How to Winter: A Therapist-Informed Guide to Thriving in the Cold Months

Winter often brings more than cold temperatures. Shorter days, reduced sunlight, and disrupted routines can affect mood, motivation, and emotional balance. At Stepping Stones Wellness Center, we frequently see clients question whether something is “wrong” with them when winter feels harder.

Research from health psychologist Kari Leibowitz, PhD, offers a grounding reframe: winter itself is not the problem. How we understand and relate to the season plays a meaningful role in how we experience it (Leibowitz, 2025).

Learning how to winter means adapting thoughtfully—emotionally, behaviorally, and psychologically—to a season that naturally asks us to slow down.

What Does It Mean to “Winter” Well?

Wintering well does not mean ignoring discomfort or forcing positivity. It means recognizing winter as a distinct season with different biological and emotional demands—and responding with intention rather than resistance.

Leibowitz refers to this as developing a wintertime mindset: an approach that allows winter to be challenging and meaningful at the same time (Leibowitz, 2025).

Kari Leibowitz’s Research on Winter and Mental Health

What Arctic Winters Teach Us

Leibowitz’s research was shaped by time spent in Tromsø, Norway, a city above the Arctic Circle where the sun disappears for weeks during winter. Despite extreme darkness, population studies have not found increased rates of depression during winter months there (Leibowitz, 2025; Stanford Magazine, 2024).

The key difference is cultural framing. Winter in Tromsø is normalized, planned for, and actively engaged with through seasonal activities and social rituals. This challenges the assumption that darkness alone causes winter depression and highlights the importance of mindset and behavior.

The Psychology of a Wintertime Mindset

Psychological research consistently shows that expectations shape experience. When winter is framed as bleak and limiting, attention tends to fixate on discomfort and isolation. When winter is framed as a season with its own value, people are more likely to notice calm, beauty, and connection (Leibowitz, 2025; Time, 2024).

This approach is not about denying difficulty. A wintertime mindset acknowledges hardship while reducing self-criticism and emotional resistance (American Psychological Association [APA], 2024).

Practical, Therapist-Informed Ways to Winter Well

Adjust Expectations With Self-Compassion

Lower energy and slower pace are common in winter. Viewing these shifts as seasonal—not personal failures—supports emotional regulation and reduces shame (Leibowitz, 2025).

Create Winter-Specific Rituals

Consistent rituals such as soft lighting, warm meals, and intentional rest help signal safety to the nervous system and build positive winter associations (Leibowitz, 2025).

Stay Gently Engaged

Engagement does not require high intensity. Short walks, light movement, or time near natural light can support mood without overwhelming depleted energy reserves (WHYY, 2024).

Maintain Flexible Structure

Keeping a few gentle anchors—wake times, planned social contact, regular movement—provides stability during months when routines are easily disrupted (APA, 2024).

Winter Blues vs. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)

Winter mood changes exist on a spectrum. Some people experience mild seasonal shifts, while others meet criteria for Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), a recurrent form of depression linked to seasonal changes (National Institute of Mental Health [NIMH], 2024).

Mindset strategies do not replace clinical care. Evidence-based treatments such as psychotherapy, light therapy, and medication remain essential for SAD. However, mindset work can complement treatment by supporting adaptive coping and reducing resistance to seasonal change (Leibowitz, 2025; Time, 2024).

Reframing Winter as a Season of Grounding

Winter naturally turns attention inward. With fewer external demands, it can become a season of reflection, consolidation, and care. Kari Leibowitz’s research suggests that when winter is met with intention rather than opposition, emotional resilience increases (Leibowitz, 2025).

At Stepping Stones Wellness Center, we view winter not as something to fix, but as a season to be supported—one that benefits from steadiness, compassion, and realistic expectations.

REFERENCES

American Psychological Association. (2024). Learning to embrace winter, with Kari Leibowitz, PhD [Audio podcast episode]. Speaking of Psychology. https://www.apa.org/news/podcasts/speaking-of-psychology/embracing-winter

Leibowitz, K. (2025). How to winter: Harness your mindset to thrive on cold, dark, or difficult days. Simon & Schuster.

National Institute of Mental Health. (2024). Seasonal affective disorder. https://www.nimh.nih.gov/health/topics/seasonal-affective-disorder

Stanford Magazine. (2024). Let it glow: How Arctic winters shape well-being. https://stanfordmag.orgTime Magazine. (2024). How to embrace winter—Even if you think you hate it. https://time.com

WHYY. (2024). A winter mindset and coping in cold, dark, and difficult times. https://whyy.org