Hello darkness my old friend, you’ve come at six o’clock again. I do not like the darker months of the year. Every year I see friends post about hot chocolatey walks through crisp red leaves and cool sunny days after oppressive summer heat. Every year I find myself grumbling that we don’t in fact live in a made-for-TV rom-com set in Maine. Our Autumns are grey, dark and frequently wet, less crunching through leaves and more sheltering from wind and rain waiting for the bus in the dark. This is not my time of year. 

I am not alone in this either, for many of us the return to the darker months can play havoc with emotional and physical regulation. The darkness and greyer skies can bring sadness and restlessness and a general sense of gloom. This year however I am prepared to meet my dysregulation head on. These are 5 key tips for overcoming the Autumn blues as a Neurodivergent person. 

1. Hyggeween 

Hyggeween is a portmanteau my family put together. Hygge is a Scandinavian concept of becoming cosy and contented by embracing warmth, comfort and conviviality. Halloween needs less explanation, but in our world it is soft lights and being present as the season changes. 

For Neurodivergent people Hyggeween can mean taking time out of their day to explore their senses and become more present in the moment. For those of us who are sensory sensitive, putting on a fireplace ambiance (YouTube has 100s to choose from), turning the lights down low and curling up with a soft blanket allows you to take a moment to pause and check in with yourself. 

 For the sensory seekers amongst us smells can play a great part in Hyggeween, Autumn is a season of cinnamon and apple scents. I fill my living space with scented candles - some nights we just have the candles as our only source of light. For those of us who cannot have candles for safety reasons there are scent diffusers and electric scented candles. 

I also find crafting is an excellent way to connect with myself during the darker hours, from complicated cross stitch to simple colouring. This allows me to take time from the demands of the world, switch off from the laptop and LinkedIn and simply exist.

Now I am a social creature and the above can seem quite solitary activities if you are a people person. I can thoroughly recommend a cosy coffee with friends or family - my nearest and dearest are far from near, being scattered over the world so I take quiet time to call those far away and catch up. Ask friends and/or family to come round and craft/do a jigsaw/just have a coffee and put the world to rights. Autumn and winter can feel like the dark may never end and a friendly face or two can greatly improve the darkness.        

2. Embrace the light 

Embracing the light seems paradoxical when I’m complaining bitterly about the darkness and the cold, but stay with me. Spikey profiles mean that for many Neurodivergent people light can make or break a sense of wellbeing. For some of us, myself included, the overhead “big” light is an evil and is only allowed when searching for something. For others of us the overlap of multiple small lamps causing light and shadow can create an overwhelming visual. Anti-SAD lamps are excellent to bring a more natural light into the room, but some Neurodivergent people can see them pulsing and can be visually overstimulating. Lighting your living space during the Autumn and Winter months is necessary but can be made more Neurodivergent-friendly. 

If you are like me and love a good technical document I can recommend Design for the Mind Neurodiversity & the Built Environment - PAS 6463. This document takes into account a wide range of Neurodivergences and gives technical advice on creating lighting to ensure comfort, wellbeing and visibility. Creating an environment that promotes wellbeing and comfort is crucial in making sure your living space is not adding to overwhelm and burnout. Making sure that your lighting is designed with your Neurodivergence in mind is a major part of ensuring an environment that works for you not against you.  

3. Go outside

Now I know it is cold and wet and generally grey, but nature is an excellent way to regulate a dysregulated nervous system (if you want some academic reading about this Dr Samantha Friedman has written extensively about this very topic). “Touch some grass” may be internet speak for returning to reality, but there is some truth to it. Spending time in nature promotes well-being and has a calming effect. 

All very well and good but not everyone has access to the miles of untamed wilderness. Well this is where Dr Friedman’s work suggests that even the most basic natural spaces can help. We are talking about local parks, balcony gardens and potentially even spending time in virtual nature may help (think of all those gardening or homesteading sims). Just spending time outside in what little daylight there is can help boost your mood. Taking time in your day for a 10 minutes outside gives you a break from the daily grind and gives you space to just breathe.      

4. Get your flu shot 

The piece of advice is short and sweet. If there is anything worse than damp, cold, grey weather it’s being in bed (or worse hospital) with a dose of the flu. If you are invited to have a flu shot on the NHS or have the funds to pay privately, getting the flu jab not only helps keep you safe but helps keep the most vulnerable members of our community safe too. 

5. Prepare for the cold 

Whilst I will not be warm again until May it is likely that the weather is going to get colder. Check your hot water bottles, electric blankets and central heating systems now. Fixing or replacing anything that isn’t working now will mean that you won’t need to deal with unexpected lack of heat as winter takes hold. It is also time to check your grain heat pads as well; whilst in my experience they last well, it is worth assessing for wear and tear before they go in the microwave.  

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It is also a time to make preparing for the cold a joyful act. Find your favourite jumper that has spent the summer forgotten in a cupboard. Embrace the warmth of an electric blanket on a cold night. I am definitely guilty of sulking at the season but Autumn and Winter will arrive whether I welcome them or not. It is easy to see why many of us want to hibernate until the first calls of Spring come back to the world. By embracing this season in its amber hues with cinnamon scents on the air and creating a space of comfort and safety with those we love around, the dark and bleak becomes a place of celebration of life.