Navigating seasonal changes: A guide to self-care and mental wellness
By Jeni Olsen
NAPA, Calif. — This time of year is a bit difficult for me as I struggle with seasonal depression. I must make sure I’m caring for myself a little extra as we slowly transition into winter. Over the years I’ve learned valuable coping skills and self-care tools that I have added to my wellness toolbox. I also have the luxury of working for a mental health agency, which means I am in regular communication with therapists. To help us learn more about how we can slow down a bit and nurture ourselves through this seasonal transition, I posed the following questions for Jessica Musgrove-Ortiz, one our clinical therapists at Mentis who works with youth and adults. She has a lot of valuable information to share. Our conversation has been condensed and edited for clarity.
Why is this time of year difficult for some people?
The transition from summer to fall and winter can be difficult for a variety of reasons. For many families, children and young adults, fall brings more structured obligations such as school, which can be a source of stress as individuals adjust to stricter personal routines and longer commutes. Young adults often juggle school with full-time jobs to make ends meet and care for their basic needs.
The end of daylight saving time can also contribute to seasonal distress. As days get shorter and temperatures get cooler, less sunlight can have a negative impact on mental health and might lead to seasonal affective disorder. SAD is a type of depression that is related to seasonal change, and symptoms typically begin during fall and increase throughout the winter. When an individual is experiencing any type of depression, daily life can be a struggle.
While holidays are typically a source of joy, they can be a source of pain for many people. Uncomfortable feelings might rise to the surface, including grief, loneliness, inadequacy, sadness, anxiety and anger. Differences in expectations can lead to family conflict. It can be helpful to prepare yourself with tools for handling holiday stress. Holidays can also be a major source of financial stress, as there is a societal influence for consumerism behaviors such as pressure to purchase expensive holiday gifts or new launches of the latest and greatest technological items.
You’ve mentioned that it’s important to honor seasonal transitions. What do you mean by this?
If we take a moment to observe the world around us, we notice how nature turns inward during this time of year. Leaves begin to fall and animals move toward hibernation. Less daylight instinctually signals us to go inward and slow down. The hormone melatonin responds to darkness and causes sleepiness. Less daylight can cause changes in our melatonin production and is a contributing factor for those who experience SAD.
Honoring seasonal transitions simply means acknowledging the difficulty that comes along with this time of year and recognizing that much of this change is not in our control. It can be confusing when we begin to struggle, especially when we don’t recognize that our body is being impacted by the season change. It’s important not to internalize these struggles and to know that transitions are a natural part of life and we are not to blame for feeling down. This is when self-care plays an essential role in our well-being and must include self-compassion.
Life is so busy. How can we possibly find time to take care of ourselves?
The best advice I have for those who feel they have no extra time in their day is to practice habit-stacking, which is a concept from the book “Atomic Habits.” Habit-stacking is when you add on to an already established habit, such as showering or brushing teeth. Anything you do daily is considered a habit. Examples of habit-stacking include saying affirmations out loud while showering, practicing deep breathing during your commute, putting a journal next to your coffeemaker and writing a few sentences while waiting for your coffee to brew, or placing an inspirational book on your nightstand. With enough consistency, small, simple joys and rituals can make a big difference.
Self-care should not feel like a burden. If your self-care activity is too time-consuming and causes added stress, it may be time to try something new. Self-care can be compared to a vehicle’s gas tank. If you never stop to fill up with gas, you will eventually break down. Self-care is essential for everyone. One suggestion I make to clients is to schedule their self-care activities on their calendar and treat them like mandatory appointments. A self-care activity does not have to take a long time. It can be a 10-minute “self-care appointment” that you spend watching funny animal videos or stepping outside for a few deep breaths of fresh air. Self-care is anything that brings you joy or makes you feel calm, and it truly benefits you in the long run.
Families can build self-care activities into their daily routines, which can be done together or individually at the same time. I often suggest that families set aside time together where everyone is engaging in their self-care activity. When parents practice self-care, they actively model this positive behavior for their children. If you are a parent who needs time to decompress after work or a long day, communicate your self-care needs to your children so they know what to expect. Share how much time you need alone and what will happen after that time is up (such as you will spend time with them, make dinner or attend to their needs), and then follow through with what you explained. Encourage your children to spend time engaging in self-care at the same time to build on this positive family habit.
There are six different categories of self-care: physical, emotional, psychological, professional, spiritual and personal. It might be helpful to determine your self-love language and what types of self-care might be most beneficial to you. Once you determine your self-love language and identify self-care activities that you might enjoy, experiment with a few different activities to find something that makes you feel relaxed, happy or content.
Jessica, what are your favorite self-care practices?
Since I am affected by seasonal change, I need to make sure I stick to my self-care practices so I can continue effectively providing mental-health services to my clients. I break up my self-care practices by identifying what I can do daily, weekly and monthly.
Daily self-care practices include the basics: getting enough sleep, eating nutrient-dense foods, some sort of movement (which does not have to be big — it can be a 10-minute walk), and hydrating throughout the day. Besides the basics, I also have a ritual before bed that includes putting my phone on “do not disturb” while I read a fictional book.
On a weekly basis I try to practice something creative. This might be hula-hooping, engaging in an art activity or baking.
Monthly, I try to connect with friends to cultivate relationships and share meaningful experiences. We are social beings, so it is important to spend time with family or friends where you are all sharing an experience together.
When might people seek help from a professional?
It may be time to seek professional help if your emotions become difficult to manage, your usual hobbies or activities stop being enjoyable, or if negative thoughts or chronic worries are present. If depression, anxiety or any other mental-health concerns are taking away from your quality of life, talking to a mental-health professional can be extremely beneficial.
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I’m so grateful for Jessica’s tips on self-care through seasonal transitions. As a therapist, she takes a personal approach in counseling people on how to best care for themselves. It’s important to keep seeking activities that you enjoy, that bring balance and ease to your life. And it’s equally as important to seek help, if needed.
As I mentioned above, I have added quite a few tools to my wellness toolbox over the years. My favorite form of self-care is hiking. I have a short trail near my house and try to get my boots in the dirt as often as possible. However, I don’t have time to hike every day. I have found that simply standing barefoot on a patch of grass grounds and centers me, and I try and take at least one break every day to stand in the grass. There have been times throughout my life when I’ve needed professional help, and during these times my therapist has helped me identify my sources of sadness or grief and supported me while I get back on my feet.
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If you or someone you love is experiencing a mental-health crisis, call or text the 988 suicide and crisis lifeline.
If you or someone you love needs mental-health or wellness support, please visit our Mentis Youth Resource Database. Mentis is one of Napa’s oldest nonprofits and provides bilingual affordable mental-health services to people of every age and income level.
Jessica Musgrove-Ortiz is an associate mental health therapist and has worked for Mentis for three years. She provides therapy services for children, adolescents and adults in our outpatient clinic and at schools in Napa. She also chairs the wellness committee at Mentis and encourages all of us to take care of ourselves so we can better take care of our clients, families and loved ones.
As the founder of Teens Connect and director of Mentis’ Prevention Division, Jeni Olsen manages youth wellness programs through a mental-health lens together with local teenagers and her Prevention team. As a director, speaker and writer she is often sought out for her in-depth expertise around teens and her forward-thinking, collaborative approach to supporting youth and their complex needs.
Thank you for this timely article. I love the idea of habit-stacking! It can be so much easier to add one additional step to something we do everyday than to try to practice something new in isolation. Your great article, along with the information shared, will hopefully reach a number of people who can benefit from your wisdom. I hope to share it with several friends who find themselves challenges this time every year, and who are also struggling more intensely given our political and international situations. Here's to a simple seasonal transition for many. As I watch the trees shed their leaves and turn inward, I hope to remember that this time of year can be very difficult for many.