Stephanie Fitzgerald, a chartered clinical psychologist, used to dread winter. Like many, she coped by keeping busy at work and hibernating at home, waiting for the cold, dark days to be over. But this approach wasn’t making her happy. So she sought out the science that would help her embrace the winter months, rather than try to escape them. In her resulting book, The Gifts of Winter, she writes: “I fell deeply in love with winter … It is a captivating and truly gorgeous season.”
How did she change her mindset – and can the 42% of us who say summer is our favourite season learn to love winter too?
1. Treat seasonal affective disorder
“I know what it’s like to not enjoy this time of year and feel out of control,” says Fitzgerald. It’s normal to have a mild case of the winter blues, but seasonal affective disorder is “so much more than that – it’s all-pervasive”. And it can develop at any age. “As a neuropsychologist, it’s a really embarrassing thing to admit, but I didn’t realise I had Sad,” she says. “I’d never really had any issue with winter until my mid-20s, but year on year, it was getting harder. Eventually, as soon as the summer solstice was over, I was starting to panic, thinking: the darkness is coming, my mood is going to change.”
She thinks the name minimises the condition and makes people less inclined to seek help: “I didn’t feel ‘sad’, I felt really horrific.” After researching the subject, Fitzgerald now manages her symptoms from October to April by sitting in front of a Sad lamp for at least 60 minutes every morning, using a sunrise/sunset alarm clock, taking vitamin D, eating well, exercising and getting plenty of sleep. In her book, she writes: “I feel more balanced, stronger, better able to cope, less emotional and overall lighter.” She advises seeing a healthcare professional if you too are struggling with winter depression.
2. Adjust your daily routine
“Even once I got my Sad under control, I realised I was doing winter really badly,” says Fitzgerald. “I rushed into it with my summer diet and exercise regime; I wasn’t making space for it. So I started thinking about living a bit more seasonally.” One of the main changes she has made was going to bed an hour earlier, in 15-minute increments. “As our lives get busier, the temptation is to stay up later and later – it’s known as ‘revenge bedtime procrastination’. Then I’d wonder why I always felt so exhausted. Now I pay attention to what I’m gaining by going to bed, rather than what I’m losing: rest and energy v TikTok and doomscrolling. I stay up later in summer, but I really need that extra rest in winter.” While consistency is the key to sleep hygiene day-to-day, she says, a modest seasonal variation aligns with nature’s rhythms.
3. Rewrite the calendar
In Fitzgerald’s diary, New Year’s Day isn’t 1 January; it’s 1 April. She divides the year into roughly April to June (spring), July to September (summer), October to December (autumn) and January to March (winter). Fitzgerald lives in Warwickshire in the UK; an equivalent new year in the southern hemisphere would be 1 October.
“My biggest piece of advice is: don’t combine autumn and winter into one big homogenous blob,” she says. “From October onwards, people think: ‘I hate winter.’ But the winter solstice isn’t until 21 or 22 December. Winter has barely begun by Christmas and new year, and then we want spring. We’re setting ourselves up to fail.”
She says everyone likes autumn because of the beautiful leaves, but often it’s actually the wettest, muddiest season. So while the bad news is that winter hasn’t even begun yet, there’s good news, too. “There’s so much beauty and joy in winter. January and February are actually quite dry, and March is a lovely transition month.”
If you consider the solstice as the first day of winter, she says, then every day brings more light. She writes: “Far from the associations with darkness, winter offers a gentle glow of light, which increasingly brightens throughout the season until it spotlights the start of spring.”
For Fitzgerald, January to March is a “planning, restorative, reflective” time of year. “People start their new year resolutions on 1 January, but everything seasonally is saying ‘rest’. Most resolutions fail by the third week of January. We’re more likely to succeed if we realign with the seasons.” By April, she says, “We have all the daylight and warmth to spring into action.”
4. Get out of survival mode
That doesn’t mean that winter is just a season to be endured. “The rhetoric around winter is about how to survive, how to grit your teeth and get through it. I used to just shut winter out. I spent no time with it at all,” Fitzgerald says. “The year I decided to be with winter, to really explore it, my mood lifted. I discovered all these gifts that I’d previously barged past. I saw unreal sunrises and sunsets; bare trees looking their most beautiful; buds and leaves forming ready for spring.” She admits that this change was forced upon her; she was looking after her father-in-law’s dog while he was in hospital. But she enjoyed their winter walks so much, she now has two dogs of her own.
5. Use uplifting language
“The words people use to describe winter include ‘bleak’, ‘dark’, ‘barren’, ‘cold’, ‘miserable’, ‘depressing’ … We can’t expect to keep this language and appreciate the joys of winter,” says Fitzgerald. “I felt it was important to offer people a different language to think about winter. For example, ‘prinkling’ is that feeling when you’ve been out in the cold and your hands and feet start to warm up.” She feels the spirit of the season is encapsulated by “‘yutori’, a Japanese word that means room to breathe, a sense of space, taking a moment to pause”. Her book highlights many more wonderful words that capture the unique joys of winter, such as “chibbly”: something crisp or crackly with frost. After reading it, I’ve found myself whispering “apricity” on gorgeous blue-sky days – a word that describes the warmth of the sun in winter. As Fitzgerald writes, “To feel the sun unexpectedly warm your bones on a winter’s day is a new level of happiness.”
6. Keep socialising
“Winter is a really great time to have a mental health check-in. There aren’t as many distractions as there are in summer, and it’s a lovely reminder that we don’t need to be busy all the time,” says Fitzgerald. At the same time, humans don’t hibernate like bears, as much as we might want to, and we need to have things to look forward to. She has noticed that many people don’t make big plans until Easter, leaving their diaries bare for up to four months. “You can’t have an empty calendar and a full heart! Winter is traditionally a time to connect with the tribe, to share stories and camaraderie with others.” She says socialising is particularly important if you experience low mood in winter, as your brain is craving oxytocin, which comes from closeness and physical contact.
Fitzgerald deliberately books meet-ups in January, February and March, from cups of tea with friends to comedy nights, and celebrates events such as the lunar new year and Valentine’s Day (even when single). “Choosing celebration in winter leaves us more fulfilled. Each day has more purpose,” she writes. “Winter can be barren, but only if we make it that way.” She says that winter is perfect for ambiverts – probably the majority of us – who sit somewhere between introverts and extroverts. There is time to go out and celebrate, and time to stay warm and cosy at home.
7. Have a hygge day
On which note, Fitzgerald “changes the energy” of her home in winter by getting out blankets, lighting candles and playing soft, relaxing music. She puts her wellies by the door, and her thick coat, hat and scarf on the hook. A similar five-minute effort, she says, will set you up for the months ahead. She writes: “It is a useful cue for our brains to slow down, reflect, reconsider and adjust to the season.”
Suitably prepped, Fitzgerald hosts what she now calls a hygge day in the run-up to Christmas, or in the hush between Christmas and new year. “I designed them in my 20s, before I’d even heard of hygge [the Danish concept of cosiness, conviviality and contentment],” she says. “Christmas can be a stressful time of year and I wanted a space where my friends and I could just relax, with no obligations or expectations. A few friends come over to watch films, cook, eat, read, chat, sleep – whatever they want. Since then, I’ve seen people through different life stages, from having babies to dealing with health issues.” People turn up in their comfiest clothes, or even pyjamas, and take what they need from the day. One friend wanted some adult company when breastfeeding; another brought presents for wrapping away from her children; a third slept soundly for hours after surviving a tough year.
8. Adapt your exercise regime
In winter, 61% of people in Britain stop exercising completely, writes Fitzgerald. It’s not out of laziness, or (just) because of the cold and dark – it’s also down to the amygdala part of the brain. Fitzgerald describes this as “the alarm bell of the brain”. When we’re stressed, it can take over our decision-making, a state known as “amygdala hijack”. She writes: “Your amygdala doesn’t really care about future you; it only focuses on what feels good now. Whereas going for a run may benefit future you, the amygdala will counter that sitting on the sofa with some chocolate and binge-watching a box set will feel better now.”
Ironically, one way to calm down the amygdala down is by exercising, but the average Briton spends 42% more time being sedentary over winter – an extra six hours a day. “Continuing exercise is so important for your mood, especially if you get the winter blues,” Fitzgerald says. “Your brain needs the endorphins, and exercise also helps regulate temperature.”
This sounds like a catch-22. How can we override our brains? “I really believe in a seasonal adjustment here too,” she says. For example, if you can’t face a run, a 20-minute walk is enough to reduce cortisol, resulting in a more positive outlook. If darkness is a barrier, she suggests walking with a friend, or joining a dance class. Swapping cardio for strength training will “improve mental agility and executive functioning, helping us with planning, organising and decision-making”, while yoga can “reduce stress, anxiety, depression and chronic pain”. “Even just a few daily stretches are beneficial – you can do them in bed if you want,” she says.
Whichever kind of exercise you choose, it will also improve your sleep. “It’s really important that we don’t see winter as a reason to stop.”
9. Embrace slow cooking
Winter is Fitzgerald’s favourite time of year to cook. She believes that if we listen to our bodies, they crave what is in season. In UK winters, that is protein and root vegetables, which lend themselves to soups, stews and curries. “Winter food is such a gorgeous invitation to slow down and really savour the meal. It takes time to prepare and cook, slowly developing flavours and adding warming spices,” she says. This benefits our brains as well as our bellies. She writes: “Cooking can mindfully absorb us, and we feel good for doing it. Research shows that cooking can boost our confidence and self-esteem and result in better mental clarity and focus.”
10. Rethink your holiday plans
“I’ve started taking my main holiday in winter, not summer. I’ve never understood why, when it’s more likely to be nice weather in the UK, we jet off to somewhere else,” says Fitzgerald. “Winter is a natural point in our seasonal energy to take a break. I was also really taken aback by how much cheaper it is.”
That doesn’t mean flying long-haul to chase the sun, or necessarily travelling at all. “Just taking time off to be at home – what a perfect time not to be commuting, and to have a change in routine,” she says. If you’re tied to school holidays, even a micro-break can be beneficial. “Just a half-day off work, if that’s all you can manage, is such a restorative thing to do.”
She suggests spending a morning off having a mini winter retreat. Go for a walk, watch a film, dance to your favourite songs or read a book – anything you enjoy that isn’t housework or life admin, and is a change from your usual routine. “It’s good for our brains to get into retreat mode by physically doing something different,” she writes.
The Gifts of Winter: How to Uncover Seasonal Joy, Health and Happiness by Stephanie Fitzgerald (Penguin, £16.99). To support the Guardian, order your copy at guardianbookshop.com. Delivery charges may apply.
Four more books to change your view of winter
Wintering: The Power of Rest and Retreat in Difficult Times by Katherine May
A meditation on the fallow periods of life.
Winter: The Story of a Season by Val McDermid
A warming memoir from Edinburgh to the Fife coast.
The Light in the Dark: A Winter Journal by Horatio Clare
A diary that reveals the healing power of the natural world.
Winter’s Song by Angela Harding
Wintry prints and observations by the illustrator and printmaker.
