Wellness coach Donna Murray says winter wellness doesn’t need to be dramatic — no retreats or life overhauls required. These simple shifts will honour your body and mind this season.
As the winter months embrace us with their chill and early darkness, we’re offered an invitation — not just to rug up and soldier on, but to pause. To rest. To reflect. To renew.
Nature models this beautifully. Trees shed their leaves, gardens lie fallow, and creatures retreat into stillness. It’s a season of quiet transformation — and if we allow ourselves to align with it, winter can become a deeply healing time.
Yet for many of us, slowing down feels impossible. We’re managing work deadlines, family logistics, social expectations, and endless to-do lists — often at the expense of our own wellbeing.
Winter can be our great teacher, reminding us that we, too, are part of nature. What if honouring the natural seasonal rhythm was not indulgent, but necessary?
Right now, burnout, anxiety, stress, overwhelm, depression, and conflict are all-too-common realities. Our nervous systems are overstimulated, our calendars overloaded. And while we can’t always clear our schedules or escape our responsibilities, we can create pockets of intentional care.
We can become part of the solution — for ourselves, for each other, and for future generations — by weaving wellbeing into the fabric of our everyday lives. Live it now, so our children’s children do it naturally.
Winter is the perfect time to begin.
Physiologically, this season affects us more than we realise. With reduced sunlight, our bodies produce less serotonin (our feel-good brain chemical), and our circadian rhythms — those internal clocks that help regulate sleep — can become disrupted.
Melatonin, which supports sleep, can surge at odd times, making us groggy during the day and wired at night. This biological shift, combined with external pressures, is a recipe for depletion.
In colder months, our bodies crave warmth and nourishment. Listen to those cues. Incorporate foods that support mood and immunity — rich, grounding root vegetables like kūmara, pumpkin, and carrots. Enjoy hearty soups and stews that warm from the inside out. Include omega-3 fatty acids from flaxseeds, walnuts, or oily fish — these are proven to support brain function and emotional balance.
And don’t underestimate the power of a warm herbal tea. The ritual of boiling the jug, steeping the leaves, and wrapping your hands around a steaming mug can become a moment of mindful pause in a hectic day.
Sunlight, even in small doses, is still vital. Try to get outside daily — even ten minutes can help regulate mood and hormones. If possible, do it in the morning to help reset your sleep cycle. Let your skin feel the air. Let your eyes soak in natural light.
Take it a step further and plant your bare feet on the grass. Be present with the moment by breathing through any discomfort you may feel.
Movement is another key. It doesn’t need to be intense — just consistent. A brisk walk, gentle yoga, dancing in your lounge, or gardening in the winter sun all count. Aim for thirty minutes a day.
If you can do it in nature, you double the benefits — movement plus exposure to green space has powerful effects on mental clarity, emotional resilience, and even immune health.
As daylight dwindles, winding down becomes even more important. Support your sleep by creating a nurturing evening routine. A warm bath or shower can help signal to your body that it’s time to rest. Turn off screens an hour before bed — blue light disrupts melatonin production — and instead sink into a good book, calming music, or silence. Let your breathing slow. Let the day go. Sleep is not a luxury; it is your body’s primary healing mechanism.
Winter is a season that encourages introspection. Just as trees drop what no longer serves them, we can ask ourselves: What am I holding onto that I could let fall away? What beliefs, habits, or pressures have I outgrown? What parts of myself need composting in the quiet dark so that something new can emerge?
It doesn’t have to be dramatic. You don’t need to book a retreat or overhaul your life. Simply give yourself permission to soften. Maybe it’s five minutes of journaling in the morning. Maybe it’s noticing what feels good — and giving yourself more of it. Maybe it’s reaching out to a friend for a walk instead of a wine. Maybe it’s saying no to what drains you, and yes to what sustains you.
Winter wellness isn’t about perfection — it’s about presence. About honouring your cycles, your seasons, your needs. About trusting that rest is productive, that reflection leads to clarity, and that renewal doesn’t come from pushing harder, but from coming home to yourself.
So let this winter be different. Let it be a sacred pause, not a punishment. Let it be a time where you reclaim your energy, reconnect with what matters, and reset your rhythms in ways that carry you well into the seasons ahead.
You don’t have to do it all.
You just have to begin — one nourishing, grounding, life-affirming choice at a time.
