5 Things To Do For Your Mental Health NOW, Before Winter

November 3, 2025

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By Skylar Hunyadi

While fall is a season I personally love and look forward to, it’s also a sign of even darker, colder days to come. The ever-brief cozy moments of crunchy leaves and tolerably chilly mornings inevitably lead to longer nights and that familiar heaviness of winter. 

Whether you struggle with clinical seasonal depression or bouts of the winter blues, you’re not alone, and you’re not imagining it. Like clockwork, starting around the end of September, I see many therapy clients grappling with lower mood and increased fatigue. And this is actually a form of biological intelligence, your body’s natural way of responding to shorter days and less sunlight. So feeling slower or sleepier as the seasons change is completely normal, not a personal failing.

But this biological response is also incredibly inconvenient in our modern world. Many of us actually become even busier starting in September and need all the extra energy we can muster during the holidays. To counteract this, my focus as a therapist is on being proactive about your mental health before winter hits, meaning taking small, intentional steps NOW. 

A few falls ago, I wrote 5 Things To Do For Your Mental Health Before The Seasons Change, From A Therapist — consider this the updated version. And while those tips still hold true, today I’m sharing fresher steps that aren’t the usual exercise, take vitamins, and use a sunlamp (although those can be helpful). These are realistic strategies that make a noticeable difference when the dark months roll in.

1. Build a list of “micro joys”

When energy is low, we have to meet ourselves where we’re at. We’re not starting fancy new workout routines or learning complicated new skills. Instead, I encourage you to lean into “micro-joys.” Micro-joys are brief, sensory or emotional delights that lift your mood, like a comfort song or the smell of coffee. Take a moment to start this list and add to it whenever you notice a new micro-joy in your everyday life. I’m taking this one step further this season by starting a “joy journal,” where I collage and write entries about joyful moments or sources of inspiration. 

2. Practice financial self-care to reduce winter money stress

Take some time now to gently check in with your finances: look ahead to what the season usually brings (gifts, heating costs, travel, social plans) and create a loose spending plan that feels realistic, not restrictive. Set aside a little cushion or decide in advance what you’ll say “no” to. Financial self-care isn’t about perfection--it’s about creating steadiness so money worries don’t drain even more of your energy. This is also the time of year I check in on my christmas sinking fund to see how much I’ve saved and how much more I want to add before I begin shopping. 

3. Create a social “bench” so you’re not scrambling for connection 

People need people, and community isn’t built overnight. Building friendships takes practice and a little patience. Think of your social “bench” like a football lineup: who’s on your team who you can turn to at your most seasonal low. Practically, this could look like planning to see local theater shows once a month or hitting up a weekly trivia event. This winter is the second winter my friends and I are planning a weekend Reading Retreat, and that alone gives me something to look forward to. Reach out now about weekly phone call catch-ups or monthly skating dates, whatever sparks social joy for you! 

4. Prepare your comfort anchors 

If you read my latest Substack post, I wrote about coziness as a self care strategy.

Creating “safe zones” in your day-to-day life can act as small anchors for your nervous

system. Think soft blankets, favorite teas, warm lighting, and scents can make a home feel safe. I mean, any excuse to buy just one new seasonal candle, right? This year, I’m really going to lean into curating a cozy reading corner in my room using things I already own. 

5. Rituals. Rituals. Rituals.

Perhaps not the most revolutionary of tips, but it’s one I come back to time and again in sessions. People tend to gravitate toward routines and rituals, especially during stressful or dark seasons. Establishing small, intentional practices, like morning tea or a weekly walk, can anchor your mood and give a sense of stability when everything feels dark and dreary. A ritual is highly personal, so ask yourself what small routine you could create this winter. This year, my partner and I have been starting an evening ritual of “parallel play,” where we each engage in a solo hobby for 30 to 60 minutes. Usually we’re both reading, but sometimes I’m playing on the Switch or he’s doing word games. It’s something we can both look forward to during dark winter evenings.  

******

As someone who grew up in Northern Minnesota and has since spent her life in Northern New York, I can say with confidence: winter is survivable with the right preparation and mindset. If there’s one piece of advice I could give--with the caveat that everyone needs something different this time of year--it’s to offer yourself an abundance of grace and adjust your expectations as needed. We simply cannot function at the same capacity year-round (no matter what toxic productivity culture says).

Lean into comforts, set yourself up for slowness and routine, and know that in a few months, there will be sunshine once more. 

For more from Sky, join her on Substack! Subscribe here to receive her personal essays right to your inbox. Here's her latest post. This newsletter is a cozy corner of self care, reflections, and other small pleasures. All are welcome <3

Skylar is a licensed clinical mental health counselor who talks about self-care as the foundation of a prosperous life. She has a deep love for yoga, vegetarian cooking, and religiously organizing her Google calendar. Follow her on Instagram for more self-care and mental health content or on LinkedIn for the more ~professional~ stuff.

November 12th: Wealth-building workshop alert! Join Chelsea along with Financial Planner and friend of TFD, Kellen Thayer, for How To Put Your Money To Work! This will be an info-packed 90-minute immersive workshop to learn the must-know wealth-building techniques for after you have covered the basics. Chelsea and Kellen will cover everything from the basics of real estate, mastering investments beyond the 401k, side income, entrepreneurship, and so much more! Click here to register!

*Our technical issues have all been resolved! If for some reason, you still need help signing up, please email me directly at [email protected]

It’s been awhile since we did team recs, so with the start of a new month, it feels like the perfect time!

What I’m Wearing:

I’m currently 3 months pregnant. It took me a very long time to decide that I wanted another child (my son is 5 and was born during the pandemic) and then after deciding, it then took even longer to actually get pregnant. But now, here we are. My first time around I was able to put off telling people, and needing to do anything about my wardrobe, until almost 20 weeks. This time, I started showing before it was even appropriately safe to share the news. So with that, I am already leaning into elastic pants and tunic tops. Rather than buy all new pants, I got this elastic pants expander to maximize my regular wardrobe.

I’ve recommended these shoes before, and considering I have them in 2 colors and they still look as new as when I got them over a year ago, they’re worth recommending again. These square toe mary janes from Vivaia are SO comfortable, and are good year round. I have a pair in black and a pair in almond and I get compliments almost every time I wear them. They hold up well during long days of walking around the city and can go casual or dressy. Highly recommend!

What I’m Watching:

• Slow Horses on AppleTV — This is one of the few shows me and my husband actually watch together. It’s a thriller/crime/suspense set in London starring Gary Oldman. We binged all 5 seasons in under a month. Yes, it’s that good.

• Stranger Things on Netflix — I’ve been doing a rewatch starting with season 1 back in August and am almost totally caught up. This has been one of my favorite shows for the past however many years it’s been on TV, so I am feeling much anticipation for the final season premiering later this month!

• Maxton Hall on Prime — The algorithm recommended this show to me last year because it knows I love a coming of age AND enemies to lovers theme. The new season drops later this week so I’m also rewatching the first season of this series for the excitement of it all.

• Physical Asia on Netflix — I love love love any and all Korean reality shows, and this one is no exception. They’ve done previous seasons featuring only Korean athletes, but this season features incredible athletes from a handful of different Asian countries doing unimaginable challenges to prove which country is the strongest. I’m in awe of their strength and stamina, and the contestants are always so compelling.

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