Finding the Light: Coping with Dark Mornings and Early Evenings
Each year, when daylight shortens and the clocks change, I feel my energy dip. Mornings arrive in shadow and afternoons fade too fast. For many neurodivergent adults, especially those who are AuDHD, ADHD, autism, or have chronic illnesses such as chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS), winter brings a subtle heaviness that affects both body and mood.
Through my nature-based ADHD coaching and burnout recovery work, I’ve learnt that winter asks us not to resist the darkness but to move with it. We can find rhythm, warmth, and small sparks of joy even when the sun withdraws.
In dark mornings, light becomes medicine. Some use a sunrise alarm that mimics dawn. I step outside as early as I can, even on cloudy days to see my hens. Natural light stabilises mood and energy. I pair this with a warm drink ritual, often a cup of rosemary or chamomile tea or a cacao, walnut, banana and oat milk porridge. The warmth signals my body to wake gently.
Afternoons can feel abrupt when daylight begins to disappear. I create transition rituals to soften the change. I use an SAD lamp for about 15 minutes (some prefer to use this in the mornings, but I find 3:00 pm the ideal time). I light candles, diffuse lavender or rosemary oil, or soak in an Epsom salt bath after work to unwind. Magnesium from the salts soothes the muscles, while the warmth quiets the nervous system. Self-massage in the evening helps release tension and reset sensory overwhelm.
Food also becomes a stabiliser. Winter calls for grounding meals: lentil soups, root vegetables, herbal teas with yarrow or skullcap. For those clients I work with on chronic fatigue (ME/CFS) coaching, keeping food simple and steady with protein in every meal helps prevent energy crashes for many folks.
For the mind, I rely on a dopamenu of small, comforting joys. In darker months, this might be fairy lights, music, painting, board games, tea and blankets, or short voice messages with friends. These moments provide a natural high, releasing dopamine, and remind me that joy can exist even in quiet seasons.
Winter can amplify feelings of fatigue or burnout, making it an ideal time to pause and re-evaluate. Through Earth Coaching, I offer nature-based ADHD coaching, autism and ADHD coaching, and burnout recovery coaching, all tailored to the winter rhythm. Many clients use Access to Work coaching UK funding to create supportive systems that honour energy levels and sensory needs during darker months.
If you’re looking for a coach who truly understands what it’s like to live with neurodivergence and chronic illness, why not book a free discovery session now to see if I’m the right coach for you?
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