Embracing Winter- Support Your Mental Health in the Darker Months
Winter is often viewed as something to endure rather than enjoy. Short days, colder weather and lower energy levels can make this time of year feel challenging, both physically and emotionally. Yet winter also offers a powerful opportunity to slow down, rest and reconnect with the self and with nature, thereby helping to support your mental health.
Over recent years, my own relationship with winter has shifted. Instead of pushing through fatigue or wishing the season away, I have been learning to work with winter rather than against it. Two books in particular have shaped this perspective: How to Winter by Dr Kari Leibowitz and Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. Both offer valuable insights into how you can support your mental health, energy and wellbeing during the colder months.
Taking Care of Your Mental Health in Winter
How to Winter: Harnessing Your Mindset to Thrive in Cold, Dark or Difficult Times is written by Dr Kari Leibowitz, a social psychologist who has spent more than a decade researching how mindset influences mood, behaviour and wellbeing.
One of the most interesting aspects of her research comes from her time in Tromsø, northern Norway, where winter brings weeks of darkness. Rather than finding widespread low mood or high rates of Seasonal Affective Disorder, Leibowitz observed that many people living there cope remarkably well with long, dark winters. Her research suggests that mindset and cultural attitudes towards winter play a significant role in supporting mental health.
Instead of viewing winter as gloomy, limiting or depressing, many communities actively reframe it as a time for rest, cosiness, creativity and connection. This shift in perspective can have a meaningful impact on how we feel during the winter months.
You can read an excellent interview with Dr Kari Leibowitz in The Guardian here:
https://www.theguardian.com/science/2024/oct/19/psychologist-kari-leibowitz-how-to-winter
Key ideas from How to Winter
Appreciate winter for what it is
Rather than wishing for spring, winter invites us to notice what this season offers. Slower mornings, quieter evenings, warm food and candlelight can all support a gentler pace of life.
Make the darkness an asset
Dark evenings can be transformed into something nourishing by creating simple rituals such as candlelit meals, cosy reading time or creative indoor hobbies. How we interpret darkness has a powerful effect on how we experience it.
Spend time outdoors
Even in cold weather, time outside supports mental health. Fresh air, natural light and gentle movement are well known to boost mood and help counter the winter blues.
Allow yourself to rest
Lower energy levels are common in winter. Giving ourselves permission to rest more is not a weakness but a natural response to the season. Personally, I notice I feel much more tired at this time of year, and embracing rest, including naps when needed, has been surprisingly liberating.
If you would like to explore the book further, you can find it here:
https://www.penguin.co.uk/books/448711/how-to-winter-by-kari-leibowitz/9780241621385
Wintering by Katherine May
Another book I return to every year is Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May. This book looks at winter not only as a season but as a metaphor for difficult or quieter periods in life.
Katherine May writes beautifully about times when life forces us to slow down, whether through illness, loss, burnout or major change. Rather than resisting these periods, she invites us to see them as essential phases of rest, recovery and transformation.
Re-reading Wintering each year reminds me that slowing down is not something to fix or overcome. Rest is part of the natural rhythm of life, just as winter is part of the natural cycle of the year.
This book was first recommended to me by one of my teachers, Cyndi Lee, whose work integrates mindfulness, yoga and compassionate self-care. You can learn more about Cyndi Lee and her work here:
https://www.cyndilee.com/about
You can find Wintering by Katherine May here:
https://www.waterstones.com/book/wintering/katherine-may/9781846046901
Winter, wellbeing and time in nature
One theme that runs through both books is the importance of working with nature rather than fighting against it. Winter naturally calls for more rest, reflection and inward focus. Supporting our nervous system during this season can help stabilise mood, reduce stress and improve overall wellbeing.
Spending time outdoors, even briefly, remains one of the most effective ways to support mental health during winter. Walking in nature, noticing seasonal changes and getting daylight exposure all play an important role in supporting circadian rhythms and energy levels.
As a nutritional therapist and yoga teacher, I also see how winter can be a valuable time to focus on nourishing food, gentle movement, digestion and sleep. These foundations become even more important when the body is under additional seasonal stress.
An invitation to embrace winter
As winter continues, you might like to gently explore the following:
- Create small daily rituals that help you feel warm and settled, such as lighting a candle or having a warm drink in the evening.
- Eat seasonal, warming foods such as soups, stews and slow-cooked meals. See my autumn blog which includes an easy recipe for butternut squash soup
- Spend time outside each day, even if only for a short walk.
- Listen to your body and allow more rest where possible.
Winter does not need to be something to simply get through. With the right mindset and support, it can become a season of restoration, clarity and quiet strength.
If you would like support with nutrition, lifestyle or wellbeing during the winter months, you are very welcome to get in touch through my website.
