Seasonal Self-Care: Why Your Routine Needs to Change with the Weather

This episode of How to Be Happy addresses a common frustration many of us face as the temperature drops and the days get shorter: the "winter slump." If you’ve been judging yourself for losing consistency with your morning walks or feeling a dip in your motivation, Declan Edwards is here to tell you that you aren’t lazy, you’re human.

Declan explores the biological and psychological reasons why our summer self-care routines often fail us in the colder months. Instead of stubbornly relying on willpower to force a fixed routine, this episode teaches you how to design a "seasonal" self-care strategy that aligns with your biology and restores your energy

In this episode, we explore:

• The Myth of the Fixed Routine: Why treating self-care as a year-round "constant" leads to guilt and burnout.

  
  

• The Science of the Winter Slump: How shifting levels of melatonin and serotonin impact your sleep, mood, and motivation during the darker months.

  
  

• The "Farmer" Analogy: Understanding that, like nature, humans have seasons for reaping and seasons for resting and conserving energy.

  
  

• Adapting vs. Forcing: Practical ways to swap high-intensity outdoor habits for cozy, "hygge"-inspired indoor alternatives.

  
  

• Nourishment and Light: The importance of seasonal eating and "letting the light in" to regulate your mood and counteract the winter blues.

  
  

• Low-Effort Connection: Why you should swap "going out" for high-connection, low-energy catch-ups to avoid the trap of isolation.

  
  

Don’t try to wear your summer wardrobe in a winter storm. Use the steps below to adjust your self-care strategy for the season you’re actually in.

Resources:

• Join the Happiness Blueprint: Learn all 75 skills of happiness and get the community support you need to stay intentional year-round for as little as $50 AUD/month. https://www.buhappinesscollege.com/happiness-blueprint

  
  

• Subscribe & Plant a Tree: For every new subscriber to the show, we fund the planting of a tree and the protection of rainforest. Hit subscribe to help us re-green the world.

  
  

• Share the Ripple: Know someone struggling with the "winter blues"? Forward this episode to them to help them find a bit more compassion for themselves.

  
  

What is one "summer" habit you are giving yourself permission to put on ice for the season?