How to live colourfully at uni when everything is so grey

This time of year: When the clocks have gone back, you wake up to darkness, and deadlines are creeping in, is one of the hardest parts of uni. Seasonal depression is not talked about enough. Being away from home during this time can make things much harder too.

A “survival guide” is necessary, brought to you by a current second-year who went through the seasonal struggle last year, and came out the other side through tips and tricks.

Handling change

The novelty of first year’s chaos has faded: Deadlines hit harder, pressure piles up, and the sky seems to have permanently chosen a shade between grey and even more grey. Seasonal depression hits hard, especially when you’re away from the comfort of your own home (spoiler warning, in the North it rains a lot) 

Sunlight is scarce in York from October until who-knows-when, so take what you can get. The greyness feels overwhelming but there are always solutions to managing it.

Try to walk to and from campus rather than relying on the bus (you’ll feel less guilty this way when you do have moments of laziness later in the semester). The walk from Derwent to the Library is basically a nature trail if you let yourself notice it: Orange leaves, lakes surrounding buildings, and the frequent geese noises to bring you back down to earth.

Self care remedies

Most Read

The Selling Sunset cast members who have actually sold the most and least houses

Exposed: The MAFS UK 2025 cast who already have new partners since the show

‘Gay Bonnie Blue’ drops teaser for extreme 1,000 bottoms stunt, and this guy is first in the queue

If getting outside feels impossible, consider a sunset lamp. Many York students swear by them, including me. They make my room feel cozy and warm even when I know the outside is treacherous and baltic. It’s like a fake sunrise for your desk in your accom or your house in Tang Hall to lift your spirits. Also, vitamin D tablets can be a game changer, ensuring you are getting you much needed vitamins on sun-less days.

Dress Like You’re the Main Character

When everything’s grey, you can bring the colour. Pull out that bright pink jumper (that doesn’t really go with any outfit but you bought for the sole purpose of it being a jumper) and pair it with an equally cosy scarf. Add fairy lights to your uni room until it looks like a Pinterest board. Decorate your walls with photos that romanticise autumn (Gilmore Girls film posters or cute pub nights with the girls).  

Sometimes a bit of brightness in what you wear and surround yourself with can lift your mood more than caffeine, and that’s saying something.

Finding comfort spots: Weekly cafes and solo walks

York has some of the best study spots if you know where to look. Instead of the usual library hustle, or cafes that are full by 11am, try some of these:

Spring Espresso (Fossgate) an underrated location for unbeatable coffee, warm lighting and a bit of peace and quiet. Partisan and Brancusi (Micklegate) Family run coffee and brunch spots that are irresistible and a sweet treat that you can’t resist going to the far side of the city centre for. The Kitchen @ Alcuin for everything you need and still within reach of your next lecture

Make a routine out of it. A weekly cafe study date (solo or with a friend of course) to distract yourself from the wind, rain, misery that you can momentarily ignore. I schedule myself time each week to have a casual wander around town – no designated days, time or location in specific – just some self-care and a clear head space to enjoy the city.

Don’t shut out everything

Seasonal depression is real, and pretending it’s just “Northern weather” doesn’t make it easier. If things feel heavy and miserable, express your feelings. You don’t have to go through the grey alone, metaphorically or literally. 

Talk to your flatmates, your friends, your family, complain to a stranger on the bus, nag to your lecturers. You’re all in the same situation. Chances are, someone else is feeling exactly the same.

Romanticising the season

If you can’t escape the grey, “aestheticise” it. Pretend you’re in a moody coming-of-age film: Rain on the cobblestones of The Shambles, breath clouds in the cold air, hands wrapped around an overpriced hot drink you battled for at the Christmas Markets. Make playlists for foggy walks, start journaling like a main character. Go on cafe crawls trying the latest festive drink with your friends. Sometimes, finding beauty in the melancholy makes winter a little more bearable.

It’ll pass

York’s winters feel endless, but they do end. Going home for the Christmas holidays definitely helped me too, I felt like I was ready and needed the break. Catching up with home friends, being able to hug my family again, having my own bed without someone parading in the kitchen at 2am. 

Then, by the time you’re back, the daffodils will soon be in bloom along University Road, nights get lighter and you won’t have to wear jackets to the club anymore, you feel more productive during the day, and you’ll realise you survived the darkest months.