Every winter, many people quietly wonder whether they’re experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The darker mornings, the shorter days, the relentless pace of school or college life can all leave us feeling heavier, slower or less motivated than usual.
But what if we reframed SAD entirely?
What if, instead of Seasonal Affective Disorder, we thought of SAD as Seasonal Acceptance & Downtime – a reminder that winter invites us to move differently, and that there’s nothing wrong with responding to the season.
Because here’s the truth:
There’s nothing wrong with you.
You’re simply responding to the season.
You’re not meant to feel the same in January as you do in June.
We are seasonal beings, even if modern life tries to convince us otherwise. Everything in nature shifts its energy through the year, and we’re no exception.
Winter is Not a Problem to Fix, It’s a Rhythm to Understand
If you look outside at this time of year, the trees aren’t lush or bursting with growth. They’re bare. Quiet. Resting. But that doesn’t mean nothing is happening.
Inside the branches and beneath the soil:
- energy is being stored
- roots are strengthening
- buds are forming
- foundations for spring are quietly being prepared
This isn’t visible growth, but it’s essential growth.
Winter in humans works in a similar way. Our bodies naturally respond to:
- lower light
- colder temperatures
- shifting hormonal patterns
- reduced social energy
- the psychological weight of the long winter term
These changes are not signs of weakness or illness.
They are normal, healthy seasonal responses.
Of course, winter affects people differently. But for most of us, what we call “SAD” is often a natural response to the season – one that feels far easier to navigate when we shift our mindset around winter.
Why Winter Feels Harder for Educators and Leaders
Winter can be challenging for anyone, but for teachers and school or college leaders, the emotional load can feel even heavier.
This time of year brings:
- demanding schedules
- back-to-back meetings
- relentless decision-making
- high stakes with exams and assessments
- reduced daylight exposure
- increased pastoral pressures
- general tiredness after a long term.
Most people aren’t slowing down at this time of year, they’re speeding up to meet the demands of the system.
So when winter wellbeing advice says things like “take long walks in daylight” or “slow your mornings,” it understandably lands as unrealistic.
You can’t hibernate.
You can’t work seasonally.
You can’t restructure the school timetable around daylight.
But you can shift your mindset, gently, and you can work with winter rather than against it.
That’s where the biggest difference lies.
Mindset Matters More Than We Think
Winter becomes much harder when we believe we shouldn’t feel the way we do.
When we fight the season, we add an extra layer of struggle:
- “Why am I so tired?”
- “Why can’t I focus the same way?”
- “Why does everything feel like more effort?”
- “Why am I not motivated?”
- “Why am I so miserable?”
But when we understand that these shifts are natural, expected, and even wise, something softens.
We stop fighting winter, and winter stops feeling like something we need to overcome.
Instead, we can approach the season with gentle curiosity:
What if there’s nothing wrong with me? What if this is exactly how my body is meant to feel right now?
That mindset shift alone lightens the emotional load.
The Power of Seasonal Mindset: Three Gentle Shifts That Help
These aren’t grand wellbeing strategies or unrealistic lifestyle changes. They’re simply ways of thinking – and tiny behaviours – that support winter mental health in a grounded, compassionate way.
1. Expect less “summer energy” from yourself
You wouldn’t expect a tree to flower in February. So it’s reasonable not to expect summer-level energy from yourself in the depths of winter.
When you stop expecting peak motivation, boundless enthusiasm and perfect clarity in January, you suddenly feel less pressure and more relief.
This isn’t lowering standards, it’s aligning with how human energy actually works.
A small shift in expectation can make winter far more manageable.
2. Look for the “underground growth”
Just because things look quieter on the surface doesn’t mean nothing meaningful is happening.
Winter is a powerful time for:
- planning
- quiet creativity
- reflection
- subtle reorientation
- strengthening the foundations for the next phase of the year
This isn’t visible, outward growth.
It’s internal growth – the kind that often leads to clearer thinking and renewed motivation when spring arrives.
When we stop expecting productivity to look the same every season, we free ourselves from the false idea that winter should match the pace of summer.
3. Allow yourself small doses of light and warmth
You may not have long stretches of time, but tiny moments make a real difference to winter wellbeing:
- a few minutes of daylight during the school day
- a warm drink between lessons
- a cosy ritual at home
- candles or fairy lights to soften the evenings
- gentle transitions between tasks
These aren’t indulgences, they’re small signals of care that help your biology feel supported rather than stretched.
It’s not about transforming winter.
It’s about softening the edges of a demanding season.
The Most Important Reframe: You’re Part of Nature Too
We often think of wellbeing as something separate from the world around us; something we have to force or fix.
But winter invites us to remember something simple and profound:
We are part of nature.
We are meant to have seasons.
We are allowed to feel different at this time of year.
When we stop treating our winter selves as problems, we begin to experience winter as a legitimate chapter in the rhythm of the year, with its own quiet gifts.
For some people, that gift is reflection.
For others, it’s a slower kind of creativity.
For many, it’s simply knowing that feeling a bit heavier, quieter or less energised is not a flaw, it’s just a season.
So If This Time of Year Feels Harder…
You’re not failing.
You’re not falling behind.
You’re not unusual.
You’re experiencing nature, in your body, in your mood, in your energy, exactly as you’re meant to.
With a gentle shift in mindset, and a little compassion for yourself, winter can feel less like something to endure and more like a meaningful, necessary season in the rhythm of your year.
Here’s to moving through this season at the pace your life allows, and trusting that growth is happening, even when it’s not visible yet.
If you’d like more wellbeing resources…
You’re welcome to explore more articles and tools at Pursuit Wellbeing, created especially for educators and leaders navigating demanding seasons of life.
