As a clinical psychologist, I’ve worked with many clients who find winter emotionally challenging. The shorter days, colder weather, and slower pace can stir up feelings of low mood, fatigue, and isolation. For some, it’s a subtle shift; for others, it’s a heavy season that seems to stretch endlessly.
And I understand that struggle deeply — not just professionally, but personally. I adore summer. I thrive in warmth, light, and long evenings. For many years, I dreaded the arrival of winter. The cold felt intrusive, the darkness oppressive, and I often found myself counting the days until spring.
But over time, I’ve learned to approach winter differently. Not as something to endure, but as something to engage with. I’ve discovered ways to soften the edges of the season, to find rhythm and meaning in its quietness, and even — dare I say — to embrace it.
This guide is for anyone who finds winter difficult. It’s not about pretending to love the cold or forcing cheerfulness. It’s about coping with compassion, finding what works for you, and gently reshaping your relationship with the darker months.
Is it common to struggle with mood in winter?
I’ve seen how winter can quietly erode emotional wellbeing. Clients often describe feeling sluggish, withdrawn, or inexplicably low — even when life circumstances remain stable. For those who have existing difficulties with mood, these can be more difficult to keep at bay.
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a recognised subtype of depression that occurs seasonally, most often in autumn and winter. According to NHS data and recent UK surveys around 7% of the population have been formally diagnosed. However, the numbers of people reporting non-clinical changes in mood are much higher and affect around a third of adults.
Why Winter Feels Harder
Reduced sunlight
Sunlight plays a crucial role in regulating our mood. It helps the body produce serotonin, a neurotransmitter linked to feelings of wellbeing, and melatonin, which governs sleep. In winter, shorter days and overcast skies mean less exposure to natural light, leading to dips in both serotonin and vitamin D levels. This can result in fatigue, low mood, and disrupted sleep cycles.
Lifestyle Disruptions
Winter also affects our routines. Cold weather and early darkness reduce outdoor activity and exercise — both of which are known to boost mood through dopamine and endorphin release.
Social plans may dwindle or may be disrupted by bad weather. I’m sure many of us will have had the experience of arranging things during the winter months and bad weather getting in the way. You either have to push through the bad weather (not fun) or cancel the plans. These often feel like two very disappointing options, especially if you have put thought and effort into planning.
Financial pressures around the festive season can add stress and isolation. We’re in a cost of living crisis right now. There’s no getting around the fact that going out and doing anything is expensive. In the warmer months there are so many free or inexpensive options involving spending time outside. This is another important factor on top of all of the others.
Tips for coping with winter
Understanding why winter is difficult is the first step. But once we’ve named the challenge, we can begin to respond — not with force or resistance, but with care, creativity, and intention.
Over the years, both in my clinical work and in my personal life, I’ve gathered a set of strategies that help soften the season. These aren’t quick fixes or one-size-fits-all solutions. They’re gentle invitations — ways to shift your mindset, support your wellbeing, and find small moments of warmth and meaning in the darker months.
Some tips are psychological, some are sensory, and some are simply practical. You might find that one resonates more than another — and that’s okay. The goal isn’t to transform winter overnight, but to build a toolkit that helps you meet it with more ease.
1. Embrace the Season
One of the most powerful ways to cope with winter is to shift how we relate to it. Instead of seeing it as something to endure, we can begin to see it as a season of life — one that offers its own rhythms, textures, and opportunities for reflection.
This is a mindset shift. It’s about moving from “Winter is hard to cope with” to “Winter is part of the cycle — and I can choose how I meet it.” Just as we savour the warmth of summer, we can learn to appreciate the quiet gifts of winter. Without the cold, we wouldn’t feel the joy of thaw. Without the darkness, the light wouldn’t feel so precious.
There are lovely things about winter, if we’re willing to notice them. The twinkling lights in early evening. The comfort of open fires and hot drinks. The ritual of wrapping up in cosy scarves and soft layers. The joy of a walk along the canal with a coffee on a cold, crisp winter day.
Personally, one of my favourite ways to embrace the season is by creating autumn and winter playlists. There’s something deeply grounding about listening to seasonal, soulful music as the nights draw in. I’ll often light a candle, make a warm drink, and let the music hold me in that slower, more reflective space.
I’ve also started to decorate my home in small, inexpensive ways — a few pinecones on the windowsill, fairy lights around the mirror, a soft blanket draped over the sofa. These little touches are more than aesthetic; they’re a quiet act of intention. A way of saying: I’m here for this season. I’m choosing to meet it, not fight it.
In therapy, we often talk about reframing — the ability to look at a situation from a different angle and find new meaning in it. Embracing winter is a form of emotional reframing. It doesn’t mean pretending it’s easy. It means choosing to meet it with curiosity, softness, and a willingness to see what it might offer.
2. Commit to an Exercise Schedule
Exercise is one of the most effective tools we have for supporting mood and mental health — especially during the winter months. It boosts serotonin, dopamine, and endorphins, helps regulate sleep, and provides structure and momentum when everything feels slower.
But winter can make movement harder. Cold mornings, dark evenings, and icy pavements can sap motivation, especially for outdoor activities like running. That’s why it’s so important to find something that works for you — and to commit to it with intention.
For me, that’s been hot yoga. I found a studio that not only offers warmth and movement, but also a strong sense of community. In winter, hot yoga feels even more nourishing — the heat, the flow, the quiet focus. And chatting with friends before and after class adds a layer of connection that turns exercise into a source of solace.
You don’t need to love yoga to benefit from this tip. It might be a short online workout, a dance class, a swim, or a gentle stretch routine. The key is consistency. Choose something that feels doable, enjoyable, and emotionally supportive — and make it part of your winter rhythm.
In therapy, we often talk about behavioural activation — the idea that action can precede motivation. You don’t have to feel ready to move. You just have to start. And over time, movement becomes medicine.
3. Have a project or goal to focus on
Winter can feel stagnant — like life is on pause until the light returns. But having a project to focus on can shift that energy. It gives us direction, momentum, and a sense of purpose during a season that often feels slow and inward.
For me, winter is when I turn toward writing and the technical aspects of my blog. It’s a time to reflect, refine, and create. Working on these projects gives me a sense of productivity and emotional grounding, something to return to when the darkness feels consuming.
You don’t need a blog to benefit from this. Your project might be:
- Reading a book each week
- Starting an online course in something you’re curious about
- Exploring a creative hobby like drawing, photography, or crafting
- Organising a space in your home
- Journaling or writing short reflections
- Learning a new skill — from knitting to coding to baking
The key is to choose something that feels meaningful and manageable. It doesn’t have to be ambitious. It just needs to give you a sense of forward motion — a reason to get up, to engage, to create.
In therapy, we often talk about mastery and pleasure — activities that help us feel competent and connected. A winter project can offer both. It becomes a quiet companion through the season, reminding us that growth is still possible, even in the cold.
4. Create your own traditions
Traditions give us something to look forward to — a sense of rhythm, celebration, and emotional anchoring in the darker months. And the beauty is: we get to choose what our traditions are. They don’t have to be grand or conventional. They just need to feel meaningful to you.
For me, one of my favourite winter traditions is attending a Winter Fayre hosted by a local wine shop. It’s become a must on my social calendar — a warm, festive evening that I genuinely look forward to. The Christmas markets in Manchester are another seasonal highlight. I love the lights, the mulled wine, the bustle of people wrapped in scarves and laughter.
But I want to be clear: this isn’t just about Christmas. I enjoy the day, but I wouldn’t call myself a Christmas enthusiast. I love the festivity, but my heart sinks at the commercialisation of what should be a cosy, reflective time. Whether you celebrate Christmas or not, you know best what’s right for you.
Your traditions might be:
- Lighting a candle every evening in December
- Watching a favourite film on the first frosty night
- Baking something seasonal each Sunday
- Starting a small craft or journaling ritual
- Taking a winter walk on the solstice
- Playing a specific playlist to mark the season’s shift
Traditions don’t have to be inherited — they can be created. And in doing so, we reclaim winter as something personal, intentional, and quietly joyful.
5. Stay Connected
Winter has a way of drawing us inward — and while solitude can be nourishing, too much isolation can quietly erode our mood. Staying connected, even in small ways, is one of the most protective things we can do for our mental health during the colder months.
Connection doesn’t have to mean big social events or packed calendars. It can be as simple as a Zoom coffee with a friend, a voice note to someone you miss, or a walk-and-talk with a neighbour. These small moments of contact remind us that we’re not alone — that we’re part of something larger, even when the world feels quiet.
In therapy, we often talk about the importance of social support — not just in crisis, but as a buffer against everyday stress. Winter can amplify feelings of loneliness, especially when routines shift or energy dips. That’s why it’s so important to reach out, even when you don’t feel like it.
You might consider:
- Scheduling a weekly check-in call with a friend or family member
- Starting a “virtual coffee” tradition with someone who lives far away
- Joining a local group — a book club, craft circle, or fitness class
- Sending a message to someone you haven’t spoken to in a while
- Writing a letter or postcard — a slower, more intentional form of connection
Connection doesn’t have to be constant, but it does need to be intentional. Think of it as lighting a little lantern in the dark — for yourself, and for someone else.
6. Coping with disruption
Sometimes winter brings disappointment — plans cancelled due to bad weather, missed moments, or unexpected changes. But from a psychological perspective, it’s better to make plans and risk disappointment than to avoid planning altogether. Why? Because anticipation itself boosts mood, and learning to navigate disappointment builds emotional resilience.
Dealing with disappointment isn’t about pretending it doesn’t hurt. It’s about acknowledging what’s difficult, and then committing to make the best of the situation. Whether that means rescheduling, creating a cosy alternative, or simply letting yourself feel the frustration — it’s all part of meeting winter with grace.
7. To travel or not to travel?
Since this is a travel blog, you might be wondering how we’ve got this far without talking about travel. And yes — having a trip booked during winter can be a helpful coping strategy. But it’s important to say: it’s not essential. The previous tips are the true foundation of winter wellbeing. If travel isn’t accessible right now — please know that you can still cope well with winter.
That said, winter travel can offer a gentle break from the harshness of the season. It’s not the same as travelling in summer — it’s quieter, more reflective, and often more emotionally restorative. Unless you’re heading to another hemisphere, you’ll still experience the darker nights and slower pace. But that’s part of the charm.
Winter breaks invite us to:
- Wander through candlelit cities and historic streets
- Soak in thermal baths or cosy spas
- Enjoy slow dinners, warm drinks, and local traditions
- Travel inward as much as outward — reflecting, resting, and reconnecting
Personally, I’ve found that winter travel isn’t about escape. It’s about softening. About finding beauty in a different landscape, and letting the change of scene gently shift your perspective.
So if a winter trip feels right for you, go for it. But if it doesn’t — know that you’re not missing out. Restoration can happen anywhere, including right at home.
Final Thoughts
Winter asks something different of us. It invites us to slow down, to turn inward, to rest and reflect. And while that invitation can feel uncomfortable — especially if you thrive in light and warmth — it also holds the potential for deep emotional nourishment.
Coping with winter isn’t about pretending it’s easy. It’s about meeting the season with intention. Whether it’s lighting a candle, booking a yoga class, or simply sending a message to a friend, each small act becomes part of your winter rhythm — a way of saying I’m here, and I’m choosing to care for myself.
As someone who once dreaded this time of year, I now see it differently. Not as a season to survive, but as a quieter chapter in the story. One that offers space for creativity, connection, and gentle growth.
So wherever you find yourself this winter, I hope this guide helps you feel a little more grounded, a little more supported, and a little more able to embrace the season on your own terms.
