With the arrival of shorter and darker days, if you’re like me, getting up in the morning and starting the day right can be very difficult. Don’t get me wrong, there’s nothing better than staying in bed when it’s cold and pitch black outside but, as someone who is generally a morning person, I also find myself getting frustrated when I look at the clock and discover that most of the morning has slipped away.
Well, what if I told you that showering in the dark can help beat those winter blues?
I usually set my alarm earlier once the dark mornings have begun, aiming to wake up at around 6AM. The sun hasn’t started to rise yet but the birds are already singing and chirping away. My cat has come inside after a night of chasing mice and prowling his territory. I forget how much I love this time of day; sipping my coffee while everything is still and peaceful.
Once I’m up, my cat fed and off to bed for the day, I grab my dressing gown and stumble to the bathroom. I hesitate to turn on the bathroom lights as the intense glare is always a shock to the system. Today, I decide not to turn them on.
You’re probably wondering how I manage to turn on the shower and find my products in the dark? Well, there’s no straight answer. My subconscious knows where everything is. If you can go to the toilet in the darkness of night when you’re practically a zombie, you can get in the shower in the darkness of morning when you’re waking up… The shampoo, conditioner bottles and soap are different shapes and are always on the shelf next to the bathtub so I can easily grab them and place them within reaching distance. The switching mechanism to the shower isn’t complicated, just a switch to shower mode and the turn of the knobs to adjust the temperature. Left hot, right cold. Hey presto, shower’s on and it’s time to get undressed!
‘And how do you shave?’ I hear you ask. Well, I only shower in the dark a few times a week and don’t usually shave when I do this – it’s not a risk I’m willing to take.
Dressing gown and pyjamas off, I get in the shower and take a deep breath in and out… this feeling is immersive, womb-like. With the bathroom window open, you feel one with nature – the birdsong outside, water pouring above you like rain and the world slowly waking up outside; it’s like being in your very own spa. It’s a struggle to get out of the shower, not because it’s cold but because I don’t want it to be over. Until next time anyway.
Doing this a few times a week has not only improved my body clock but my mental health as well. It’s like listening to rain sounds whilst falling asleep – it’s incredibly relaxing. With the clocks going back on the 27th October this year, it’s my perfect reset.
I randomly decided to try this a few years ago, not knowing the effects it would have or how it would make me feel. The routine has stuck with me ever since and every time the winter season begins, I make sure I shower in the dark a few times a week. It helps to balance out my body clock and I feel calmer and much more grounded.
If you struggle with the winter blues and are willing to try something new to wake yourself up in the morning, this will make you feel incredibly relaxed, calm and collected. Keep that bathroom light off tomorrow morning and you might just get hooked like I have!
