about having a good time together.

Plan your daylight hours

It’s as simple as it sounds: plan your daylight hours. Sure, on weekdays, it’s sadly not all in our hands, since for a certain period of the year, classes start before sunrise and end after the sun has set again, and the rare hours of daylight take place while everyone sits inside. But there are two things you can control: lunch breaks and weekends.

On weekends, it can really be worth it to check beforehand what the daylight hours will be. Clear your schedule for those hours and get some outside time – otherwise, the short window has passed before you notice it. On weekdays that’s trickier. But if there’s time during lunch break, what about taking a few steps outside?

With these things being said, I will go outside now to have a peek at the sun. I hope my tips helped you and you feel ready for this. Just remember these: right mindset, cosiness at home, friends and good planning. Then you’ll be fine!