Stop Putting Summer Expectations on Winter You (!!)

There’s a shift in the air, and not just in the temperature. The mornings are darker. The evenings sneak up faster. If you live in Ireland, you know the kind of damp chill I’m talking about, the one that makes your bed, your blanket, and your couch feel like magnetic fields pulling you in.

But here’s the thing: winter isn’t meant to feel like summer... and that’s okay.

So many of us fall into the trap of trying to hold ourselves to the same energy, motivation, and social standards we had when the sun didn’t set until 10 pm. We expect 'summer us' to show up in winter conditions, and then we wonder why we feel flat, heavy, or guilty for not being as productive or upbeat.

You’re not lazy, you’re seasonal. Your body and brain are wired to slow down a little when there’s less light. Your nervous system craves rest. Your mind wants calm. Positive psychology isn’t about pretending everything’s bright and breezy, it’s about understanding what helps you thrive in each season of life, and winter asks for something gentler.

So, what does that look like in practice?

🌙 Lean into the season. Let your evenings be slower. Light a candle instead of a ta-daa list. Cook warm food. Read in bed. Swap the summer sunrise walks for a lunch-hour stretch in daylight. You’re not losing progress, you’re adapting.

🔥 Don’t fight the gentleness. Sometimes winter invites stillness so you can actually hear yourself again. When you stop fighting the quiet, you find it’s not emptiness, it’s space. Space to think, to breathe, to reset.

💪 Hold yourself softly accountable. Gentle doesn’t mean giving up. It means knowing when to rest and when to nudge yourself forward. Keep some simple anchors: a morning routine that feels cosy, a weekly workout, a check-in with your journal or coach. The goal isn’t perfection, it’s continuity.

This winter, instead of chasing the version of you who thrived in the light, get curious about the version of you who grows in the dark. Because growth doesn’t only happen in the sunshine, sometimes, the deepest roots form underground.