How to get over the winter blues
- paulettecrowley
- Jun 26
- 4 min read

I am a summer girl - my ideal day is swimming, sunbathing, reading and napping at the beach. This time of year - winter - is tough for me. Looking back, my mood always took a tumble during this period from not enough sun, spending too much time indoors and navigating endless cold and flu bugs my kids dragged home from school.
I was always wondering how to get over the winter blues. I'd heard of the Danish concept of hygge (pronounced hoo-gaa) - loosely meaning the art of being cosy - but never took it seriously. Those Scandis live in snow-laden winter wonderlands, which seemed very different to a typical Auckland winter of relatively mild weather with lots of rain and wind. Hygge seemed a bit over the top. Wasn't donning trackies and slippers, cranking up the heat pump on and closing the curtains enough to hunker down and be happy?
Turns out, no. Although I was painfully aware of depressive episodes throughout my life, I'd never properly noted when they happened. They seemed to blur into one another and once over, the last thing I wanted to do was analyse them. I just got on with things and hoped that depression would leave me the hell alone.
A few years ago, I started wearing a smart watch. Aside from the obvious, I used it for counting steps, recording other exercise sessions and setting alarms so I wouldn't burn food during cooking. It wasn't until I interviewed someone about seasonal depressive disorder (SAD) as part of my health journalism that I realised this watch might hold the key to unlock patterns about my mood.

My interviewee, scientist Dr Mia Jüllig, struggled with SAD for most of her life. She began analysing her heart rate variability (HRV) data that was automatically stored in her smart watch and noticed that her HRV dropped during the periods when her mood "crashed". As she explained in the story (published here in the Listener if you'd like to read it), her HRV dropping showed that the sympathetic nervous system may have taken over. Put simply, that indicates the body is in a fight-or-flight mode.
In her case, Dr Jüllig connected the HRV data with her low mood during the winter months. This awareness helped her to implement strategies, which included exercise and supplements, to better manage the SAD that had plagued her for most of her life.
A plan for how to get over the winter blues
Inspired by her experience, I looked at several years' worth of HRV data from my smart watch. There it was - my HRV dropped significantly over the winter months. That confirmed my nervous system was stressed during that time, which oddly enough, I was happy to discover. A lot of my mood dips were connected to the cooler months and I decided to be as proactive as possible to mitigate depression as the next winter rolled around.
Hygge was on my list of things to try and make winter more bearable. Though I thought the practice was contrived and possibly just a marketing ploy to sell soft furnishings, I had nothing to lose except a couple of bucks on candles and a few months of crappy mental health.
To cultivate a cosy vibe, I went all in with a full assault of candles, string lights, throw rugs and comfy cushions. I made a ritual of opening and closing my house for the day. I cooked soups, curries and stews. I baked bread and made hot chocolate. I invited friends over for shared meals. I played more music and read more books. I bought nice slippers. Martha Stewart (and maybe Megan Markle) would have been proud of me.
The first few weeks of hygge were a novelty but I forced myself to carry on, regardless of how I felt, which wasn't particularly great. But eventually I found that just having a more positive mindset was improving my mood – it helped encourage and cement other habits and rituals that also lifted my spirits. I returned to a long-abandoned practice of breathing exercises, which helped anxiety. I dragged out my old journal and started to write a little most days. I found myself listening to positive podcasts and consuming less news.

As I gradually spiralled up, I developed a more consistent routine for eating meals and drinking water. I recognised that working from home, although mostly wonderful, wasn't the greatest thing for my mental health in winter, so I made myself get of the house at least once a week to work in a cafe. But by far, the biggest thing that nudged my blue mood into a happier zone was regularly getting outside to exercise, which just wouldn’t have happened unless I was in a good space to begin with. Research shows that exercising in the morning light, particularly in green or blue nature spaces, is good for our brains. Being outside too, helps us to make vitamin D, which helps our mood and immune system.
Those new habits, which I now call my "winter regime", worked pretty well. Although I still had days where I didn't want to get out of bed and I was dragging myself through mud, my smart watch told me my HRV rate was up compared to previous years. The data proved that I was biologically less stressed and a bit happier.
All these habits grew from my decision to lean in to winter. It's still not my favourite time of the year but I now see its value. I like and need the rest after a busy summer. I have grown to appreciate the acts of contemplation and reflection. I love Matariki and learning what it means for our health and wellbeing. I like to slow down and I'm no longer counting down the days until spring. And the best bit? Feeling happier, of course.
If you're sick and tired of being sick and tired and are well and truly ready to stop drinking, reach out for help. Sober coaching is intense 1-on-1 support with someone who's walked the walk to get you started on the sober journey and set you up for sustainable sobriety. Book a free Clarity Call with me, or contact 027 231 5970 or info@goodhealthcoach.co.nz.
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