With the clocks going back on October 29, longer, darker nights are imminent – and many of us may be nervous about how this could impact our wellbeing. But, there are some little acts of self-care that could help. Here’s how to switch up your self-care routine as the clocks change… 1. Spend more time outdoorsIt may be getting colder, but time outside could be the best thing for you to protect your emotional welfare as the shorter days draw in. “When the clocks change, the internal body clock, our circadian rhythm, has to reset and it can become out of sync with our standard night-and-day cycle. It can take a few days for our body to adjust to the new sleep pattern, which can affect our hormones and temperature,” explains Dr Harriet Leyland, clinical advisor at myGP. To mitigate this, “spend more time outdoors”, she suggests. “Sunlight can alleviate drowsiness as it limits the release of melatonin, a hormone that induces tiredness and gets you ready for bed.” Jodie Relf, a Pilates instructor and registered dietitian from myOva, suggests making this part of your daytime routine. “[Getting outside] can be more challenging once the clocks have changed, it’s often dark for many of us both going to and returning from work. Therefore trying to get outside during the day, at lunchtime, perhaps, can be beneficial in the winter months,” says Relf. 2. Think about your body temperatureYou may be feeling the cold outside, but we don’t want to overheat indoors – especially at bedtime. “We sleep better in a cooler environment, with the ideal bedroom temperature reported to be a cool 16-17C,” says Dr Guy Meadows, co-founder and clinical lead at Sleep School. “For best sleep, switch off the central heating and swap your lightweight summer duvet for a higher tog winter one. Alternatively, use a combination of sheets, quilts and blankets, as this allows you to more easily regulate your temperature at night for better sleep.” 3. Prepare for good sleepIf you always struggle with sleep when the clocks change, give yourself a helping hand by being prepared. “Gradually adjust your bedtime in the few days leading up to the clocks changing – go to bed 15-30 minutes earlier each night for a few nights in the lead-up,” suggests Meadows, explaining this will help with the body-clock switch. 4. Eat a colourful plate While you may just want stodgy comfort food to warm the chillier evenings, eating well is one of the best ways to support your overall wellbeing – aiding energy, immunity, mood and sleep. “Eat a balanced diet with a colourful variety of plant foods including fruits, vegetables and whole grains, as well as lean protein,” explains Dana Moinian, a psychotherapist at The Soke. “Avoid heavy or high-sugar meals close to bedtime.” 5. See friends While social plans may have wound down compared with summer, hibernating and distancing yourself too much could be damaging to your wellbeing. “Spend time with friends and loved ones,” says Moinian. “Socialising naturally boosts your mood and reduces stress levels.” So get the diary out and plan in some fun outings and get-togethers! Read More 13 possible cancer symptoms you should get checked out Neglecting women’s health at work could cost UK economy £20.2bn a year – analysis Nearly three-quarters of mothers feel invisible, study suggests The best ways to work-out in 22 minutes – as study finds this is magic number for offsetting ‘negative impact of sitting’ What crops will we be growing in the future, as climate change alters the landscape? As Rebecca Adlington shares heart-breaking miscarriage news: How to support others experiencing baby loss

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Steve Clarke savoured the chance to celebrate Scotland’s Euro 2024 qualification with the Hampden crowd after his side rounded off their campaign with a “strange” 3-3 draw against Norway. Scotland had qualified with two games to spare and finished second behind Spain in Group A after a second consecutive draw ensured they have only lost once in the section. The players, including injured captain Andy Robertson, did a lap of honour afterwards to mark their achievement. Clarke said: “It was nice – and nice for the supporters – to say thank you to the team, a nice night for the team and staff to thank the supporters. “It’s always nice to qualify for a major tournament. Obviously the last one was Covid-restricted so we missed that connection and that feel with the fans. “It’s great for everyone in the country that we have something to look forward to next summer.” Clarke’s side twice came from behind in the first half through John McGinn’s penalty and an own goal before Stuart Armstrong netted a well-worked goal to out them in front just before the hour mark. However, former Celtic winger Mohamed Elyounoussi came off the bench to head home in the 86th minute as Norway scored their third goal from a cross originating from right-back Julian Ryerson. “It was a strange game,” Clarke said. “I need to go away and analyse it. “What we have worked really hard at is being competitive, being a competitive team every time we go on to the pitch. “That’s why I was a little bit disappointed with the first half, I didn’t think we were competitive enough. Much more competitive second half. “We are Scotland, we have a certain way of playing, we like to play on the front foot.” A two-goal win would have put Scotland in pot two for the December 2 draw, although they are arguably better off in pot three given they will now avoid the likes of the Netherlands, Italy and Croatia. “I’m not bothered,” Clarke said. “I don’t know even know who else is in pot three and pot two. I’m sure I will find out when I get to Hamburg.” Norway head coach Stale Solbakken felt his side should have been ahead at half-time but feels Scotland will pose problems in Germany. “Overall we were the better team and should have won but it’s not easy, Scotland are always very well organised,” he added. “They have a great coach and have very disciplined players who know their strengths and limitations. That’s very important – they play to their strengths and don’t pretend to be something else. “They also have tournament experience so I think they can be a handful for everyone next summer. They also play two systems which is valuable. “There will be no easy games for those teams who meet Scotland.” Read More Gareth Southgate targeting top of the world as England drive for Euros glory Rico Lewis hopes his versatility helps him make late push for Euro 2024 squad Declan Rice putting pressure of price tag behind him to pursue biggest prizes Trevor Lawrence leads Jacksonville Jaguars to victory against Tennessee Titans Scotland sign off on successful Euro 2024 qualifying campaign with six-goal thriller Ludvig Aberg keen to ‘love golf for long time’ after clinching RSM Classic title

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Two women were left fearful for their lives thanks to the “quirks and charms” of their Airbnb. The pair, named Tierra Burris and Scarlet Wolf, booked a two-week stay at a house in Portland, Oregon, which initially seemed “gorgeous”, with its hardwood floors and airconditioning in every room. However, they soon noticed that it had some far less desirable features, and some that were downright alarming. The friends gave TikTok users a whistlestop tour of the unusual old property, explaining that alarm bells first rang when they found a secret key. Sign up for our free Indy100 weekly newsletter Tierra explained that they’d been told they couldn’t use the front door to access the home and, instead, needed to use a back door that led into a bedroom. This seemed a little odd but fine to them – until they discovered “a tiny little hole” which contained another key to their door. Who it was for, they didn’t know. She then told viewers that they’d discovered a number of “strange tunnels [...] and ways through this home,” as well as an apparent “peephole”. “This one specifically has a big open space large enough for a human,” she explained. “Besides the cabinet that goes into the bedroom, wherein [...] there’s a peephole.” After noting that several doors upstairs “don’t properly close”, while some of the bedroom doors clearly “used [to have| locks”, but only on the outside, she showed that there were numerous other “warm dark holes that lead to other rooms”. They then went down to the basement which, strangely, only had two working lights. “This door leads to God knows where,” Tierra said before pointing out a “man-sized tunnel.” “Mind you, we are in Portland, Oregon right now where there's an active serial killer on the loose,” she then laughed. "Wow, isn't that crazy?” The TikToker then explained that she and Scarlet had confronted the landlady about the “sus” features, and she had told them: “It’s a recently renovated old Portland home – we wanted to keep its charm and quirks.” Tierra ended the video by stressing that they had paid $3,500 (around £2,750) for their stay. Addressing Airbnb she pleaded: “Give us our money back please.” @tierrasaurusrex Quirks and Charm @C @airbnb #scaryairbnb The video racked up more than 4.8 million views and 700,000 likes in just over a month, as viewers shared their horror at the situation and requested updates. Tierra duly obliged, and in the first follow-up she confirmed that they were still in the property but were now armed with knives as a “safety measure”. She then confirmed that she’d been “talking with Airbnb” who had “asked for evidence of everything”. Tierra said she’d told a rep for the homestay company “in the nicest way possible” that she wanted to leave and wanted a refund. “We feel very unsafe, especially with the key,” she explained. “We don't know who has access to this house, and we don't know anything about the rooms that we're not going to go into for our safety. “We're simply just two women travelling alone and we want to feel safe.” @tierrasaurusrex Replying to @Scarlet Wolf #greenscreen In a second follow-up, she addressed users’ suggestions that the “crawl spaces in the walls” of the house were a normal feature of old homes. “I've gotten a lot of comments[...] about storage spaces and old homes, and I really appreciate it. Honestly, that's really reassuring to hear,” she said. However, she added: “I just personally would feel a little more comfortable in a home without little tunnels and spaces that led everywhere in a home that I don't own or know about.” She continued: “On top of that, there's just a few too many things that seem a little off. And I guess you could try to explain all of them away in one way or another, but there are quite a few things that are wrong. “At the same time, I'm getting a little red flag in my head that might be called anxiety, maybe, but at the same time, I don't own this home, I don't know this home, I don't know the people who own this home, I don't know who could have had access to that key. “I'm not going to check what's in those little tunnels and I'd rather not know, and honestly, we're not going to be staying here another night.” @tierrasaurusrex Replying to @Erin? we slept with knives Fellow TikTokers were quick to defend Tierra over her response, with one writing: “Validate women when we say we are uncomfortable!” Fortunately, the story doesn’t have a horror movie ending. Instead, Tierra and Scarlet made it out of the house alive and with a full refund. Have your say in our news democracy. Click the upvote icon at the top of the page to help raise this article through the indy100 rankings.

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Sen Rick Scott of Florida announced on Tuesday that he was issuing a “formal travel advisory” for “socialists” visiting the state of Florida. Mr Scott’s so-called travel advisory comes after the NAACP issued its own travel advisory warning Black people about the perils of visiting a state that has become a bastion of far right policy in the last several years under the leadership of Governor Ron DeSantis. “Florida is openly hostile toward African Americans, people of color and LGBTQ+ individuals,” the NAACP advisory read. “Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by African Americans and other communities of color.” The NAACP warning comes just more than a month after Equality Florida, one of the state’s leading LGBTQ+ organisations, issued a travel advisory for LGBTQ+ visitors. Mr Scott, a former governor of Florida whose personal worth is well over $200m, mocked the language used by the NAACP in his press release. “Florida is openly hostile toward Socialists, Communists, and those that enable them,” Mr Scott said. “Before traveling to Florida, please understand that the state of Florida devalues and marginalizes the contributions of, and the challenges faced by Socialists and others who work in the Biden Administration. Mr Scott also claimed that he was issuing the press release in response to “Biden Administration attempts to erase capitalism,” though he offered no evidence to substantiate his claim. Mr Scott has long been considered one of the most ambitious members of the Republican Senate caucus. Last year, he led the National Republican Senatorial Committee (NSRC) as the Republicans failed to retake the chamber, then challenged Sen Mitch McConnell of Kentucky for the position of minority leader. He was soundly defeated. The travel advisories issued by the NAACP, Equality Florida, and the Florida Immigrant Coalition highlight the extent to which those and other civil rights groups are alarmed by Florida’s political trajectory. In the last year-plus, the state has banned gender affirming care for minors, limited or banned discussions of race, gender, and sexuality in public schools, banned abortion after six weeks, and more. Mr DeSantis, the governor driving much of that legislation, is expected to announce that he’s running for president on Wednesday in a conversation with Twitter’s Elon Musk. Mr Scott, who at one point was considering a presidential campaign of his own, will instead run for re-election to the Senate. Read More DeSantis’s wife launches his presidential campaign with first 2024 video Montana first to ban people dressed in drag from reading to children in schools, libraries Florida school bans poem recited by Amanda Gorman at Biden inauguration NAACP advises against traveling to Florida: ‘Openly hostile toward African Americans’

The parents of three transgender children in Florida are trying to get a federal judge to block a new law that bans gender-affirming care for minors, a signature policy of Republican Gov. Ron DeSantis as he nears his presidential campaign

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