This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Leeds chapter.

The evenings are getting darker, it’s suddenly got a lot colder and we’re experiencing that particularly unpleasant winter drizzle that England has become famous for. Just a few weeks ago it was shorts and sunnies season but now we’re at the miserable post summer (despite what some shops seem to think), but definitely not quite Christmas, gloomy stage of the year. We need to accept that summer BBQs, lazy beach days and lovely long evenings are painfully far away now. The time has come to settle into winter.

We spend all year looking forward to summer, so it can feel depressing for another to have somehow slipped away. This is not the time to be miserable though, this is the time to start enjoying all the indulgences that come with a frostier England despite not yet feeling that festive fun is quite acceptable. Here are a few ways of turning the tediously damp and murky days into cosy English pleasures.

Hot Chocolate

A must. Instead of missing the summer, celebrate the end of bikini season! With no need to even think about having to bare skin in the months to come. It’s only going to get colder and students can’t afford heating, so you may as well opt for delicious cost effective insulation. Treat yourself to an incredibly large, whipped cream, marshmallow and grated chocolate topped hot chocolate. And whilst you’re at it, you may as well have a large bar of chocolate too!

Cosy your Room

Daylight is slinking away and soon we’ll have to switch lights on at disgusting-o’clock in the afternoon. Turn your bedroom into a cosy, softly lit den with a few fairy lights and candles. See if there are any cushions or a throw lurking at home that you can steal to turn your bedroom into the ultimate den to hibernate in through the chilly winter nights.

Write a Letter

We spend an average of 6 hours and 51 minutes of our day looking at screens (according to figures from a recent study). Whether we’re messaging, watching Iplayer or procrastinating it can be a bit relentless. Communication nowadays is so instant and effortless that the delights of letters have been lost. For most of us, post tends to be junk mail and bills but I’m lucky enough to have a Dad who writes to me weekly, making a lovely little anomaly in the pile of irritants. It’s such a delight to receive a hand written letter with my name on it and it’s a treat to sit down with a cup of coffee and read the gossip and goings on at home. As the weather’s getting ever more dull why not take the time to write to the people you love, even if they live just minutes away! You don’t need to write anything hugely noteworthy or important, just a page or two of chatter will make a wonderful addition to their equally wintery day.

Lazy Lie Ins

Snooooooze button… need I say more.

Hot Baths

You’ve just got in from a blustery walk home from Uni to be met by a chilly house and it feels like you’ll never be warm again. Cue the tap turn! Run a deep hot bath and immerse yourself for a long time, allowing your mind to wander and indulge in being warm again.

Get Baking

Just completed an assignment? Met a deadline that you set yourself? Or just in need of a bit of time off? Set aside an entire afternoon and dedicate it to Mary Berry style baking! Winter is the time to enjoy a few extra calories with friends so get them round for a cup of tea and a piece of cake. Your house will smell delightful and you’ll have some very happy friends!

Take a Walk

If its one of those incredibly cold yet stunningly blue sky days, and you and a couple of friends have a little bit of time to spare, take a trip up to Ilkley. If someone has a car it’s not far at all, but alternatively you can also get a bus or a train into the gorgeous countryside of the Yorkshire Dales. Wrap up warm and go for a good old gander in the fresh air, preferably ending up at a pub! (The Cow and Calf in Ilkley is fabulous at this time of year).

With these in mind, I wish you a very Happy Winter! Keep Warm!

Image Sources

Simple Pleasures To Keep You Smiley Despite Wintery Weather

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