The Winter Worry Cycle

As soon as autumn arrives, the countdown begins. "Only X months until spring." The language we use is telling: we talk about "surviving" winter, "getting through" the dark days, "enduring" the cold. For people with mobility challenges, this worry intensifies: icy pavements, painful joints, reduced independence.

But what if we've been thinking about winter all wrong?

Chartered clinical psychologist Stephanie Fitzgerald used to dread winter, too. She coped by keeping busy at work and hibernating at home, waiting for the season to be over. But this approach wasn't making her happy. So she did something radical: she sought out the science that would help her embrace winter, rather than try to escape it.

The result? She fell deeply in love with the season. In her book, "The Gifts of Winter," Fitzgerald writes: "I fell deeply in love with winter... It is a captivating and truly gorgeous season."

Can we learn to love winter? Even with mobility challenges? The answer is yes—and the benefits extend far beyond simply feeling better. When we stop worrying about winter and start embracing it, we improve our mental health, maintain social connections, and actually enjoy life more during the four months of the year we'd previously written off.

The Problem with "Survival Mode"

The dominant narrative around winter, especially for people with mobility needs, is survival. How to survive the ice. How to get through the darkness. How to cope with the cold.

This mindset creates a self-fulfilling prophecy. When we approach winter with dread, we:

• Avoid going out, leading to isolation and reduced independence
• Stop exercising, which worsens mood and physical health
• Hibernate at home, missing the season's unique pleasures
• Count down the days until it's over, wishing away four months of life
• Create anxiety that makes seasonal affective disorder worse

Fitzgerald describes her old approach: "I used to just shut winter out. I spent no time with it at all. 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."

Rewrite Your Calendar (and Your Mindset)

Here's a revelation that might change everything: we've been thinking about winter wrong from the very start.

Most of us lump autumn and winter together into one long, dark period from October to March. But Fitzgerald suggests dividing the year differently: April to June (spring), July to September (summer), October to December (autumn), and January to March (winter).

"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."

The Good News About Winter

If you consider the solstice as the first day of winter, every single day after that brings more light. Fitzgerald 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."

January and February are actually quite dry compared to muddy, wet autumn. March is a beautiful transition month. And if you stop waiting for spring and start experiencing winter, you'll notice its unique gifts: crisp, bright mornings; stunning low-angle sunlight; peaceful, quiet landscapes; cosy evenings with legitimate reason to rest.

The Words We Use Matter

Language shapes reality. The words people commonly use to describe winter include: bleak, dark, barren, cold, miserable, and depressing.

Fitzgerald challenges this: "We can't expect to keep this language and appreciate the joys of winter. I felt it was important to offer people a different language to think about winter."

Beautiful Winter Words

Here are some wonderful words that capture winter's unique pleasures:

• Apricity: The warmth of the sun in winter "To feel the sun unexpectedly warm your bones on a winter's day is a new level of happiness"
• Yutori: A Japanese word meaning room to breathe, a sense of space, taking a moment to pause, the spirit of winter
• Prinkling: That feeling when you've been out in the cold and your hands and feet start to warm up
• Chibbly: Something crisp or crackly with frost

Start noticing these moments. The way frost creates intricate patterns on windows. The quality of light on a clear winter morning. The satisfaction of warming up after a brisk walk. The comfort of a warm drink in cold hands.

When we have language for these experiences, we start to notice and appreciate them. Winter becomes something to savour, not survive.

When It's More Than Just Mindset

It's important to distinguish between embracing winter and ignoring genuine seasonal affective disorder (SAD).

Fitzgerald herself experiences SAD. "I didn't realise I had SAD," she admits. "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: "I didn't feel 'sad', I felt really horrific."

Managing SAD

Fitzgerald now manages her symptoms from October to April with:

• Sitting in front of a SAD lamp for at least 60 minutes every morning
• Using a sunrise/sunset alarm clock
• Taking vitamin D supplements
• Eating well and exercising regularly
• Getting plenty of sleep

The results: "I feel more balanced, stronger, better able to cope, less emotional and overall lighter."

Small Changes That Make Big Differences

Adjust Your Sleep Schedule

"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."

One key change: going to bed an hour earlier, adding it gradually 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."

She now pays attention to what she gains by going to bed earlier: rest and energy, rather than TikTok and doomscrolling. "I stay up later in summer, but I really need that extra rest in winter."

Adapt Your Exercise

In winter, 61% of people in Britain stop exercising completely. This isn't just laziness, it's partly down to our amygdala, the alarm bell part of the brain. When stressed, it prioritises immediate comfort (sofa and chocolate) over future benefits (a run that will improve mood).

The catch-22? Exercise is one of the best ways to calm the amygdala. For people with mobility challenges, this is even more crucial, movement keeps joints mobile, reduces pain, and maintains independence.

Fitzgerald suggests seasonal adjustments: if you can't face your usual routine, a 20-minute walk is enough to reduce cortisol and improve outlook. Swap cardio for strength training or gentle yoga. Even daily stretches in bed are beneficial.

Change Your Home's Energy

Fitzgerald "changes the energy" of her home in winter with small adjustments: getting out blankets, lighting candles, playing soft music, positioning winter coats and boots by the door. "It is a useful cue for our brains to slow down, reflect, reconsider and adjust to the season."

For people with mobility needs, this preparation is practical too. Having your winter gear ready and accessible makes getting out less daunting. A warm, cosy home to return to makes venturing out in the cold feel worthwhile.

Don't Hibernate: Social Connection Is Essential

"Winter is a really great time to have a mental health check-in," says Fitzgerald. "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."

But, and this is crucial, humans don't hibernate. We need things to look forward to, especially during darker months.

Fitzgerald has noticed many people don't make big plans until Easter, leaving diaries bare for 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."

Social connection is particularly important if you experience low mood in winter, as your brain craves oxytocin, which comes from closeness and physical contact.

Plan Deliberately

Fitzgerald books meet-ups throughout January, February and March: cups of tea with friends, comedy nights, celebrations like Lunar New Year and Valentine's Day. "Choosing celebration in winter leaves us more fulfilled. Each day has more purpose."

For people with mobility challenges, winter socialising might require more planning—checking accessibility, arranging transport, allowing extra time, but it's worth the effort. Social isolation worsens both mental and physical health.

Host Hygge Days

Fitzgerald hosts what she calls "hygge days" in winter, low-key gatherings where friends come over in comfy clothes (or pyjamas) to watch films, cook, eat, read, chat, or sleep. No obligations or expectations. "Christmas can be stressful and I wanted a space where my friends and I could just relax."

This is perfect for people who find winter outings challenging. Create cosy, accessible gatherings at home. Friends bring what they need: one wanted company while breastfeeding, another wrapped presents away from her children, and a third slept soundly after a tough year.

Winter Activities to Embrace

Slow Cooking

Fitzgerald believes that if we listen to our bodies, they crave what's in season. In UK winters, that's protein and root vegetables, perfect for soups, stews and curries. "Winter food is such a gorgeous invitation to slow down and really savour the meal."

Cooking mindfully absorbs us and boosts confidence, self-esteem, mental clarity and focus. For people with mobility challenges, slow cooking is ideal, prep can be done sitting down, cooking happens without supervision, and the result is warming, nourishing meals.

Winter Watching

Notice nature's winter transformation. Bare trees reveal their beautiful architecture. Low winter sun creates dramatic lighting. Frost creates intricate patterns. Birds become more visible. The landscape has a stark, peaceful quality.

Even if you can't get out easily, winter watching can happen from windows. Set up a comfortable spot with binoculars, a bird feeder visible from inside, or simply appreciate the changing quality of light throughout the day.

Winter Rest

Embrace winter as "planning, restorative, reflective" time. The pressure to constantly achieve and improve is exhausting. Winter offers legitimate permission to rest.

This is especially important for people managing chronic conditions or pain. Instead of feeling guilty about resting more, recognise it as seasonal and appropriate. Use this time for reflection, planning, reading, creative projects that don't require physical exertion.

Practical Comfort for Winter Wellbeing

Embracing winter isn't just about mindset, practical comfort makes the philosophy possible.

After Winter Outings

Experience the pleasure of "prinkling", that sensation when cold hands and feet warm up after being outside. Make this ritual special:

• Hot water bottles (£24.95-£29.95): Long-lasting warmth that soothes tired muscles and aching joints after winter activities
• Wheat warmers with lavender (£19.95-£24.95): Quick microwave heat with calming scent—perfect for warming up and unwindin
• Warm drinks in comfortable surroundings: Create a ritual around returning home from winter adventures

Making Winter Outings Easier

When getting out feels worthwhile because you're embracing winter rather than enduring it, these practical items help:

• RADAR keys (£6.95+): Access to 14,000+ toilets means less worry about finding facilities in cold weather
• Long-handled shoe horn (under £20): Makes getting winter boots on and off easier, reducing the barrier to getting out
• 
• Comfortable, accessible winter clothing: When dressing for winter is easier, you're more likely to venture out

The goal isn't just to survive winter outings, it's to actively enjoy them. When you're seeking apricity (winter sun warmth) or hoping to see frost patterns or enjoy crisp air, practical aids that reduce physical barriers become enablers of pleasure, not just necessities.

Rethink New Year's Resolutions

January 1st might be the official New Year, but it's the worst possible time for new resolutions and big changes.

Fitzgerald celebrates her personal New Year on April 1st. "People start their New Year's 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, "We have all the daylight and warmth to spring into action."

For people with mobility challenges who often feel pressure to constantly improve fitness, mobility, or independence, this seasonal approach is liberating. January to March becomes planning and reflecting time, not failing-at-resolutions time. Real change happens in spring when you have energy and daylight to support it.