Finding light through the Darker Months
Living with the 'October Slide' and the Seasonal Shift in Health
The October Slide
If you’re chronically ill, disabled, or living with conditions that flare with the seasons, you might already know about the October Slide. It’s a phrase many of us use to describe that shift when summer fades into autumn, when the days shorten and the air turns colder.
For a lot of people, this time of year means a dip in health — more pain, more fatigue, more flares. Baselines drop, spoons vanish quicker, and things that felt doable in July suddenly feel like wading through treacle in October.
I feel it.
Mae feels it.
And I know so many of you reading this probably feel it too.
How It Shows Up for Us 🌙
For me, the October Slide feels like extra weight in my body. Fatigue sinks deeper, pain lasts longer, and the fog rolls in faster. Even small tasks feel like they take twice the energy.
Mae experiences it differently. She loves the sun, the warmth, the feeling of being outside. When the days shrink and she gets up to find there are only a few hours of daylight left, it really affects her. She relies on the sun to keep track of the time, and when the clocks change it throws her into confusion. Add seasonal depression on top of our “regular” mental health issues, and the darker months can be overwhelming for her.
She appreciates the rain and wind, and the cycles of life and death, but her mood is very much tied to the weather. Mae is simply one of those people who is happiest in the sun — so she needs a little extra care, from herself and from me as her wife, to get through the darker times both figuratively and literally.
For me, it’s the opposite. I’m very much a night person. I love the shorter days, the darker nights, the sound of rain tapping against the windows and the way nature seems louder in the autumn. I find comfort in soft lighting, candles, and the gentle hum of cozy evenings. The only thing I can’t stand is the “big light.” Never the big light. I have a whole goblin chest full of candles and tealights, and it’s never enough.
Coping, Gently 🍄
There’s no neat cure for the October Slide, but there are little things that help us cope — practical, comforting, and just plain cozy.
Lowering expectations.
My “to do” list changes with the season. If something takes longer, or doesn’t get done at all, that’s okay.
Rest without guilt.
Naps, early nights, slow mornings — they’re not failures, they’re part of survival.
Meal prep & food.
Hearty, nutritious meals — soups, stews, pies, roasted veg — help me feel grounded and cared for. I like to batch cook so the hard days feel softer. And apparently, my hot chocolate is “famous” in this house — even though it’s literally just milk and chocolate in a pan.
Vitamins & supplements.
In the darker months, we both take extra to make up for the sunlight we miss.
Comforts close by.
Heat packs, endless blankets (our collection keeps growing), tea, and of course cuddles with our animals. They’re as much part of our care toolkit as anything else.
Getting outside.
At least once a week we push ourselves outdoors: pumpkin picking, bonfires with friends, Christmas light drives, or just a car ride with the heated seats on and coffee in hand. Sometimes it’s about wrapping up like an onion in layers and braving it — but i always feel better afterwards, even if i’m more tired.
Chasing light.
Fairy lights, lamps, candles — anything but the big light. Soft glows to make the dark gentle.
Planning joy.
Mae helps herself by planning things to look forward to: movie nights, coffee dates, indoor crafts, pumpkin spice everything. Building in little joys gives her something to hold onto.
Slowing down on purpose.
Taking things at a gentler pace isn’t always bad. Sometimes it makes space to process thoughts and feelings we’d otherwise rush past.
A Reminder 💌
Mae used to hate autumn as a kid — the trees stripped bare, the cold, the sense of things ending. But over time she’s learned that it isn’t death, it’s rest. Sleep. Renewal. And she’s fallen in love with all the fun and spooky things the season brings.
I remind her, and myself, that rest is natural. Even bees stop buzzing sometimes.
The October Slide doesn’t mean we’re weak. It means we’re living in bodies that respond to the seasons, and that takes compassion.
So if you’re feeling it too - you’re not alone
Mae and I are right here with you
Wrapped in blankets, eating stew, lighting candles, holding each other through the dips, and trying our best.
And that is enough.
With a full moon and heart of hope,
