Winter can affect our mood, energy and motivation in ways we may not always notice. Lisa Johnston, Clinical Director of My Therapist Online, explains three practical, evidence-based ways to protect your wellbeing during the colder months.
As the evenings draw in and the temperature starts to drop, many of us notice a change not only in what we do, but in how we feel.
Clinically, this is a pattern we often see at My Therapist Online during the winter months. People may report feeling flatter, more tired and less motivated, as well as less inclined to exercise, socialise or stick to the routines that usually help keep them well.
Recent research from MoneySuperMarket’s Winter Wellness Reset reflects this. Its survey of 2,000 UK adults found that 30% say their overall sense of wellbeing worsens during winter, around a third say their mood gets worse, 36% experience a drop in motivation to exercise, 33% exercise less and 13% stop exercising altogether.
You can read the full findings in the MoneySuperMarket Winter Wellness Reset.
These figures are important because many of the things that naturally reduce during winter, such as daylight, activity, routine, social contact and time outdoors, are also the things that can help protect our mental wellbeing during this time.
The aim does not need to be a huge winter self-care overhaul. In my experience, small, realistic actions repeated consistently are far more useful.
Make daylight part of your daily routine
Winter can easily become a pattern of leaving home in the dark, spending most of the day indoors and returning home after sunset.
That reduction in daylight can affect our sleep-wake cycle, energy levels and mood, particularly if our daily routines change at the same time.
Where possible, try to deliberately create opportunities to get outside during daylight hours. It does not need to mean a long countryside walk. You might walk to the shop, take a short lunchtime walk, sit outside with a coffee or walk part of the school run.
Earlier daylight can be particularly helpful because it gives our body a clearer daytime signal and helps support our natural circadian rhythm.
“One of the simplest things we can do for our wellbeing during winter is to make daylight part of our daily routine. Reduced daylight can affect our sleep-wake cycle, energy and mood, so rather than waiting for a sunny day, try to get outside during daylight hours every day, ideally earlier in the day. A morning walk, walking part of the school run or simply taking your coffee outside can all help. The important thing is consistency.
I often encourage people to treat getting daylight and movement almost like an appointment with themselves: something small but important that stays in the diary throughout winter.”
Don’t wait until you feel motivated
This is one of the most useful principles we can borrow from Cognitive Behavioural Therapy.
My original clinical training was as an Occupational Therapist, where there is a strong emphasis on the relationship between what we do, our meaningful daily routines, our sense of purpose and our emotional wellbeing.
That understanding has stayed with me throughout my years of practising CBT and is closely aligned with behavioural activation, an approach used in the treatment of low mood and depression. In CBT, we often look at the relationship between our thoughts, feelings and behaviour, and identify the patterns that can unintentionally keep difficulties going. We then explore small, achievable changes that can begin to shift that cycle in a more helpful direction.
When our mood drops, our behaviour often changes too.
We might cancel plans, stay indoors, stop exercising, withdraw from other people or put off activities because we simply do not feel like doing them.
That response is understandable. The difficulty is that withdrawing from the things that usually provide pleasure, achievement, connection, movement and a sense of purpose can leave us with even fewer opportunities to experience those things, potentially reinforcing low mood.
Doing things that feel meaningful or important to us can also strengthen our sense of purpose. That might mean spending time with people we care about, learning something new, contributing to our community or helping somebody else. These activities do not have to make us feel instantly better; their value often comes from helping us stay connected with the kind of life we want to be living.
Behavioural activation can help reverse this cycle by encouraging us to gradually reintroduce meaningful or rewarding activity rather than waiting for our mood to improve first. We encourage people to schedule activities in a graded way, and go with the plan, not the feeling.
The key principle is simple:
We do not always have to wait for motivation before taking action.
Sometimes the first step towards feeling better is not a change in how we feel, but a small change in what we do.
“One of the traps we can fall into during winter is waiting until we feel motivated before doing the things that usually keep us well. When our mood drops, we naturally tend to withdraw, move less and say no to things, but unfortunately that can make low mood worse. In CBT, we often turn this around: action can come before motivation. Sometimes the first step towards feeling better is not a change in how we feel, but a small change in what we do.”
This is particularly relevant when we consider MoneySuperMarket’s finding that 36% of people experience a drop in motivation to exercise during winter.
Rather than focusing on motivation itself, it can be more useful to make the activity easier.
Arrange a walk with somebody else. Put exercise into your diary. Choose ten minutes rather than deciding that an hour is unrealistic. Build activity into something you already do.
Small actions still count.
Build wellbeing into things you are already doing
Another common misconception is that looking after our mental health always means adding more things to an already busy day.
It does not.
Mindfulness can be particularly helpful because it does not necessarily require finding extra time in the day; it can be practised within ordinary activities.
On a winter walk, notice the temperature of the air, the sound of your footsteps or the colours and textures you can see around you. When making a hot drink, notice its warmth, smell and taste. When showering, notice the sensation of the water rather than mentally running through your to-do list.
These moments may sound very simple, but they give our attention somewhere to land.
When we are anxious, our attention can become dominated by worries about the future. When we are low, it can become caught in rumination about the past.
Mindfulness helps us practise returning attention to what is happening now.
“Looking after your mental wellbeing doesn’t always mean finding time for another activity. Some of the most useful mindfulness practice can be woven into things you’re already doing. On a winter walk, notice the cold air, your footsteps and what you can hear around you. When making a hot drink, pay attention to its warmth, smell and taste.”
“These small moments can help bring our attention away from worries about the future or rumination about the past and back into what is happening now. I often describe mindfulness as an attention workout: each time you notice your mind has wandered and gently bring it back, you are practising the skill.”
A winter dip in mood does not always mean Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
It is also important to distinguish between the very common experience of feeling less energetic or motivated during winter and Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
SAD is a form of depression that follows a seasonal pattern, most commonly occurring during autumn and winter.
Symptoms can include persistent low mood, loss of enjoyment or interest, tiredness, sleeping more than usual, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite and feelings of hopelessness or worthlessness.
A temporary drop in energy or motivation as the evenings become darker does not necessarily mean someone has SAD.
However, if your mood is persistently low, is affecting your day-to-day life or you notice the same significant pattern returning each winter, it is worth seeking professional advice.
Think maintenance, not rescue
One of the most helpful ways to think about mental wellbeing is to stop seeing it as something we only need to address once we are struggling. Often, wellbeing is supported by the small things we do consistently: paying attention to the present moment, noticing and savouring positive experiences, making time for activities that feel enjoyable or meaningful, staying connected to people we value, and being kind to ourselves and others. It can also mean noticing habits that tend to pull us in the opposite direction, such as excessive perfectionism, constant comparison with others or becoming so focused on what is missing that we lose sight of what is already good in our lives.
None of these actions has to be dramatic. Think of them as small ways of regularly nudging yourself towards a life that feels more connected, purposeful and satisfying.
We usually accept that our physical health requires regular maintenance. Our mental health is no different.
Ask yourself:
What normally helps keep me well?
It might be exercise, spending time outdoors, seeing particular people, keeping a routine, sleeping consistently, having something to look forward to or simply making time away from work and screens.
Then ask:
Which of those things tends to disappear during winter?
That is often the best place to start.
You do not need to transform your life.
Get some daylight. Keep moving. Stay connected. Protect the routines that help you. Pay attention to the present moment. And where you can, don’t wait for motivation before doing the things you already know help to keep you well.
Sometimes we do not feel better and then begin doing more.
Sometimes we begin doing more, and gradually give ourselves more opportunities to feel better.
About Lisa Johnston
Lisa Johnston is an Occupational Therapist by background, a BABCP-accredited Cognitive Behavioural Therapist and EMDR Therapist, and Clinical Director of My Therapist Online. She has more than 20 years’ clinical experience and has worked extensively with anxiety, low mood and related difficulties.
My Therapist Online personally matches clients with experienced Psychologists, CBT Therapists and Counsellors according to their individual needs, preferences and availability.
