Do you find it difficult, plodding on through the dark and cold of winter? Your mood plummets, and you struggle to cope with life? You sleep more, you eat more, and you do less, particularly of the things you usually enjoy?

You’re not alone. This is Seasonal Affective Disorder, and it clobbers a lot of us, pretty much from Halloween through until the start of spring.

‘Where’s the joy? Find the glimmers’

Shropshire-based executive coach Sarah Clein posted a list of the ways she copes with her SAD, on LinkedIn a couple of months ago. When we met for a chat in an Oswestry café just before Christmas, we talked through it. So if you struggle at this time of year, take a listen to Sarah explaining how each item on the list helps her, and you might find some of them help you, too.

Some examples:

* fitting work around life, not vice versa

* not saving things just for best

* sometimes ‘done’ is better than ‘perfect’

* the careful consumption of content

‘We don’t have to be consumed by the constant battle for self-improvement’

I really enjoyed listening to Sarah, and was uplifted and excited by so much of what she had to say. This is only the first half of the conversation that we recorded. We went on to talk about:

* who she works with, and how she came to do what she does

* navigating a toxic work environment

* Sarah’s upbringing in an Orthodox Jewish household

* what it means to be a public servant

* neurodivergence, and feelings of separateness

You’ll be able to hear the second part of the interview on Hello You in a couple of weeks’ time. Subscribe to make sure you don’t miss it!

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Take care of yourself

Stay warm, stay wise, stay wonderful.

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