Getting Through the Final Stretch of Winter
If you’ve spent a winter on the East Coast, especially in New York or New Jersey, you know this part of the season well.
Winter 2025-2026 has definitely been an extra test, with the cold lingering longer than most want it to. The moments of false hope, a few 70-degree sunny days, give hope. We know though, that the sun will be followed by wind, snow, and temperature drops that once again feel unbearable.
March, especially, can feel like a back-and-forth.
What if, instead of resisting that unpredictability, we let March be March?
Soak up the taste of a spring day when it arrives. The lightness, the warmth, the way people seem to come back to life. And when the freezing cold or snow returns, meeting that too. Not with defeat, but with an understanding that this is part of the transition.
If you’re feeling the emotional weight of this time of year, you’re not alone.
From a physiological standpoint, winter can impact us in real ways. Reduced sunlight can influence our circadian rhythms and lower serotonin levels, which affects mood, sleep, and energy. For some, this shows up as seasonal shifts in mental health, often referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder, though even without a formal diagnosis, many people notice a dip.
And even in sunnier places like Los Angeles, winter still has an effect. The sun sets earlier. The days are shorter. There is a shift in energy that the body registers, even if it looks different than a Northeast winter.
And yet, winter is not only something to get through.
In many traditions, it is something to understand.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, winter is associated with the element of water, a time of conservation, rest, and going inward. It is a season that invites slower movement, deeper reflection, and tending to what is beneath the surface.
This perspective is woven into the practice of Katonah Yoga, which draws from Taoist philosophy and Chinese medicine. In this approach, the seasons are not just happening around us, they are happening within us. Winter becomes a time to build reserves, to listen more closely, and to honor quieter rhythms.
And still, two things can be true.
You can respect the inward pull of winter and long for spring.
Small Rituals, Steady Support
During this time of year, I find myself returning to a few simple, grounding rituals. Not as a way to fix the season, but as a way to meet it.
Most mornings, I commit to stepping outside for a walk (ideally before looking at my phone). Nothing elaborate. Just fresh air, a bit of light on my eyes, a gentle reminder that the world is still moving, even when it’s the coldest chill.
I pair this with arriving home and making a soothing matcha or tea. Something warm to hold. Something that signals to my nervous system, we are easing into the day.
Some mornings, there is also movement. A short yoga practice when time allows. Or a meditation practice. Not rigid or all-or-nothing, but responsive. Listening to what my body actually has capacity for.
These rituals are not about productivity. They are about relationship, building a steady, kind connection with myself, especially during a season that can feel less resourced.
A Practice of Self-Kindness
Winter has a way of revealing our edges.
You might notice less motivation, more fatigue, or a desire to withdraw. Instead of meeting that with frustration, what would it be like to meet it with curiosity?
Self-kindness here might look like:
Letting your pace be slower than you think it should be
Choosing warmth, physically and emotionally
Saying no to what feels depleting
Allowing rest without needing to earn it
Not every season is meant for blooming.
“After Winter, Comes Spring”
This phrase is simple, but it holds something real.
Not as a way to rush the present moment, but as a quiet reassurance.
Change is already underway, even if you cannot feel it yet.
The light is returning, minute by minute. The ground is softening beneath the surface. Something is shifting, even in stillness.
And for some people, winter is actually a welcome season. A time to go inward, to reflect, to be less outwardly productive and more internally connected. If that is you, there is nothing to fix. There is wisdom in honoring that rhythm too.
As we move through these final weeks of winter, you might gently ask yourself:
What would it look like to support myself, rather than push myself, right now?
Sometimes, that shift alone can change how the season feels.
And slowly, almost without noticing, spring arrives. And that’s not without rain and sun-showers during the in-between.
If you’d like to explore a holistic approach to therapy, you can book a free 15 minute consultation.
XOXO,
Amanda
