Or a list of all the winter things you’re looking forward to – like eating winter comfort food, or wearing cosier clothes.
A guide to managing low mood in winter
As the days get darker and colder, some of us may feel our mood or energy levels decrease. It’s normal to miss the warm weather and extra time spent outdoors with friends and whānau – but our biology can also play a part. Less exposure to sunlight can throw off our body clocks (which help regulate our mood, sleep, and appetite), causing our brains to produce more melatonin (a sleep hormone) and release less serotonin (a brain chemical that lifts mood).
If low mood in winter is significantly negatively impacting your daily life, you may be experiencing depression – specifically, seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression influenced by the seasons. SAD can also exacerbate other mental health conditions you may already experience. If this sounds like you, please reach out to your GP for guidance.
There are actions we can all take to care for our mental wellbeing during the colder months, set out below.
Reframing our winter mindset
In Northern Norway, where the winter days can be as short as three hours, locals sustain their mental wellbeing by seeing winter as a challenge rather than a threat. By viewing shorter days as something that they can work through rather than something that will knock them back, they focus on building personal resilience. This mindset can be helpful in many areas in our lives where we are facing challenges.
In te ao Māori, winter is a time for rest, reflection and nourishment. It's a season of stillness, so it makes sense to slow down and be gentle with ourselves. Winter is also when Matariki (the Māori New Year) takes place, a celebration that invites us to reflect on the past and plan for the future.
You could help reframe your winter mindset by:
One of the Five Ways to Wellbeing. You could do this by going for a mindful walk, and observing how winter changes the trees, grass, and sky, or otherwise spending more time in nature (a proven way to boost our wellbeing).
Such as through organising a ‘midwinter Christmas’ dinner, or a Matariki celebration with friends or whānau.
By practising relaxing activities such as mindfulness, yoga, or taking hot baths or showers to wind down before bed.
Planning a winter routine
Routine can help us to consistently practice habits that uplift our mental wellbeing. Having a routine helps our brains to feel more relaxed and in control.
You could build a winter routine by:
By using the Te Whare Tapa Whā or Five Ways to Wellbeing models as a template. These two models both explain wellbeing through five parts that make up a whole. By creating a plan based on them, you could reflect on what lifts your wellbeing in each of their five areas, including what you’re already doing well, and what you think you might need more support with during winter.
If you know winter can feel particularly hard for you. If you tend to feel isolated in winter, you could make plans well in advance and ask friends to actively check in on you. If you find it hard to cook for yourself in winter, you could batch cook some meals for the freezer, or ask a loved one if they can help you to organise food for yourself. You can share your proactive wellbeing plan with trusted people in your life, too, if you feel comfortable to.
You can still spend time outdoors (like going for a walk in rain gear, or even embracing the rain!) and spend time socialising (by planning winter-friendly catch-ups like having a movie marathon at home). You can also adjust parts of your routine to reflect winter - for example, by changing your sleep schedule to get the most light you can in the morning, or taking up a new indoors hobby you can practise at home.
Caring for your holistic wellbeing
Our mental wellbeing is just one part of our overall wellbeing. By looking after our taha tinana/physical wellbeing, taha wairua/spiritual wellbeing and taha whānau/family wellbeing, and connecting with the whenua (land), we can support our mental wellbeing in turn. When all facets of our wellbeing are in balance, we thrive. To understand more about this model of holistic wellbeing, read more about Te Whare Tapa Whā.
You could care for your holistic wellbeing during the winter months by:
While it’s helpful to spend as much time outside as possible to soak up light and nature’s blues and greens, a light therapy lamp can also mimic sunlight during the darker months and can be just effective for your brain as exposure to actual sunlight. Try to spend 30 minutes in front of the lamp each day, with at least part of that time being first thing in the morning.
Eating nutritious foods and being active are known ways to care for our holistic wellbeing. Any physical activity during winter – from chair yoga to running – can help protect your wellbeing overall. It’s also helpful to get your annual flu vaccine and do what you can to avoid contact with colds, flu and COVID. For more guidance on how to start physical movement, see our guide.
Although winter can feel like a good time to ‘hibernate’ or be by yourself, research shows it’s still helpful to be connected to friends and whānau - even if only by phone or video call. Our research into the impacts of Cyclone Gabrielle on New Zealanders’ mental wellbeing revealed a clear theme: community is the key to getting through tough times. For more ideas on how to connect with your community, see our guide.
If you’re still having a hard time or feeling concerned about your mental health, talk to someone you trust. Support is available.
See https://mentalhealth.org.nz/help for further details.
Research
Share this page
There is no health without mental health
Help ensure everyone in Aotearoa has the tools to enjoy positive mental health and wellbeing.
Did you find this article useful?