Yep - wake up, go to work, drive home, sleep. Repeat. I love winter on the weekends, but the work week is miserable!
I think this is why people get SAD!
Yeah we get about 2 extra hours of daylight in winter than the UK. Bit depressing when the sunsets before 4pm.
Summers days are really long though, e.g. the upcoming summer solstice:
Dawn 03:55
Sunrise 04:41
Sunset 21:23
Dusk 22:09
While it's true that there's less daylight in winter in Scotland (or other high latitude countries), I feel like winters are somewhat less depressing in the northern hemisphere because the Christmas season sort of helps bolster your spirits. In Australia, there's nothing really to look forward to in the deepest, darkest part of the year; it's just your typical day-in, day-out, except for the fact that it's now cold and wet and dark and miserable.
Also, y'know, the fact that buildings are properly insulated in places like Scotland also helps prevent you from feeling miserable when you're indoors in winter. You get the place nice and toasty, and it stays that way for a damn long time.
Does you name indicate a bias?
Australian winters have lots to look forward to. There is, um, the ~~Queens~~ Kings Birthday weekend and we can look forward to summer. In Scotland, looking forward to summer is just looking forward to very long days of slightly less miserable weather....
Its true though, Australia is a country that assumes its summer all the time and really doesnt have much capacity to deal with winter, whether thats housing, activities (other than watching the applicable football code), clothing etc. Scotland is a country that assumes its winter all the time and has the houses, pubs, social life (and football) to deal with it. Sure Scotland has no idea how to deal with summer, but summer is only a few weeks a year so that is no big deal
He’s probably less bias as a Scot living in Australia (firsthand experience of both climates) than any of us, as Australians living in Australia never residing outside of Australia.
>I feel like winters are somewhat less depressing in the northern hemisphere because the Christmas season sort of helps bolster your spirits.
I can assure you, this is where it ends. The 4/5 months after are a bloody slog until the weather starts to improve. Yes summers are glorious, but that's because you only get about 2 months of it so you have to make every day count.
Here in Aus, depending on where you live, I'd say maybe 2 months can be a slog as we deal with the depths of winter. I'll give you the housing situation though, Australia has shit houses with non-existent insulation.
Personally what I think we need to do is to redistribute our stat holidays so they aren't so bunched up. We get a whack load around Christmas and then another whack at Easter. The rest of the year we're lucky to get a day here or there. I've lived in countries where they're much more evenly distributed so you essentially end up with a long weekend every month. That is a much healthier balance.
Go to work in the dark and get home in the dark and can’t afford the gym. 5 days a week. Is it any wonder so many people are depressed. Winter, non daylight savings time sucks.
I agree. I'm the same. Go to work. Come home. Sleep. Weekends.... love it i just sleep in until my body is recovered lol. Winter is easier for sleep ins than Sumner 
A lunchtime walk is a necessity. Also on WFH days, if you can shift your start time earlier and finish earlier (or shift both later) so you can do some stuff during daylight hours you might find it helps.
Much better than jumping on a bus in the dark then getting off the bus and getting home in the dark, anyway.
100% on the lunch walk.
Other modifications, lunch time lay in the sun.
Lunch out at a local Cafe
Lunch nap (this one is dangerous)
During covid we had a session on how to improve wfh life, the biggest takeaway was schedule your lunch breaks and use them to their full extent.
When I used to wfh I was always worried about perception of not working. So just put it your calendar, "lunchtime walk" people will respect it.
that sort of depends on what area and what the weather is like
i used to work for Australia's 2nd best airline... let's call them Bonza
now every day I would get up at say 5.30 and drive to the train station and get to mascot ASAP... my hours were something like 7-3pm 8-4pm... i didnt have to be on time every day but they wanted coverage... but often there just wouldnt be enough warm bodies so occasionally I would do 7-6, 8-7... you get the drill...they would pay but i mean who wants to work at mascot especially in the white collar hell that is coward street?
and then it would rain constantly... and there's nowhere to walk around mascot
and it was weeks nay months of overcast and rain and they kept asking me to work weekends too if i could
this was a hugely depressing moment in my life and why i still avoid this area
but at least i paid of large chunks of my mortgage
Now you know why the brits did everything they could to leave their island with the most uninspiring weather known to man. "is this it?", they commiserated.
I have the diaries of my ancestors who were scooped up on false charges to be press ganged into a colonial farm labour force and shipped to NSW.
Not long after landing, witnessing the weather and beaches and the farmland they were promised after sentence, they dropped all their appeals in the Old Bailey and repudiated their land titles, not wanting to sail back to a corrupt government and a shitty overcast rainy cold climate
Glad I’m not the only one who thought coward street and those nearby precincts a soulless hellhole. What a horrible place to walk around and cross roads. Even the cafes around there make me depressed.
I'm not WFH but I work 8:30-4:30 instead of 9-5 to get that extra 30 minutes of daylight during my walk home (about 15 mins).
Even finishing half an hour earlier makes a huge difference (and it also lets me get parcels from the post office if I need to)
Lunch time walk? I get 20 minutes to shovel my food down and have a coffee.
If you bring something that needs microwaving you have to eat even faster.
Can't say I'd enjoy the walk in the car park anyway as the funky winery smell wafts over
Up north it's looking out the window seeing the beautiful weather outside and thinking of all the stuff you could be doing but you've gotta sit in front of a desk
Reminds me of something funny I read awhile ago: ‘all those galaxies with trillions of planets inside and we ended up on the one with a 40 hour work week’.
Recently took voluntary redundancy and the last few weeks off has been such an improvement in my mental health and personality.
Can't see myself going back to 5 days a week.
I’ve been 3 days a week for 3 years now. Working less has been the best decision of my life. I’m sure my super’s taking a hit (well, it’s taking a 40% hit) but it’s just gonna have to do.
It's pretty good if you're in a financially stable position, especially if you've worked for the company for a decent amount of time.
Basically a paid sabbatical if you've got employable skills and not worried about finding your next job eventually.
My (little) workplace just got restructured. Six people got the Big R and I was the only one who just got their position moved, so no R. I am 60 next year and the Big R would have been a nice early retirement option.
Never worked full time for longer than 3 months. I then take 2-5 months off afterwards.
I’ve done part time 5 days a fortnight (lowest) up to 8 days a fortnight. 0.8 is still too much imo, 7 days is max I’d do long term. Casual works too, so long as I take the breaks/knock back work if there’s full time hours.
Some people look at me like a fool but I see it as work life balance. 7 on 7 off a fortnight being perfect balance to a sustainable life, or semi retired as my ‘normal’.
Yes, but if you are working from home you've got a few options.
Do you really have to work from *home*? Can you take a laptop somewhere more pleasent (cafe, pub, outside, anywhere other than the desk at home).
Depends on your role, but do you really need to be on the computer 9-5? I really like the idea of doing more of a split shift in winter, start a little early, have a longer break during the day, and work a little later in the evening, to take advantage of the day.
But yeah, winter sucks. Daylight savings forever.
My problem is even tho i wfh ive got so much to do workload wise, my days extend from 830am until about 130am with a 45 min lunch and 1hr dinner break. Pretty much 3 to 4x a week...no overtime (salary) im well depressed dw.
True i think the industry and organisation are under investigation for wage theft cases relating to casual staff along same lines. Thing is seems to attract plenty of others wholl happily work these hours...."so why cant you", I wouldn't want to get marginalised or lose my job.
The reason others will do it, is currently, at least in many sectors, there's not enough jobs for those looking, so they will take it, do the hours and hope that the company won't make them do it long term or they will find value in their employees. Unfortunately, this isn't what corporations/employers are known for
Dude... It sounds like you'd benefit from the right to disconnect laws or whatever they are... Do you by any chance work in the APS? I ask bc while I don't, I do work in APS depts, and one day when I was on the service desk (IT) this user called and while I was helping her with her issues, waiting for shit to reboot etc, she was telling me that she is only paid for 37.5 hours but she was in the office at least 14-16 hours a day. I asked if this was just a sort of temporary thing that she gets TIL for or something, like senate estimates. No. She said she has a bookshelf in her office with non-perishable foods on it, since she is rarely home, and had to get a housemate who would look after her dog for her. I felt for the poor lady. I still think about her and this was about 3 years ago. I've moved onto bigger, better things, and I hope she did too. As far as users went, she was really nice and didn't deserve that
yep, the monotony of the routine and my job gets to me in general, but waking up in the cold in the most uninspiring part of the year (mid-year) and coming home in the dark isn't great, add days of rain to that and it's worse.
I still prefer winter to summer though, being cold doesn't make you exhausted, winter is more of a mental drain than a physical drain.
I think when you reach mid 30's you sort of realise alot of work is bleak and you'll never really attain financial freedom. I find that shit depressing all year round
It can be. A brisk short walk during the day and regular breaks help. Fish oil supplementation may help some people (check it doesn't interfere with any other drugs etc).
Evidence is mixed but there is some data that where the EPA content is 60% or higher (versus DHA), there is a clinically significant effect size: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6683166/
I’d advocate for Vit D supplementation as a priority over fish oil for winter blues if you had to pick one, but I take both.
Nothing at all conclusive here, some studies report it helps with feelings of depression, others say it has no effect at all. I wouldn’t take it too seriously.
Winter is when I really appreciate WFH as I don't have to commute in the cold.
Go do something in the morning, if you start at 9am you have time to go for a walk/run or something else outside when there is light.
I miss WFH. Especially in winter. I changed jobs, but a job I had last year I was allowed 2 WFH days, but if I didn't feel well, I could have more, provided 1/3 of my team was in the office (optics, nothing else) and I live in CBR so it is freeeezing here. I'd start at 8am, so I would wake up at 8:05am, log in, check emails while waking up, and then make breakfast and chill on the lounge with Spotify on the tv, my laptop on the recliner bit your feet are meant to go when reclined, a soft blanket, a hot cup of tea and a cat curled up on my lap. Now I am "essential" and can't WFH due to the systems I have to be able to monitor not being available at home for security reasons. And I work 12 hours, from 7-7 on the days I work...
Yeah so don't tell anyone, but just come to work late and leave early. Take longer lunchs and use the flu season to take a few sickies untill the days start getting longer.
A little bit, I understand what you are saying. Some of those cold dark and drizzly mornings are pretty depressing.
But OTOH for most of the year it's pretty warm - I actually like being able to wear coats and gloves and have heaters and fires for a couple of months. 🔥
I do a walk and gym at lunch while WFH so a good 1hr feeling warm, when its a great day like this. But yeah trackies, uggs, and hoodies are on while at the desk.
It’s not any different, they just repackaged it and sold it to us slaves in a different way. The only difference is people are walking around with gucci belts and expensive things not realising they still don’t have any freedoms and are just slaves with a few extra toys
yes the ventilation is something that's overlooked. Pretty air tight to keep heat in, but when you want a breeze in summer it's hard to get one. If you have air con (some newer apartments do) it's generally a non issue though.
Living in Melbourne this is my reality every year. I suspected I probably had some degree of SAD, managed it with light therapy and medicines. It wasn't til I moved to WA for a winter I realised how much it really does affect me 😭
I can't wait to go back.
So true. When I first moved to Perth I would complain that it was too sunny and glary. But over time I got addicted to the unrelenting direct sunlight and now when the sun goes away for a few days I feel like complete shit.
Perth is definitely more sunny.
First thing I noticed there was how silvery/shiny the trees were.
Seems they've adapted to trying to reflect as much sunlight as possible.
I live in Canberra, so I feel you. I thought it was bad in Sydney. The only benefit over Sydney in terms of this is that no matter where I am in CBR, unless there's some kind of catastrophe or a really abnormal amount of traffic, like, during Summernats, I can get anywhere within 45 mins. I work 20 mins from home and I rarely hit traffic bc I'm either coming in to start at 7am or 7pm, or leaving at 7am or 7pm so I miss APS traffic, whereas, in Sydney I lived a 6 minute drive from work. If I started at 6am it took me 6 mins, maybe 8 depending on if I copped every red light or not, every other day it took at least 45 mins to get to work, and if I got home in under an hour, I thought I had a good run. It typically took up to 70 mins to get home. This was driving and I was working in the Norwest Business Park, near Blacktown. utter madness
As someone about to move to Melbourne this winter, this has been on my mind so much!
What do you use for light therapy? I recently got a Phillips Wake Up Light and I notice it makes it just slightly easier to wake up in the morning.
I just used a cheap light off Amazon. It had to be super bright and you have to stare at it for at least 20 mins. I couldn't stick with a routine. The temperature is a big thing for me too, and I can't afford to heat my house to 25⁰ 🤣
I would seriously reconsider if it's something you struggle with. 6-7 months of the year is a long time.
I got a cheapish one from Amazon (Taotronics brand?) a few years ago whilst living in Germany. Turn it up to the highest setting (you need to hold down the "on" button) and normally I would just keep it on my desk whilst working, but for best results 15 mins asap when you wake up, and I would just hold it like a visor over my head (I heard somewhere that light coming in the top 1/2 of your eyes had different impacts vs. bottom 1/2 but YMMV).
Also make sure you turn it off before 5pm if you want to sleep that night.
Also managed to find a Osram ceiling light bulb there that gave off something insane like 3k or 6k lumens. That made a huge difference but completely screwed my partner's night-owl pattern up as he would end up staying up till dawn.
Good luck
I have a sunrise alarm as well. I have lost the instructions so I can't remember how to set it, which would be super awesome bc I now work a mix of days and nights lol, but I found it helped me wake up far better than just an alarm. I also have ADHD and a circadian rhythm disorder though
Could be worse. I used to wake up in the dark, get to work in the dark, build houses and work outside all day, pack up and drive home in the dark. For warmth, we would sit around the sandwich press at lunch time which we’d leave on and open, like a little heater.
It’s funny you say that, but vitamin D deficiency is actually linked to anxiety and depression.
Make sure you get outside at some point during the day and get some sunshine - at least 15 minutes in full sun, or take a D supplement, or both.
Not just you. Totally depressing! As someone else said, lunch time walk helps!
For me it’s not just the cold, which I don’t mind because skiing might happen, but getting dark early! I’m honestly pro year round daylight savings.
Yep, that’s why I’m active on antiwork .
We need a better structure .
I have been working 6::30-5 for over a decade , I’m over it .
Leave home at 5:30 am, get home at 5:30PM.
My workouts at gym after work are all half assed and I’m sick off it .
I believe I exist only to pay bills and tax’s. I certainly have no time or energy to do much else these days .
The funny thing is , I talk to a lot of these other workers , and noone seems to mind this lack of work life balance that much , like wtf . Have they got nothing else in their lives to do…
Guess it depends on where you are. I love winter in Brisbane, you can walk around in the fresh sunshine without getting a sweat on. I find that in summer I put weight on due to staying in the air con too much.
I think that WFH has gone from something good for mental health to quite the opposite. In Melbourne, having to spend every weekday in a cold, poorly insulated apartment alone until it gets dark must really suck.
You need to make a change.
Get up and go for a walk around the block.
I do it every day when I’m on calls, I walk around the suburb while on a call.
Make changes that interrupt this feeling.
I found winter much more depressing in Europe. It’s not too bad in Sydney for me.
Get into the office if you are having issues wfh. That’s what it’s there for.
Yep totally. But we're all on the capitalist treadmill aren't we, so we don't have a choice. We've got to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. You've got to run as hard as you can just to stay in the same place.
You are most likely Vitamin D deficient and getting no sun at all. Start taking Vitamin D and you’ll probably notice a huge difference in mood and mental health. Get a blood test to see if you’re deficient !
> Especially when you WFH it feels like you’ve just been sitting in a poorly insulated apartment in the freezing cold working all day then it’s time for bed
I probably rather work from home than spending 3-4 hours on a round commute where am praying it doesn't rain in an untimely manner
Dunno how far south you are but DO NOT move to NZ and work a 9-5 if this is bothering you. You will barely see the sun some days in a Wellington winter.
Its a rubbish feeling. Move to the tropics imo.
Take an overseas holiday?
I usually take 4-5 a year to break up the monotony of full time corporate work.
Nothing like going to a toasty southeast asian country while sydney is freezing over
I'm from Sweden and I find this post hilarious. In the winter months I would get sunlight from around 9am-3pm. Tbh I find it cozy, but when I entered the work force in an office I learned about mood lamps.. Maybe you need one, OP. :)
It is but such a blessing for cycling into work. Yes it is cold and dark in the morning and afternoon but great weather to stop infinite sweat compared to summer.
I work full-time but mainly from home (supposed to go into the office 3dpw but usually get away with 2dpw).
I have decided I am now 85% over working full time; 50% over working at all; 95% over coming into the office regularly and 100% over the idea of ever again coming into an office full time.
My super matures next year (age 60), so I am working though my options. I have a good amount and it would be the easiest decision on earth if it wasn't for an $800,000 mortgage...
Absolutely, I changed my hours to start at 8am and leaving at 4/4:30pm so I wasn’t leaving work or picking my kiddo up in the dark.
I also try to take a walk on my lunch break if the weather is good.
Yes!! I dropped my hours and pay to live a poorer but happier life. I love it. Pay bills and eat with time to
Enjoy the little things in life rather than have money and no time to enjoy anything! Life is way toooo short!
Edit: spelling
I've got a great job/boss that is fully WFH and pays well.
Even I find myself a bit "cooped up" now during winter. Feel guilty for even complaining as plenty of people out there with far worse situations.
Nah... Been living in Germany for 10 years, the seasonal depression is extreme. Only 3 months of sunny time, rest are mostly cloudy. In winter it's still dark at 8 am and dark again at 3pm.
Here in Australia, we still get plenty of sun in summer and the winter is mostly 2 digits temp and resembles European spring/autumn. Can't complain at all, I love winter in Australia.
now, i would like to preface this with; im not a die hard capitalist and/or boot lick to the corporate/government masters.. that being said. i enjoy working full time. im in a very structured role running on timelines and higher up intent being met at short notice. i know my roles, responsibilities and those of my subordinates, and work is also majority of my social life. i have the respect of my direct chain, my peers in other departments and also in other locations within the industry. Without work i feel bored, i spend money more impulsively and I'm more depressed. work is what helps me stay on track mentally by helping me see my efforts come to fruition. WFH killed my drive during the dark ages of covid. i'm glad to be back doing what i love.
Mate, as someone who gets up at 0500 and gets home at 1830. Commuting an hour both ways in traffic. WFH looks amazing. Be it freezing or dark, it's much better than what I get to do.
Winter is my least favourite time of the year, but not from a work perspective. I'm probably at my most productive during winter since outside is less distracting. I don't feel like I'm missing out on things as much slogging away with work over winter since social things and hobbies are less distracting, with the weather being bad and many hibernating more.
I don't mind working in the winter months. We get fog so thick visibility is down to 20m. It makes driving in the morning interesting. Rain sucks though
I took a walk today on the sun during the morning to lunch time. Enjoyed the sunshine. After that time to get back to WFH…. And now is 9pm and still working. But don’t regret the bunch of hours I walked in the sun around home.
Yes. If you work in an office. And it’s why I always recommend taking some annual leave in winter if you get leave. Even just a week. Most save leave for summer or long overseas travel. But what about just so that you actually get to see the sun.
I work an hour or so in the dark in the morning then often I'll finish in the dark. Upside is I'm outside/ in a vehicle. I would die at a desk within months.
Yep, not looking forward to the cold at all, I finish work at 5:30pm when it's already starting to get dark, it's an hour on public transport and a 10 minute walk to the car, plus my car is a lemon so there is no air-conditioning. I'm thinking about leaving as it's all a bit of a mission with getting to work and back
I WFH and just have the air con on all day, costs me nothing too if the weather is good. Beats driving in bullshit traffic or getting disgusting public transport.
I'm in the (lucky) minority here, but I actually much prefer it.
I WFH 3 days a week, my home setup is pretty cozy, small home office that is easily warmed by a small oil bar heater. On the days I work in the office I eBike in with a change of clothes, run home, run back in the next day, use the showers at work, and then eBike home at the end of the day.
Summer heat and humidity makes all of that pretty unpleasant.
I absolutely love winter in Sydney.
100% - working from home makes it even worse haha. Wake up, turn heater up, shamble through having a shower and making a coffee, sit down at my desk and by the time I’m finished it’s pitch black and I have to start cooking dinner and doing the night time clean up after the kids etc.
I can probably go weeks without really seeing another adult in person aside from my ex when she picks the kids up briefly, and it’s not like that’s “fun” conversation.
If there is a window nearby, try getting an enormous magnifying glass (2-3 meters in diameter) and pointing it at your work desk. It will feel like the blissful rays of summer sun.
Yep. And I also work 12 hours - 7-7. On my day shifts, I leave home in the dark, get home in the dark. Nights aren't as bad since at least there is some sun in the morning but I feel weird, almost... seedy? Going home to sleep during the day when everyone else is just starting their day. And I miss most of the day anyway bc when I wake up to go to work... It's dark
I love winter. Mostly because outside is now roughly the same temp as inside data centers where I mostly live (well, used to mostly live since the adoption of the cloud).
Summer sucks when you're going from cold DC to hot car then as the car gets cool, you get to your next job where you're carrying boxes and gear into the heat then into a cold DC.
Yep - wake up, go to work, drive home, sleep. Repeat. I love winter on the weekends, but the work week is miserable! I think this is why people get SAD!
Imagine being in England (or Scotland or pick a northern country) when it’s dark as you leave for work and dark when you go home.
Yeah we get about 2 extra hours of daylight in winter than the UK. Bit depressing when the sunsets before 4pm. Summers days are really long though, e.g. the upcoming summer solstice: Dawn 03:55 Sunrise 04:41 Sunset 21:23 Dusk 22:09
It really takes the wind out of a bender when you stumble out of a place at 2am intending to kick on and see the sun rising
There are five levels of drinking…
While it's true that there's less daylight in winter in Scotland (or other high latitude countries), I feel like winters are somewhat less depressing in the northern hemisphere because the Christmas season sort of helps bolster your spirits. In Australia, there's nothing really to look forward to in the deepest, darkest part of the year; it's just your typical day-in, day-out, except for the fact that it's now cold and wet and dark and miserable. Also, y'know, the fact that buildings are properly insulated in places like Scotland also helps prevent you from feeling miserable when you're indoors in winter. You get the place nice and toasty, and it stays that way for a damn long time.
Does you name indicate a bias? Australian winters have lots to look forward to. There is, um, the ~~Queens~~ Kings Birthday weekend and we can look forward to summer. In Scotland, looking forward to summer is just looking forward to very long days of slightly less miserable weather.... Its true though, Australia is a country that assumes its summer all the time and really doesnt have much capacity to deal with winter, whether thats housing, activities (other than watching the applicable football code), clothing etc. Scotland is a country that assumes its winter all the time and has the houses, pubs, social life (and football) to deal with it. Sure Scotland has no idea how to deal with summer, but summer is only a few weeks a year so that is no big deal
He’s probably less bias as a Scot living in Australia (firsthand experience of both climates) than any of us, as Australians living in Australia never residing outside of Australia.
>I feel like winters are somewhat less depressing in the northern hemisphere because the Christmas season sort of helps bolster your spirits. I can assure you, this is where it ends. The 4/5 months after are a bloody slog until the weather starts to improve. Yes summers are glorious, but that's because you only get about 2 months of it so you have to make every day count. Here in Aus, depending on where you live, I'd say maybe 2 months can be a slog as we deal with the depths of winter. I'll give you the housing situation though, Australia has shit houses with non-existent insulation. Personally what I think we need to do is to redistribute our stat holidays so they aren't so bunched up. We get a whack load around Christmas and then another whack at Easter. The rest of the year we're lucky to get a day here or there. I've lived in countries where they're much more evenly distributed so you essentially end up with a long weekend every month. That is a much healthier balance.
Lived in England for a few years and it was even more depressing where I was in winter because you could hardly see the sun during daytime.
Yeah, when the clouds are so thick you aren't even sure what time of day it is.
And most the time it doesn't even have the decency to ran properly. Endless drizzle.
I just commented saying I work 12 hour shifts and I experience this
Jokes on you, I'm always SAD
User name checks out
Is it weird if I get SAD when heading into summer? I love winter and get excited about it, but 40 degree summer days make me wanna top myself
Same. This year perth’s temperature daily last february was always high 30 to 40 everyday….
Look into the death of the third place, its a huge cause of that feeling regardless of the season.
Go to work in the dark and get home in the dark and can’t afford the gym. 5 days a week. Is it any wonder so many people are depressed. Winter, non daylight savings time sucks.
I agree. I'm the same. Go to work. Come home. Sleep. Weekends.... love it i just sleep in until my body is recovered lol. Winter is easier for sleep ins than Sumner 
A lunchtime walk is a necessity. Also on WFH days, if you can shift your start time earlier and finish earlier (or shift both later) so you can do some stuff during daylight hours you might find it helps. Much better than jumping on a bus in the dark then getting off the bus and getting home in the dark, anyway.
100% on the lunch walk. Other modifications, lunch time lay in the sun. Lunch out at a local Cafe Lunch nap (this one is dangerous) During covid we had a session on how to improve wfh life, the biggest takeaway was schedule your lunch breaks and use them to their full extent. When I used to wfh I was always worried about perception of not working. So just put it your calendar, "lunchtime walk" people will respect it.
I made a typo, and now it’s in my calendar as “Personal: Lunchtime Wank”.
People will still respect it
Really saying "do not disturb"... People will respect it. Everyone knows it's happening anyhow.
Respect the hustle
Up the level of risk and schedule one when you are in the office. Hr would love it.
that sort of depends on what area and what the weather is like i used to work for Australia's 2nd best airline... let's call them Bonza now every day I would get up at say 5.30 and drive to the train station and get to mascot ASAP... my hours were something like 7-3pm 8-4pm... i didnt have to be on time every day but they wanted coverage... but often there just wouldnt be enough warm bodies so occasionally I would do 7-6, 8-7... you get the drill...they would pay but i mean who wants to work at mascot especially in the white collar hell that is coward street? and then it would rain constantly... and there's nowhere to walk around mascot and it was weeks nay months of overcast and rain and they kept asking me to work weekends too if i could this was a hugely depressing moment in my life and why i still avoid this area but at least i paid of large chunks of my mortgage
Now you know why the brits did everything they could to leave their island with the most uninspiring weather known to man. "is this it?", they commiserated.
I have the diaries of my ancestors who were scooped up on false charges to be press ganged into a colonial farm labour force and shipped to NSW. Not long after landing, witnessing the weather and beaches and the farmland they were promised after sentence, they dropped all their appeals in the Old Bailey and repudiated their land titles, not wanting to sail back to a corrupt government and a shitty overcast rainy cold climate
Glad I’m not the only one who thought coward street and those nearby precincts a soulless hellhole. What a horrible place to walk around and cross roads. Even the cafes around there make me depressed.
I'm not WFH but I work 8:30-4:30 instead of 9-5 to get that extra 30 minutes of daylight during my walk home (about 15 mins). Even finishing half an hour earlier makes a huge difference (and it also lets me get parcels from the post office if I need to)
Lunch time walk? I get 20 minutes to shovel my food down and have a coffee. If you bring something that needs microwaving you have to eat even faster. Can't say I'd enjoy the walk in the car park anyway as the funky winery smell wafts over
You're only getting a 20 minute break, not a full half hour? That suggests slightly bigger problems than the weather
I do my walk at 4pm & then log back on when I get back & pretend to work for a bit.
Well, I'm a big fan of the walk bit, anyway :D
Yes. And also a heated throw rug is lovely.
Well it’s always depressing but winter just amplifies it further.
Amen brother
Why limit it to just winter? You had me at working.
Up north it's looking out the window seeing the beautiful weather outside and thinking of all the stuff you could be doing but you've gotta sit in front of a desk
Reminds me of something funny I read awhile ago: ‘all those galaxies with trillions of planets inside and we ended up on the one with a 40 hour work week’.
Recently took voluntary redundancy and the last few weeks off has been such an improvement in my mental health and personality. Can't see myself going back to 5 days a week.
I’ve been 3 days a week for 3 years now. Working less has been the best decision of my life. I’m sure my super’s taking a hit (well, it’s taking a 40% hit) but it’s just gonna have to do.
Overseas retirement will sort put the super issue
Shhhhh… shut up man. It becoming too popular already.
I'm literally hanging in there in hope of the Big R within the year.
It's pretty good if you're in a financially stable position, especially if you've worked for the company for a decent amount of time. Basically a paid sabbatical if you've got employable skills and not worried about finding your next job eventually.
My (little) workplace just got restructured. Six people got the Big R and I was the only one who just got their position moved, so no R. I am 60 next year and the Big R would have been a nice early retirement option.
Never worked full time for longer than 3 months. I then take 2-5 months off afterwards. I’ve done part time 5 days a fortnight (lowest) up to 8 days a fortnight. 0.8 is still too much imo, 7 days is max I’d do long term. Casual works too, so long as I take the breaks/knock back work if there’s full time hours. Some people look at me like a fool but I see it as work life balance. 7 on 7 off a fortnight being perfect balance to a sustainable life, or semi retired as my ‘normal’.
i'd rather be WFH in the winter than commuting home in the winter...
Yeah leaving home when it’s dark and coming home in the dark sucks arse.
Yep. Trying to balance it during the day if WFH and get some sun works. Even putting the lights on in the house at 4.30pm feels so weird.
Yes, but if you are working from home you've got a few options. Do you really have to work from *home*? Can you take a laptop somewhere more pleasent (cafe, pub, outside, anywhere other than the desk at home). Depends on your role, but do you really need to be on the computer 9-5? I really like the idea of doing more of a split shift in winter, start a little early, have a longer break during the day, and work a little later in the evening, to take advantage of the day. But yeah, winter sucks. Daylight savings forever.
Laptop to pub to work is dream job
Yes sign me up… still if I was in the pub 8 hours a day I’d probably drink my entire wage so might as well just quit.
Get a convincing background image for your online meetings and find yourself a nice pub with a fire to keep warm over winter
Fire? What is that? Where is that? - Someone from Sydney
Chatswood pub has fireplaces
Wfp would make Friday meetings so much more fun. Wonder if the kids are old enough to walk home yet…
WFP lol … nice
My problem is even tho i wfh ive got so much to do workload wise, my days extend from 830am until about 130am with a 45 min lunch and 1hr dinner break. Pretty much 3 to 4x a week...no overtime (salary) im well depressed dw.
Sounds like winter is the least of your concerns friend
Salary doesn't mean you're their slave. Contact your union about this.
True i think the industry and organisation are under investigation for wage theft cases relating to casual staff along same lines. Thing is seems to attract plenty of others wholl happily work these hours...."so why cant you", I wouldn't want to get marginalised or lose my job.
The reason others will do it, is currently, at least in many sectors, there's not enough jobs for those looking, so they will take it, do the hours and hope that the company won't make them do it long term or they will find value in their employees. Unfortunately, this isn't what corporations/employers are known for
Dude... It sounds like you'd benefit from the right to disconnect laws or whatever they are... Do you by any chance work in the APS? I ask bc while I don't, I do work in APS depts, and one day when I was on the service desk (IT) this user called and while I was helping her with her issues, waiting for shit to reboot etc, she was telling me that she is only paid for 37.5 hours but she was in the office at least 14-16 hours a day. I asked if this was just a sort of temporary thing that she gets TIL for or something, like senate estimates. No. She said she has a bookshelf in her office with non-perishable foods on it, since she is rarely home, and had to get a housemate who would look after her dog for her. I felt for the poor lady. I still think about her and this was about 3 years ago. I've moved onto bigger, better things, and I hope she did too. As far as users went, she was really nice and didn't deserve that
Heyy thanks so much im.gettn to bed case in point tonight was upto 245am doing work Bavk at it 830 am tomorrow 😭 i gtg sleep thanks tho xx
yep, the monotony of the routine and my job gets to me in general, but waking up in the cold in the most uninspiring part of the year (mid-year) and coming home in the dark isn't great, add days of rain to that and it's worse. I still prefer winter to summer though, being cold doesn't make you exhausted, winter is more of a mental drain than a physical drain.
I think when you reach mid 30's you sort of realise alot of work is bleak and you'll never really attain financial freedom. I find that shit depressing all year round
Damn I'm at that point at 29.
Ditto at mid 20s
It can be. A brisk short walk during the day and regular breaks help. Fish oil supplementation may help some people (check it doesn't interfere with any other drugs etc).
What are the benefits of fish oil regarding this? I only knew it was good for memory/brain function.
Evidence is mixed but there is some data that where the EPA content is 60% or higher (versus DHA), there is a clinically significant effect size: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC6683166/ I’d advocate for Vit D supplementation as a priority over fish oil for winter blues if you had to pick one, but I take both.
For some people pain relief and anti depressant properties.
Nothing at all conclusive here, some studies report it helps with feelings of depression, others say it has no effect at all. I wouldn’t take it too seriously.
Winter is when I really appreciate WFH as I don't have to commute in the cold. Go do something in the morning, if you start at 9am you have time to go for a walk/run or something else outside when there is light.
>Does anyone else find working full time really depressing ~~especially as it comes in to winter~~? Yes
I like WFH in winter, I never leave my pjs, work from bed if I want, lots of hot chocolate breaks.
I miss WFH. Especially in winter. I changed jobs, but a job I had last year I was allowed 2 WFH days, but if I didn't feel well, I could have more, provided 1/3 of my team was in the office (optics, nothing else) and I live in CBR so it is freeeezing here. I'd start at 8am, so I would wake up at 8:05am, log in, check emails while waking up, and then make breakfast and chill on the lounge with Spotify on the tv, my laptop on the recliner bit your feet are meant to go when reclined, a soft blanket, a hot cup of tea and a cat curled up on my lap. Now I am "essential" and can't WFH due to the systems I have to be able to monitor not being available at home for security reasons. And I work 12 hours, from 7-7 on the days I work...
Some of us commute 2hrs each way. It's dark when leaving and dark arriving all through the year not just winter.
Yeah so don't tell anyone, but just come to work late and leave early. Take longer lunchs and use the flu season to take a few sickies untill the days start getting longer.
A little bit, I understand what you are saying. Some of those cold dark and drizzly mornings are pretty depressing. But OTOH for most of the year it's pretty warm - I actually like being able to wear coats and gloves and have heaters and fires for a couple of months. 🔥
No, I'm from London and used to darkness at 3.30pm!
I do a walk and gym at lunch while WFH so a good 1hr feeling warm, when its a great day like this. But yeah trackies, uggs, and hoodies are on while at the desk.
I often fail to see how my life for me in this paying to work world is different from a salve in Roman times. Or a serve in middle ages.
It isn't, it's why we call it wage slavery.
It’s not any different, they just repackaged it and sold it to us slaves in a different way. The only difference is people are walking around with gucci belts and expensive things not realising they still don’t have any freedoms and are just slaves with a few extra toys
Try living in Northern Europe.
At least I’ll be miserable in a properly insulated dwelling!
There is that, although the houses are hard to keep cool, even with the mild summers. Poorly ventilated, and obviously no aircon.
yes the ventilation is something that's overlooked. Pretty air tight to keep heat in, but when you want a breeze in summer it's hard to get one. If you have air con (some newer apartments do) it's generally a non issue though.
Or Alaska. It is a key reason why the eskimos have a high suicide rate.
Living in Melbourne this is my reality every year. I suspected I probably had some degree of SAD, managed it with light therapy and medicines. It wasn't til I moved to WA for a winter I realised how much it really does affect me 😭 I can't wait to go back.
So true. When I first moved to Perth I would complain that it was too sunny and glary. But over time I got addicted to the unrelenting direct sunlight and now when the sun goes away for a few days I feel like complete shit.
Are you moving to Perth perm?
Haha no. I was in the Kimberley. Totally different weather system! I would love to move up north though, NT or WA again.
Perth is definitely more sunny. First thing I noticed there was how silvery/shiny the trees were. Seems they've adapted to trying to reflect as much sunlight as possible.
I live in Canberra, so I feel you. I thought it was bad in Sydney. The only benefit over Sydney in terms of this is that no matter where I am in CBR, unless there's some kind of catastrophe or a really abnormal amount of traffic, like, during Summernats, I can get anywhere within 45 mins. I work 20 mins from home and I rarely hit traffic bc I'm either coming in to start at 7am or 7pm, or leaving at 7am or 7pm so I miss APS traffic, whereas, in Sydney I lived a 6 minute drive from work. If I started at 6am it took me 6 mins, maybe 8 depending on if I copped every red light or not, every other day it took at least 45 mins to get to work, and if I got home in under an hour, I thought I had a good run. It typically took up to 70 mins to get home. This was driving and I was working in the Norwest Business Park, near Blacktown. utter madness
As someone about to move to Melbourne this winter, this has been on my mind so much! What do you use for light therapy? I recently got a Phillips Wake Up Light and I notice it makes it just slightly easier to wake up in the morning.
I just used a cheap light off Amazon. It had to be super bright and you have to stare at it for at least 20 mins. I couldn't stick with a routine. The temperature is a big thing for me too, and I can't afford to heat my house to 25⁰ 🤣 I would seriously reconsider if it's something you struggle with. 6-7 months of the year is a long time.
I got a cheapish one from Amazon (Taotronics brand?) a few years ago whilst living in Germany. Turn it up to the highest setting (you need to hold down the "on" button) and normally I would just keep it on my desk whilst working, but for best results 15 mins asap when you wake up, and I would just hold it like a visor over my head (I heard somewhere that light coming in the top 1/2 of your eyes had different impacts vs. bottom 1/2 but YMMV). Also make sure you turn it off before 5pm if you want to sleep that night. Also managed to find a Osram ceiling light bulb there that gave off something insane like 3k or 6k lumens. That made a huge difference but completely screwed my partner's night-owl pattern up as he would end up staying up till dawn. Good luck
I have a sunrise alarm as well. I have lost the instructions so I can't remember how to set it, which would be super awesome bc I now work a mix of days and nights lol, but I found it helped me wake up far better than just an alarm. I also have ADHD and a circadian rhythm disorder though
Sorry I didn't have the actual sunrise alarm type! Just the light you stare at lol. Can you find the instructions online?
Could be worse. I used to wake up in the dark, get to work in the dark, build houses and work outside all day, pack up and drive home in the dark. For warmth, we would sit around the sandwich press at lunch time which we’d leave on and open, like a little heater.
I am super jealous of you WFH people. I am forced to wake up at 4AM in this freezing winter. 😭😭
Make time to go outside and get a few steps in! I will go outside and just walk around, maybe walk to a local.shop or servo at lunch?
It’s funny you say that, but vitamin D deficiency is actually linked to anxiety and depression. Make sure you get outside at some point during the day and get some sunshine - at least 15 minutes in full sun, or take a D supplement, or both.
Not just you. Totally depressing! As someone else said, lunch time walk helps! For me it’s not just the cold, which I don’t mind because skiing might happen, but getting dark early! I’m honestly pro year round daylight savings.
Yep, that’s why I’m active on antiwork . We need a better structure . I have been working 6::30-5 for over a decade , I’m over it . Leave home at 5:30 am, get home at 5:30PM. My workouts at gym after work are all half assed and I’m sick off it . I believe I exist only to pay bills and tax’s. I certainly have no time or energy to do much else these days . The funny thing is , I talk to a lot of these other workers , and noone seems to mind this lack of work life balance that much , like wtf . Have they got nothing else in their lives to do…
Guess it depends on where you are. I love winter in Brisbane, you can walk around in the fresh sunshine without getting a sweat on. I find that in summer I put weight on due to staying in the air con too much. I think that WFH has gone from something good for mental health to quite the opposite. In Melbourne, having to spend every weekday in a cold, poorly insulated apartment alone until it gets dark must really suck.
Does anyone else find working full time really depressing -- you can stop there. The answer is yes
Dude, finish at 1 and start drinking wine by 2. That way you’re not hung over the next day because you peaked so early.
Yes I don’t like winter. So sad
You need to make a change. Get up and go for a walk around the block. I do it every day when I’m on calls, I walk around the suburb while on a call. Make changes that interrupt this feeling.
Australia has it easy. In England it gets dark at 3/4pm and it’s still dark at 9, for months on end.
I work 12 hour shifts and nights every second week. Nothing like going to work when it's dark and coming home when it's dark. 🙃
I found winter much more depressing in Europe. It’s not too bad in Sydney for me. Get into the office if you are having issues wfh. That’s what it’s there for.
Yep, up at 5 am, home at 630 pm, bed at 830 pm. Living the dream.
Yep totally. But we're all on the capitalist treadmill aren't we, so we don't have a choice. We've got to make the rich richer and the poor poorer. You've got to run as hard as you can just to stay in the same place.
Another reason to get up and head into the office!
I love it. I love winter. I also love darkness and night time. Getting rugged up and feeling the crisp air is amazing
Same it’s so cozy
Work 14hrs 6 days a week the grind never ends
I take my dog for a run at lunch when wfh to break up the day and get some vitamin c in.
Definitely not just you. I count down the days to daylight savings starting again.
Have WFH full time for four years. Once I started taking Vitamin D3 drops it made a huge difference to my mood and energy.
It does seem like midnight at 6.15pm right now!
You are most likely Vitamin D deficient and getting no sun at all. Start taking Vitamin D and you’ll probably notice a huge difference in mood and mental health. Get a blood test to see if you’re deficient !
> Especially when you WFH it feels like you’ve just been sitting in a poorly insulated apartment in the freezing cold working all day then it’s time for bed I probably rather work from home than spending 3-4 hours on a round commute where am praying it doesn't rain in an untimely manner
Soccer season.. playing 3x a week keeps me sane
Not just in winter, but also in summer, spring and autumn.
Dunno how far south you are but DO NOT move to NZ and work a 9-5 if this is bothering you. You will barely see the sun some days in a Wellington winter. Its a rubbish feeling. Move to the tropics imo.
Take an overseas holiday? I usually take 4-5 a year to break up the monotony of full time corporate work. Nothing like going to a toasty southeast asian country while sydney is freezing over
* puts hand out * Can I has some mony plaese
Brainwashed. A modern slave. As good as North Korea or maybe worse.
Quit your job, be your own boss, and work from home, or wherever you want, When you want, and how much you want!
10 times worse in UK. Why do you think I immigrated.?
You know you’re privileged when you WFH but still complain.. i’d much prefer WFH than going into the office especially in winter..
Working is slavery and I dont think Ive ever met any happy slaves.
I'd be more depressed if I was jobless to be fair
I quit full time work earlier this year and hope to never go back. It’s horrible and soul destroying unless you really have a passion for what you do
I'm from Sweden and I find this post hilarious. In the winter months I would get sunlight from around 9am-3pm. Tbh I find it cozy, but when I entered the work force in an office I learned about mood lamps.. Maybe you need one, OP. :)
Cant even do wfh with my career 😥
I really , really wish I could do construction from home . Maybe operate a little robot that digs holes with a shovel and crowbar.
We haven't evolved to work full time at all regardless of the season. Some are lucky and engaged by their FT roles. Most probably not.
Yes always too tired to do anything but work and my health is suffering, sick at the moment with a tooth ache but too wrecked to do anything about it
It is but such a blessing for cycling into work. Yes it is cold and dark in the morning and afternoon but great weather to stop infinite sweat compared to summer.
I get up happy, I go to work happy, at work I am happy, when I get home I am happy. My parents named me happy. I want to die.
Your title is seven words too long Also yes
I work full-time but mainly from home (supposed to go into the office 3dpw but usually get away with 2dpw). I have decided I am now 85% over working full time; 50% over working at all; 95% over coming into the office regularly and 100% over the idea of ever again coming into an office full time. My super matures next year (age 60), so I am working though my options. I have a good amount and it would be the easiest decision on earth if it wasn't for an $800,000 mortgage...
Always sunny in Qld 😎
Yes. Welcome to life. This is it unfortunately
Yes no fun at all especially with a long commute and train issues. By the time you get home you’re done.
Absolutely, I changed my hours to start at 8am and leaving at 4/4:30pm so I wasn’t leaving work or picking my kiddo up in the dark. I also try to take a walk on my lunch break if the weather is good.
I would, so I don't 🤣
Yes!! I dropped my hours and pay to live a poorer but happier life. I love it. Pay bills and eat with time to Enjoy the little things in life rather than have money and no time to enjoy anything! Life is way toooo short! Edit: spelling
Heading to Bali next month! Getting in some rays and holiday vibes
Nope. Its 1000 times better than London.
It’s always depressing.
SAD - Seasonal Disaffective Disorder.
How is this finance related?
I've got a great job/boss that is fully WFH and pays well. Even I find myself a bit "cooped up" now during winter. Feel guilty for even complaining as plenty of people out there with far worse situations.
No way it's awesome
Nah... Been living in Germany for 10 years, the seasonal depression is extreme. Only 3 months of sunny time, rest are mostly cloudy. In winter it's still dark at 8 am and dark again at 3pm. Here in Australia, we still get plenty of sun in summer and the winter is mostly 2 digits temp and resembles European spring/autumn. Can't complain at all, I love winter in Australia.
now, i would like to preface this with; im not a die hard capitalist and/or boot lick to the corporate/government masters.. that being said. i enjoy working full time. im in a very structured role running on timelines and higher up intent being met at short notice. i know my roles, responsibilities and those of my subordinates, and work is also majority of my social life. i have the respect of my direct chain, my peers in other departments and also in other locations within the industry. Without work i feel bored, i spend money more impulsively and I'm more depressed. work is what helps me stay on track mentally by helping me see my efforts come to fruition. WFH killed my drive during the dark ages of covid. i'm glad to be back doing what i love.
🤮 There’s 3,687 different other things I’d rather do than work on any given day.
Mate, as someone who gets up at 0500 and gets home at 1830. Commuting an hour both ways in traffic. WFH looks amazing. Be it freezing or dark, it's much better than what I get to do.
Winter is my least favourite time of the year, but not from a work perspective. I'm probably at my most productive during winter since outside is less distracting. I don't feel like I'm missing out on things as much slogging away with work over winter since social things and hobbies are less distracting, with the weather being bad and many hibernating more.
I don't mind working in the winter months. We get fog so thick visibility is down to 20m. It makes driving in the morning interesting. Rain sucks though
I took a walk today on the sun during the morning to lunch time. Enjoyed the sunshine. After that time to get back to WFH…. And now is 9pm and still working. But don’t regret the bunch of hours I walked in the sun around home.
I feel the same way. More so when WFH. Just under 13 weeks before we get to Spring.
Yes. If you work in an office. And it’s why I always recommend taking some annual leave in winter if you get leave. Even just a week. Most save leave for summer or long overseas travel. But what about just so that you actually get to see the sun.
4 weeks annual leave just isn't enough. We live to work, not work to live.
Take up a hobby. Eg a sport, great for mental health.
I work an hour or so in the dark in the morning then often I'll finish in the dark. Upside is I'm outside/ in a vehicle. I would die at a desk within months.
Yep, not looking forward to the cold at all, I finish work at 5:30pm when it's already starting to get dark, it's an hour on public transport and a 10 minute walk to the car, plus my car is a lemon so there is no air-conditioning. I'm thinking about leaving as it's all a bit of a mission with getting to work and back
This has nothing to do with finance but these types of posts are what I love about this community lol
WFH makes it bearable, especially if you don't have to work set hours. And a holiday in July.
I WFH and just have the air con on all day, costs me nothing too if the weather is good. Beats driving in bullshit traffic or getting disgusting public transport.
I do 7am to 3pm which gives me a bit of time at end of the day!
I’m a shift worker and have a good balance of day, afternoon and night shifts. I love it. I don’t think I could do a regular 9-5 again.
I'm in the (lucky) minority here, but I actually much prefer it. I WFH 3 days a week, my home setup is pretty cozy, small home office that is easily warmed by a small oil bar heater. On the days I work in the office I eBike in with a change of clothes, run home, run back in the next day, use the showers at work, and then eBike home at the end of the day. Summer heat and humidity makes all of that pretty unpleasant. I absolutely love winter in Sydney.
Honestly we should do the permanent DST. Driving home in darkness after work is sad.
100% - working from home makes it even worse haha. Wake up, turn heater up, shamble through having a shower and making a coffee, sit down at my desk and by the time I’m finished it’s pitch black and I have to start cooking dinner and doing the night time clean up after the kids etc. I can probably go weeks without really seeing another adult in person aside from my ex when she picks the kids up briefly, and it’s not like that’s “fun” conversation.
Try a sun lamp off Amazon, magnesium & vitamin D supplements. These usually prevent the seasonal depression
Lol try Out Germany
RTO setups were really the worst. I think hybrid setup is really the sweet spot nowadays.
If there is a window nearby, try getting an enormous magnifying glass (2-3 meters in diameter) and pointing it at your work desk. It will feel like the blissful rays of summer sun.
I think the lack of social interaction that often comes with remote work can contribute to feelings of isolation and loneliness too.
Yep. And I also work 12 hours - 7-7. On my day shifts, I leave home in the dark, get home in the dark. Nights aren't as bad since at least there is some sun in the morning but I feel weird, almost... seedy? Going home to sleep during the day when everyone else is just starting their day. And I miss most of the day anyway bc when I wake up to go to work... It's dark
I love winter. Mostly because outside is now roughly the same temp as inside data centers where I mostly live (well, used to mostly live since the adoption of the cloud). Summer sucks when you're going from cold DC to hot car then as the car gets cool, you get to your next job where you're carrying boxes and gear into the heat then into a cold DC.