Every year, as November fades into December, many of us notice the shift. The mornings feel heavier, the afternoons shorter, and the long dark evenings stretch out softly like a blanket. For some, winter brings excitement — crisp walks, cosy evenings, festive lights — but for many others, it can feel like wading through treacle, as the first hints of the winter blues naturally appear with the darker days.
If you’re someone who struggles with low mood or motivation at this time of year, you’re far from alone. Many people experience what we often call the winter blues, and if you live with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) the darker months can feel especially challenging. I’ve written about coping with SAD before (you can read those earlier posts here and here), and they’re full of practical ideas if you need something hands-on right now.
But this year, I want to take a slightly different look at winter — not just how to manage it, but how to understand it, even possibly befriend it. Because embracing winter isn’t simply about getting through the season. It’s about recognising its deep wisdom around rest and renewal, and allowing ourselves to move with it rather than against it.
Whether you experience mild winter blues or simply feel your mood dip a little at this time of year, it’s worth remembering that nature shifts its rhythm too.
What nature teaches us about winter
If you step outside on a frosty morning, everything can appear still, even lifeless — bare branches, silent fields, beds of frozen soil. But anyone who gardens knows the truth: winter is a season of immense underground activity and a powerful reminder of the deep relationship between nature and mental health.
Rumi captured this so beautifully:
“And don’t think the garden loses its ecstasy in winter.
It’s quiet, but the roots are down there riotous.”
While the surface sleeps, the roots are busy strengthening, storing nutrients, and preparing for the great surge of spring. Trees pull their energy downwards to conserve and protect themselves. Animals shift into slower rhythms, conserving strength. Bulbs lie waiting in the soil, quietly organising themselves for their first leap of green in a few months’ time.
Nothing is wasted. Nothing is dormant for no reason. Nature is “wintering” — purposefully, intelligently, instinctively.
And whether we realise it or not, we are part of nature too.
The emotional rhythm of winter
Humans weren’t designed to power through every season at the same pace. Our modern lives ask for constant productivity, constant energy, constant brightness — even when our bodies and minds are gently whispering:
Slow down.
Soften.
Sink into yourself a little.
Shorter daylight affects our internal clock, our energy levels, and our emotional landscape. That’s biology, not failure. And instead of fighting the season, there can be real comfort — even healing — in aligning ourselves with it. Many people find that this mindset shift directly supports better emotional wellbeing in winter.
Winter can be a time to allow a different kind of pace. Not stagnation, but a shift from output to inner settling — a kind of slow living winter that respects our natural rhythms.
This winter, try thinking in invitations, not instructions
Rather than more “tips” (I’ve shared plenty of those in previous posts!), here are some gentle seasonal invitations to help you create a kinder rhythm through the colder months and cultivate your own version of winter self-care. These gentle invitations can help soften the winter blues and support your emotional wellbeing in winter:
1. Create moments of light
Not all light needs to come from the sun. Candlelight, warm lamps, twinkly fairy lights or simply sitting near a bright window can lift the spirits. Light affects us emotionally in ways we often underestimate.
2. Build a winter rhythm
Think of small rituals that make the season feel comforting: a warm drink at the same time each day, lighting a candle before bed, reading one chapter of a book after dinner, a short walk after lunch. Predictability can be soothing for the nervous system.
3. Plan, don’t push
Winter isn’t the time for big resolutions. It is a wonderful season for reflection, intention-setting and quiet planning. Just like nature, you can organise your “roots” now so you’re ready for new growth in spring.
Try journalling prompts like:
• What needs rest in me right now?
• What am I preparing for, even if I can’t see it yet?
• What would “gentle growth” look like this winter?
4. Let nature co-regulate you
Even a few minutes outside can calm the nervous system. Notice the outlines of bare trees, the sound of winter birds, the colours of the sky at 4pm. This “soft fascination” helps the mind reset.
5. Explore ‘slow creativity’
Winter is the perfect season for calming, absorbing activities — not for productivity, but for pleasure. Think knitting, drawing, baking, mending, writing, making candles or cards… It’s not about the end result, but the soothing rhythm of doing.
6. Move according to mood, not targets
Not every winter walk needs to be brisk. Sometimes a gentle amble, or some stretching, or a few minutes of mindful movement indoors is enough. Think movement as nourishment, not discipline.
When Winter Blues feel overwhelming
Sometimes, even with the gentlest approach, winter can still feel difficult. If your low mood feels heavy, persistent or starts to affect your daily life, you may be experiencing SAD — and there is support available, including winter depression support from your GP or a therapist like myself.
You can revisit my previous posts for practical strategies, or speak to a professional if you think you might be struggling.
And if coping with winter is also coinciding with a period of stress, loss or transition, it can be an extra stressful time. Therapy can be a supportive space to help you navigate the darker months with steadiness and self-compassion, and you can click the link below the post if you would like to have a chat with me about this.
A final thought as we settle into winter
Winter isn’t a failure of energy — it’s a necessary season in the cycle of growth.
Nature doesn’t bloom all year round, and neither do we. Some seasons are for blossoming. Some are for strengthening our roots.
So if the winter blues feel heavier this year and you find you slowing down, resting more, or needing gentler days, remember: quiet doesn’t mean nothing is happening. Be gentle with yourself. Often, it’s the season where the most important work is taking place — deep inside, quietly preparing you for what comes next.
Warmest wishes,