winter blues: An eco-somatic perspective

“I ask my skin questions, I ask the soil for direction”

Winter blues describes a period of lowered energy, mood, and motivation that some people experience as the days grow shorter and colder. It’s as if the season presses a pause button on the usual energy we experience during warmer and longer days.

This phenomenon often starts in autumn, right around the time we turn the clocks back. The earlier sunsets can trigger a sense of dread, knowing the colder, darker months stretch ahead. Our circadian rhythms, which regulate our sleep and energy patterns, are deeply influenced by light. When daylight is in short supply, our internal clocks can become misaligned, leaving us feeling out of sync with ourselves and the world around us.

The symptoms are not just emotional, they’re physical, too. A sense of lethargy creeps in, making it harder to move, let alone tackle everyday tasks. Even activities we once enjoyed may feel burdensome. It’s a time when nature slows down, and perhaps, instinctively, so do we. But instead of embracing this natural rhythm, modern life often demands we maintain the same productivity, leaving us feeling stuck and out of place. For those of us who live in the northern hemisphere and celebrate Christmas, this festive season requires us to exert a type of energy that we just don’t have, leaving us completely flat out.

If you want to learn more about the seasonal factors affecting our mental health, I wrote a blog post on this very topic: “Season and mental health: how to survive the change of seasons” – this is an evergreen blog post, not just about winter!

Read the blog post

How the skin helped me make sense of winter

An Anatomical Perspective

The skin is our largest organ, accounting for about 15% of our body weight. It is more than just a protective layer, it is a dynamic and multifaceted organ that plays a crucial role in our survival and well-being. The skin is an organ of the many qualities.

It serves as a protective barrier, shielding the body from extreme temperatures, harmful UV rays, and potentially dangerous chemicals. It also produces antibacterial substances to defend against infections (protective function) and plays a vital role in synthesising vitamin D, which is essential for calcium absorption and bone health (collaborative role). Packed with sensory nerves, the skin enables us to perceive and interact with our environment, keeping the brain informed about the external world (receptive quality). Additionally, its flexibility allows for unrestricted movement, making it an incredibly adaptable and multifunctional organ.

Our skin is dynamic, attentive and responsive

What happens to the skin in winter?

During the winter months, our skin faces a range of challenges that can feel particularly intense. The air becomes drier, and the heating systems in our homes can strip moisture from the skin, leaving it dry and sometimes cracked. This disruption of the skin’s natural barrier makes it more vulnerable to irritation and infection. At the same time, with less sunlight, vitamin D production slows down. Since this vitamin is essential for bone health and immune function, the lack of sunlight can make our skin appear duller and less vibrant.

The cold temperatures also cause the blood vessels near the surface of the skin to constrict (a process known as vasoconstriction). While this helps retain body heat, it can make extremities like our fingers, toes, and face feel colder, often leaving them with a paler or blue-tinged appearance (an experience I am familiar with).

When the skin’s healing process tends to slow down in winter, circulation and cellular activities become less efficient in colder conditions.

Additionally, the shift to more indoor living during the colder months and increased exposure to urban pollution may add to the skin’s struggles.

With less exposure to fresh air and more exposure to pollutants from indoor heating, air conditioning, and city environments, the skin may struggle to maintain its resilience. These combined factors make winter particularly taxing on the skin, requiring extra care and attention.

What can we learn from our skin that can support us through winter?

In somatic trauma therapy, we believe that healing is rooted in the body. It’s not about forcing change but allowing the body to guide us through its natural rhythms, often at a pace much slower than our modern lives demand. Our bodies have an incredible capacity to respond to stress and threats, and just as importantly, they also possess the wisdom to bring us back to balance when we listen closely.

Listen to your body

The dryness that often comes with winter can be seen as a reflection of the need for more nourishment, both physically and emotionally, during this time. If we listen closely to the signals our skin gives us, we can learn to nourish ourselves with warmth, hydration, and care, offering our bodies the restorative support they need to thrive.

Go with the pace of your body

The constriction of blood vessels in cold temperatures, which preserves core warmth, can inspire us to set healthy boundaries during winter. Just as our skin instinctively contracts to preserve energy, we too can pull inward when needed, setting limits on what we give to others and focusing on what we need to nourish ourselves from within.

Slow down

Just as our skin heals more slowly in winter, we might find that our emotional and physical healing processes take more time during this season. If you’ve been pushing through the year, consider this a gentle reminder to give yourself permission to rest. Healing takes time, and winter offers the space to nurture that process.

We have the capacity for renewal

Skin cells are continuously being shed and replaced, with the outermost layers constantly sloughing off to make way for fresh cells beneath. This regeneration happens quietly and steadily, often without us noticing, but it’s essential for maintaining the health and integrity of our skin. In winter, this process continues, albeit more subtly, as the skin adapts to the harsher elements like cold, wind, and reduced humidity.

This natural cycle reminds us that rest and renewal are always happening beneath the surface, even when we can’t see it. Winter, like our skin, holds space for quiet transformations.

How nature guides us through winter

At times, looking inward and appreciating what we cannot see may be difficult. I learnt and appreciated the idea of renewal and cyclicality first from nature. Attending a workshop series in ecosomatics organised by the Tariki Trust opened my eyes to the intricate connection between body and land, a connection I then started nurturing through readings and time spent outdoors.

A time for renewal

In autumn, when leaves fall to the ground, they form a natural protective layer, often called “leaf litter.” This layer serves several ecological purposes: it insulates the soil, helping to regulate its temperature and retain moisture, and it also provides nutrients as it decomposes, enriching the soil for future growth. This process supports the ecosystem’s health and demonstrates how nature prepares itself for the challenges of winter (a process that I soon learnt being similar to the shedding of the skin).

Winter: a time for adaptation

In winter, both skin and soil go through phases of rest and adaptation. The harsh weather may slow down the activity on the surface, but deep below, important processes are still occurring. Winter is a time for renewal beneath the surface. It is a period of quiet preparation for the next cycle of growth. This is a time for both skin and soil to rest, repair, and restore their resources so that when the weather warms and life resumes, they are both ready for the next phase of growth.

I invite you to consider each season as an outcome of the previous one and a preparation for the following one. So in Autumn, as the trees prepare for winter, start that process, too, and reflect on your own protective layers during winter. What do you need to insulate yourself emotionally, mentally, or physically during this season? How can you honour the parts of you that are quietly renewing beneath the surface, just like the earth?

A complementary relationship

Skin and soil (and the ecosystem they support) work in tandem with life around them and are part of a larger web of life. As we nourish and care for our skin during winter, we also take care of the environment.

Our actions have a profound impact on both our bodies and the environment. When we care for the soil, ensuring its health and integrity, we are, in turn, caring for ourselves. The food that grows from healthy soil nourishes our bodies, and in turn, our skin benefits from the nutrients we ingest. It’s a circular exchange: our skin and the soil work symbiotically to ensure we remain resilient and protected.

I occasionally write a newsletter on the themes of body and nature, offering practical tips and insights that you can carry with you as your day goes on.

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Blurred background. In the front, there's a small branch with white buds in what looks like a wintery image

Conclusion

In both nature and our own bodies, every element plays a crucial role in sustaining life. In winter, as the earth slows down and enters a period of rest, we too can slow down, nurture our skin, and honour the deep rhythms of the natural world. Just as the soil awaits spring’s renewal, we too can use winter as a time to reflect, renew, and protect ourselves.

This answer is always within, but when we struggle to see it, let’s tend to nature, let’s observe it, let’s learn from it. It will give us the answers instead.

If any of the themes discussed here require exploration beyond the scope and limitations of this newsletter, I can support you with that!

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