Transition Into Winter: 5 Tips to Help You Move Through the Darker Season

I used to think I had Seasonal Affective Disorder — short SAD. I genuinely believed I was depressed every winter. And now I know that what I was really doing was fighting winter, resisting it with every fibre of my being, and exhausting myself for a good 3–4 months every single year.

It’s like swimming against the natural flow of water: at first you feel strong and empowered but soon it becomes harder. You’re wearing yourself down, you start blaming the water, and suddenly winter becomes the enemy.

I know, I love my metaphors — and they love me right back. We connect through metaphors because our brains connect through metaphors. And I love grounding them in the natural world, because the natural world is the one thing every single one of us has in common. We’ve all been outside. We’ve felt rain on our skin, walked in a forest, seen a sunset.

When we look at nature transitioning into winter, we easily appreciate the beauty: the golden autumn, the final warm sunsets, the crispy leaves crunching under our boots on an afternoon walk through the woods. We admire it in nature — yet we resist it in ourselves.

So why do we try so hard to deny winter? Why do we resist this transition every single year even though we know it’s coming and we know it’s temporary?

We can’t escape it. So instead of fighting or fearing this darker time of year, let’s learn from it. Winter has its own wisdom.

Here are five gentle ways to make the transition easier for yourself — without throwing all the good habits and good feelings you built over summer completely out the window.

1 — Accept

Winter isn’t going anywhere just because you want it to. It’s happening. It’s here.

As a clinical hypnotherapist, I often see clients who struggle with the transition into winter and feel their mindset dipping as the days get shorter. If you experience the winter blues or mild seasonal affective disorder, acceptance is often the first step to supporting your mental wellbeing.

Sit with the idea for 5 minutes and just notice what comes up — thoughts, emotions, resistance, sadness, frustration. Whatever is there is okay.

If you want to journal about it, do. If you want to talk to a friend, please do. You’d be surprised how many people feel the same way every year.

And remember: what you see on social media is probably less than 1% of someone’s real life. People curate their existence just like we turn the prettiest side of the Christmas tree towards the door. Just because it looks shiny doesn’t mean the back isn’t a bit bare.

If social media amplifies your winter blues, give yourself permission to cut down. You get to choose what you consume.

2 — Let Go

Once you’ve accepted that winter is part of the cycle, the next step is letting go.

Let go of what doesn’t support you through these darker months. Let go of the pace you kept in the summer. Let go of unnecessary pressure. Let go of clutter — mental or physical.

Letting go is also a big part of supporting your subconscious mind, and this is something I work on regularly with my one-to-one clients in Manchester and Cheshire. This is the season where your mind naturally wants to slow down and release what no longer fits, so working with that rhythm instead of against it can feel incredibly grounding.

You might want to meditate (start with 5 minutes, truly). You might want to journal non-stop for 10 minutes about what you’re ready to release. And if you don’t have a journal, take this as the sign to treat yourself to a nice one — I love to buy new stationery in local shops.

Some things I personally let go of in autumn:

• Unsubscribing from newsletters that add nothing to my life

• Decluttering, anything from a drawer to an entire room

• Stopping gardening — the leaves are for the hedgehogs now

• Letting go of expectations other people have of me

  
  

When we let go of the old, we create space for the new. And here’s the magic most people forget:

Winter doesn’t kill everything. While leaves are falling, new buds are already forming — quietly, invisibly, patiently.

Silence and reflection are not empty; they’re fertile.

3 — Pivot and Adapt

The only constant in life is change. You can’t pause your happiness until spring. Happiness isn’t waiting in the future — it’s something you choose now.

You have free will. You are not a tree. You are allowed to pivot, adjust, and adapt.

Winter is a natural pause, not a punishment — and when we adjust our mindset, the season feels more supportive than stressful.

If you want to rest more, then create an environment that supports rest.

Try:

• Getting those fluffy pyjamas out

• Joining a local sound bath

• A luxurious hot chocolate

• Swapping your wardrobe from summer to winter

• Having a bubble bath

  
  

And if summer was your time of being more active or outdoors, remember that movement is still essential, especially for your mood and winter wellbeing. This doesn’t have to be high energy: winter walks, gentle yoga, strength training, short jogs, or stretching on your living room floor still count.

It's not about intensity — it’s about continuity and keeping your energy flowing.

4 — Do the Things That Felt “Wrong” in Summer

Winter is the perfect time to enjoy the things that felt too heavy, too hot, or too slow in summer.

This is also a great time to focus on winter self-care and build habits that nurture your mindset.

Try:

• A hearty stew

• Resting and sleeping more

• Hot baths

• Drinking hot chocolate mindfully

• Playing board games

• Baking cookies

• Using a heated blanket

• Reflecting on the year — in a journal or with someone you trust

• Practicing self-care

  
  

Allow yourself to indulge in the cosy things without guilt. This is the season for it.

5 — Get Help (Build Your Winter Tribe)

You are absolutely not the only one feeling a bit gloomier in winter. Talking to friends and family can make a huge difference. Humans were designed to live in communities — maybe not caves anymore! — but communities nonetheless.

And if you live alone, work from home, or don’t have family nearby, you can choose your tribe.

Since becoming fully self-employed, I’ve had to intentionally build mine — connecting more deeply with other wellbeing practitioners, my friends, and my family. And it’s made such a difference.

Also, don’t forget your connection to nature. It’s already harder to get vitamin D in winter, and staying inside makes it worse. Adjust your outdoor time — don’t abandon it.

Walk more.

Wrap up warm.

Step outside even for five minutes of fresh air.

Or do something like Couch to 5k — yes, I’m currently doing it!

I started in summer, and now it nudges me outside at times when last year I would have stayed in. It’s boosting my resilience, strengthening my immune system, and gently stretching my comfort zone.

And if you feel your mindset dipping or you are struggling with the winter blues, hypnotherapy can be a powerful tool to support your mental wellbeing. You can find more information on this on my website.

Final Thoughts

Winter is not something to “survive”.

It’s something to move with.

Let it slow you down but not stop you. Let it cosy you up but not isolate you. Let it teach you to rest but not abandon your habits. Let it help you grow quietly, underneath the surface — just like those little buds waiting for spring.

You are not wrong for feeling the way you do in winter. You are simply human. And winter is simply a season.

With love