How Do You Deal With Shorter, Colder Days Without Losing Your Damn Mind?

Tell us about what keeps you from thinking about the cold and darkness.

Daylight savings time is ending this weekend, which means that for a lot of us, our days are about to get a whooole lot shorter and colder.

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You know, like waking-up-in-the-pitch-black dark, and leaving-work-when-it-looks-like-midnight shorter. It's all leading up to the winter solstice — aka the shortest day of the year. Ouch.

Unfortunately, you can't do much about all that (except for moving closer to the equator, maybe). BUT, you can do certain things to make the cold and darkness a little more bearable.

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Maybe you know of something, and whether it's big or small, we want to know.

Maybe it's a giant, warm, and comfy blanket that you look forward to snuggling in the moment you get home.

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Maybe it's even an electric blanket. Or maybe you've just invested in really warm clothes (like running tights instead of long johns), so that whenever you go outside, it feels like you're covered in blanket.

Maybe you set up weekly hikes or walks with friends so you can make the most of the daylight. Or maybe you arrange fun post-work activities so it's not such a bummer to leave work in the dark.

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Maybe winter is your time to visit museums or galleries, or have movie marathons — basically anything that you'd do inside that you don't have as much interest in when it's warmer and lighter.

Or perhaps you collect crockpot recipes and use them before leaving for the day, so that a few times a week you can come home to the perfect slow-cooked meal.

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Because who wants to put in more work after a long, cold day?

Maybe you dive even deeper into your hobbies or interests, like finally finishing up that painting you started or re-reading all of Harry Potter or writing a few pages in your journal.

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One that you can do in the comfort of your own home, like arts and crafts, writing, exercising, cooking, or binge-watching TV/movies. The possibilities are endless.

Maybe you set up pretty lights or candles around your home to brighten it up a bit.

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Or you use light bulbs that mimic the sun's light, so that if you're not getting actual sunlight, at least you're getting something close.

Or you do something else to your home to make it more comfortable.

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Like putting your ceiling fan on reverse and a low setting so that it circulates warm air trapped near the ceiling back down, or boiling herbs and spices so that the aroma is wafting through all the rooms, or even hanging heavier curtains up to insulate the place.

So tell us: What tips, hacks, and strategies do you use to make the cold, dark winter more bearable?

And in addition to telling us about what's worked for you, also tell us why it makes you feel so good. Use the dropbox below!

Your response could be featured in an upcoming BuzzFeed Health post.