A sort of urgency appeared in the past few weeks now that summer is coming to an end. Each year it is the same drill, as the temperatures drop, we jump in the lake one last time, savour every alfresco meal and enjoy a morning coffee on the balcony. Will this be our last summer day?
Yes, summer is ending, and those colder and sometimes greyer days are ahead of us. But that doesn’t have to mean we should be dreading what’s ahead. Instead of dreading the shorter days at the end of the year, let’s this year embrace the positives this time of year brings – cosy evenings, warming drinks, and of course, fondue season!
No matter if this is your first Swiss winter, or you simply need a fresh perspective to embrace all the next few months have to offer – let’s get excited about the darker seasons ahead!
Autumn in Switzerland – colourful leaves through a rain spotted window
1. Take inspiration from our neighbours
Of course, if we are going to embrace the darker days, we should first look to our northerly neighbours and see how they deal their much shorter days. The Danish have their Hygge, which helps them look at positives of the darker seasons. So adapt this cosy attitude and get out those fluffy blankets, put candles on the dining room table and put on some cool jazz tunes to set a relaxing mood.
Light some candles to create a Hygge atmosphere.
2. Add a touch of green
Why not bring in touches of greenery into your home this time of year? The freshness of plants is an excellent contrast to the grey fog outside and helps me forget spring is another six months away. In our apartment, we’ve got with a mixture of real plants, for their added clean air benefit, as well as some not so bad looking fakes. This year I want to try these mini-greenhouses with LED lights that will help us keep our herbs growing too.
Add greenery to brighten your space Source: Unsplash
3. Time to get organised
I do not want to waste a ray of sunshine inside doing tedious tasks like tidying, organising or sorting. So I leave all those tasks for these darker months, especially when it’s raining outside. And after some fantastic warm weather over the past six months, our apartment is in desperate need of some TLC. It is now I do things like create our “grab and go apartment bags” and give the kitchen a much needed deep clean.
Save all your indoor nagging tasks for raining days.
4. Don’t forget about lights
After rarely turning on a single light all summer, it is time to start thinking about lighting. Lighting might not seem important in the grand scheme of things, but I have found that getting it right, has a significant impact on my happiness during the darker months.
I’ve never regretted investing in some lamps and this IKEA smart lighting system. So now, with a press of a button, I can turn our living room into a place of instant cosy relaxation. Bonus is that the low lighting also hides the mess. Fairy lights have this effect too. I keep on ours, outside on our balcony, much longer than just the Christmas period.
Keep your fairy lights up longer than just Christmas.
5. Get a head start or catch up on projects
Shorter days and more chance of rain make for a great excuse to stay home and work on indoor projects. I have to catch up of my photo editing, take more online classes and will more likely to take the time to paint or learn to play the ukelele.
Save indoor hobbies for grey days.
6. Get outside every day in every weather
The grey days don’t do anything for my motivation to get outside, and there are days where all I want to do is stay in bed. But I have learnt that getting out, even when it is raining, does wonders for my mood. So get a good raincoat and boots, maybe even some rain pants and take a walk, in the daylight, even when it is grey and wet. If there is low lying fog around, there is a good chance you can get above it. And it goes without saying, whenever the sun does shine, get outside and soak up nature’s vitamin D.
Get outside no matter the weather.
7. Enjoy the seasonal food
This time of year may bring darker days, but it also brings pumpkins, chestnuts and game season. There is plenty to get excited about in the kitchen. And yes Christmas isn’t far away either. And while the weather isn’t yet too cold, it is the perfect time to pack up your fondue set and enjoy some melty cheese outdoors by sunset. And even when it’s cold, you can still do fun things like having a BBQ in the forest.
Enjoy fondue as the sunsets.
8. Enjoy a Sunrise
The bonus on shorter days is that catching a sunrise without having to wake up at a ridiculous time is a piece of cake. So why not bundle up, make up a flask of coffee and find a spot to enjoy the sun coming up over the mountains or a lake?
Sunrise at 7.30am !
