How to Beat the Winter Blues: 8 Habits for Shorter, Darker Days

There’s always that first evening after the clocks fall back, when I look up from the stove and see it’s pitch black outside before we’ve even sat down for dinner, and feel my mood drop a notch. If you’re already searching for how to beat the winter blues, you know exactly the feeling I mean. After a lot of Colorado winters, I’ve stopped looking for a trendy supplement or a 30-day challenge to fix it. What helps me is a handful of daily habits I start before the darkest weeks hit, so I’m not trying to dig myself out in January. With your emotional well-being in mind, I’m sharing those today.

A quick note before we get into it: seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression, and nothing here is a substitute for treatment. If winter has been hard on you in past years, please talk with your doctor or a therapist.

Winter Blues vs. Seasonal Affective Disorder

The winter blues usually look like lower energy and less motivation (plus wanting to hibernate under a blanket from 5 p.m. on). Seasonal affective disorder is more than that. It’s a type of depression that follows the seasons, and the winter version often shows up as oversleeping and pulling away from people (carb cravings are common too), most days for weeks at a time. If that second description sounds more like you, a professional can help you sort out what’s going on and what kind of support fits.

Start With a Quick Energy Inventory

Before adding anything new, I like to look at what’s draining me. For most of us, that’s some mix of an overstuffed calendar, workouts that fell off said calendar once it got cold, and a lot more time on our phones once it’s dark by 5. Once you can name your drains, it gets a lot easier to pick the habits that will make a difference for you (instead of trying to overhaul everything at once). It also helps to stop waiting for spring (easier said than done, I know!). Choosing to lean into winter, whether that’s signing up for a class or finally cooking your way through that cookbook you bought, makes the season feel like something you’re living in rather than enduring.

8 Habits to Beat the Winter Blues

In the full post, I walk through all eight habits I lean on every year. Here are the first three:

1. Stay warm indoors

Being cold all day wears you down more than we give it credit for. A heated blanket and a good pair of house shoes make a bigger difference than you’d expect (I also swear by a mug warmer on my desk).

2. Get morning light

Even 10 to 15 minutes outside in the morning helps, and a short walk counts. If you’ve been diagnosed with SAD, a light therapy lamp is worth asking your doctor about. I share more about how I fit this in on busy mornings in my mom morning routine!

3. Get your vitamin D tested

Rather than guessing, ask for a vitamin D level at your next blood draw. Many people run low in the winter months, and knowing your number tells you whether supplementing makes sense for you. I share which one I take in the full post.

The other five habits cover how I keep moving when motivation tanks, what I eat to keep my mood steady (plus the soup I make every single week), the one change that made my house feel cozier overnight, and why I schedule social plans long before the holidays. The last one is about your phone, and it’s arguably the most important.

Winter Blues FAQs

What are the winter blues?

The winter blues are the dip in mood and energy many people feel as the days get shorter and colder. They tend to be mild and pass with spring, while seasonal affective disorder is more intense, lasts longer, and gets in the way of daily life.

Does vitamin D help with the winter blues?

Vitamin D levels often drop in winter, since we spend less time outside and the sun is weaker. Research on supplements for mood is mixed, so I always recommend testing first and talking with your doctor about whether you need it and how much.

What should you eat to beat the winter blues?

Winter is not the time to diet. I focus on eating enough, getting protein at breakfast, and working in fatty fish a couple of times a week. Leaning on what’s in season helps too (here’s my December produce guide). I break down my full winter plate in the post on Daily Deposits.

Read the Full Post on Daily Deposits

All eight habits, including what I eat, the exact products I use, and my favorite way to spend a phone-free afternoon, are in How to Beat the Winter Blues: 8 Sanity-Saving Habits for Shorter, Darker Days on Daily Deposits. If it helps, subscribe (it’s free!) so the next one lands in your inbox.