How to survive and enjoy winter months

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When Summer Holidays Are Over

When summer fades and the word September starts showing up, a lot of us feel that quiet dread…

My best friend and I laugh about it every year, we both know what’s coming. The slow slide from sunsets at 9 p.m. to darkness before dinner.

Summer has that wild energy: warm nights, salt in the air, parties, lazy mornings, flirting, the luxury of not checking the weather before leaving the house. It’s light and life feels easy.

We live in a culture that worships brightness- being busy, being seen, being on.

That’s why winter hits so hard. We spend all winter chasing “summer bodies” and sunny plans, and then suddenly… it’s gone. The sky turns gray, the days shrink, the world goes quiet.

You look outside and it’s just a stray dog trotting through puddles, a few old folks walking circles to keep from feeling trapped indoors, maybe the sound of an ambulance in the distance.

Yeah, it can feel bleak.

Why Most People Dread the Winter Season

When August slips away, a strange kind of silence settles in.

Not the peaceful kind, the existential kind. The one we don’t like to sit with.

Winter strips away distractions. No crowds, no buzz, no endless to-do list of barbecues and beach days. Just you and whatever’s been waiting in the quiet. For some people, that feels like loss. For others, it’s plain uncomfortable.

And there’s science behind it. Less sunlight means less serotonin and melatonin balance, which messes with your mood and sleep. When you add the pressure to stay upbeat and productive no matter the season, and suddenly winter starts feeling like a personal failure.

It can feel even worse if you live alone.

The days shrink, energy dips, and motivation is nonexistent.

Dating’s harder too. There are fewer events, fewer reasons to go out, and people just want to stay in. And if you’re still nursing a breakup, those long nights can stretch forever.

Winter can feel like an absence of life. February, statistically, is the most depressing month of the year.

But winter doesn’t have to suck. What if you learned to enjoy it and even use it at your advantage?

Everything in Nature Has a Rhythm

Let’s be real for a moment – life doesn’t stop in winter.

Those darker months aren’t empty, they’re just different. Everything in nature moves in opposites: yes and no, yin and yang, fast and slow. Think of the tides, the moon, the seasons. One feeds the other.

You need those cycles, too.

Instead of mourning your missing energy, what if you used this stretch, from late October to early March, to recharge on purpose?

The trees aren’t dead; they’re storing up life. The same thing’s happening in you, beneath the surface.

Whether your year’s been full of wins or left you worn out, winter brings two major opportunities:

  1. To celebrate what you’ve already built
  2. A time to rest and reset.

Maybe this winter, you build yourself a little cocoon for growing in peace.

I want you to imagine – six months of grounded living: slow movement, close people, warmth.

That’s the kind of season that changes everything later.

Why Some People Feel Down in Winter (When They Don’t Have To)

Everything in nature moves in cycles.

Your body does too. Its circadian rhythm – the rise and fall of your energy through light and dark, basically mirrors the planet’s own rhythm.

Sun comes up, you wake. Darkness falls, you slow.

By the same logic, as the Earth tilts and daylight fades, your biology shifts with it. Winter brings shorter days, less blue light in your eyes, lower serotonin and dopamine, more melatonin. Your system craves to rest, and slow down.

Nature gets it. That’s why trees pull sap inward, animals hibernate, soil goes still so it can renew. But modern life doesn’t care much for that logic. We push through December like it’s July, then wonder why we feel flat or foggy.

That tension between what your body needs and what the world expects is often what people call “winter blues.”

But it doesn’t have to pull you under.

When you sync with the season instead of fighting it- sleep a bit longer, eat grounding food, keep your evenings calm, say no more often, you start to feel at sync.

Winter isn’t punishment.

It’s a time for reflection, gratitude, and quiet healing, the slow work that makes spring possible.

Stillness isn’t emptiness. It’s renewal in disguise.

How to Get the Most Out of Fall and Winter—and Actually Enjoy Them

Eat to Nourish, Not Just Fill

Whenever we talk about motivation, goal-setting, or chasing dreams, it always comes back to the same foundation: energy. Without feeling physically healthy and energized, it’s almost impossible to stay focused, creative, or even enjoy life.

Fall and winter are the seasons when nutrition matters most. The cold months shift your body’s needs. Less sunlight, more time indoors, heavier meals – it all affects how you feel and function. So instead of fighting it, eat seasonally smart. Feed your body the way nature intended for this time of year.

  • Vitamin D – Short days mean lower natural D. A good supplement keeps mood, immunity, and bone health steady. Pair it with magnesium and vitamin K2 for absorption.
  • Root vegetables and squashes. Carrots, beets, sweet potatoes, pumpkin – nutrient-packed, grounding, and built to last. Roast them with olive oil and herbs for easy comfort.
  • Fermented foods. Keep your gut and mood balanced with kimchi, sauerkraut, kefir, or miso. They boost immunity and serotonin production.
  • Fatty fish and omega-3s. Salmon, mackerel, sardines, or algae-based supplements if you’re plant-based. They calm inflammation and steady your mind.
  • Iron and B-vitamins. Energy makers. Keep lentils, leafy greens, eggs, and whole grains in rotation.
  • Winter greens and brassicas. Kale, cabbage, Brussels sprouts – they thrive in the cold and keep you strong.
  • Warming spices. Ginger, turmeric, cinnamon, they support circulation and digestion.
  • Hydration. Soups, stews, broths, herbal teas – warm, mineral-rich, and perfect for cold air dehydration.

Your energy is your engine.

When you fuel it right, everything else – motivation, focus, even joy, has a fighting chance to survive the season.

Move Every Day, But Gently

Your body still needs movement in winter to feel good and energetic. But movement doesn’t have to be extreme.

I personally, love to mix in some high-intensity cardio workouts three or four times a week to keep my body awake, then balance it with yoga or stretching the rest of the days. Those slow sessions don’t just help flexibility, they sync you to the calm of the season.

Create Maximum Comfort

Winter is the season of comfort, so treat it that way. This is the time to create a home you actually want to be in.

Make your space glow. Add warm light – lamps, candles, soft strings of festive bulbs. Fill it with texture: fluffy blankets, thick socks, soft sweaters, and pillows you can sink into. Let the air smell like vanilla, pine, or baked cookies.

Make ordinary days feel special. Brew herbal tea while you work, light a candle before bed, make soup on Sundays. The small things matter more now, they set the tone of your mental health.

And sleep. Don’t fight the longer nights; use them.

Your body naturally wants more rest when the days shorten, so give it permission to hibernate a little. You’re not being lazy, you’re collecting energy for later. Think of yourself as a bear that’s just really into self-care.

Make Space, (Because “Less Is More”)

Winter is simplicity. It’s the perfect season to let things go.

Start small: clean out a drawer, a closet, or your digital clutter. If you haven’t worn it or used it in a couple of years, donate it. Someone out there needs it more than your storage space does, especially in the cold months.

Take slow walks without earbuds. Let your mind wander. You don’t always need to be learning or optimizing; sometimes the best reset is doing nothing.

Winter is about making space so the right things can return when the light does.

Being Single and Living Alone Doesn’t Mean Isolation

If you’re single, especially past your twenties, winter can feel much lonelier. Friends with families hunker down, social plans dry up, and it’s easy to feel like everyone else has gone home to their people.

That’s real, but it’s not the whole story.
Connection doesn’t have to come from dating apps or dinner parties. One of the best ways to meet new people and stay engaged is through volunteering.

Look around your community. Maybe it’s helping at a food drive, teaching your skill to refugees, organizing events, or working with local charities. You don’t even have to try hard to socialize or impress anyone. Just show up and do good.

You’ll meet new interesting people, feel less alone, and maybe even stumble into job opportunities.

Find the “Easter Eggs” Hidden in Winter

Every season has its secret rewards, and winter’s are subtle but deep.

Think of cold air – night walks under streetlights or snow have this cinematic quiet you don’t get any other time. The no pressure to perform. You can hibernate without guilt. No “come out for drinks” texts. No beach-body nonsense. Just peace.

Soups, roasts, baking bread, the kitchen feels like a sanctuary. Tea, cocoa, mulled wine – hot drinks in winter, are therapy.

Short, golden, low-angle sunlight makes everything look painted. Photographers chase it for a reason. And winter activities? Think of skiing, skating, snowshoeing, snowfights, but also reading by the fire while snow falls.

For more sensitive people scent and texture is a big one. The sensory world is full of wool blankets, cinnamon, smoke and pine. And all the season holidays – the Halloween movie marathons (for those who love them), the parties, Thanksgiving…It’s all about closing the year with gratitude.

Prepare for the Next Version of You When Spring Comes

Winter is the perfect season to reflect on yourself, make a plan for self-development, and create real change in your life.

Without the pressure to go out and “do” anything, you can step away from social media, disappear for a while, and in six months, become almost unrecognizable. Here are some major changes people make during this time that can truly push them forward:

Winter is the time to rebuild from the ground up – mind, body and soul.

It’s a chance to reflect, let go of what no longer serves you, and create space for the new. When nature wakes again next spring, you will bloom right along with it.

Need more reads?

Check out:

What to do when nothing’s working out

How to not lose your motivation

How to build rock-solid self confidence

How to program your mind on a subconscious level

Everything about love and relationships

TheThinkAbout is a website based on psychology in practice and experience.

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