How to Fight Seasonal Depression: 12 Ways to Embrace Each Season

Seasonal depression is a REAL thing. If you struggle with it, I completely understand, especially being from a cold climate. I didn’t always recognize it, but I have come to find that I have very much struggled with it. It can get rough, especially during the cold months when you don’t see the sun very often.

Rather than looking forward to things, instead, I try to be present and appreciate the small moments. Life goes by really freaking fast when you’re constantly looking forward to things and not just enjoying where you currently are! To help fight the sadness from creeping in, I like to divide my year into different “themes.” They’re not just seasons, but chunks of time. I’d love to go through the full calendar to give you my tips as to how I do my best to enjoy the “theme” of every single part of the year & fight seasonal depression. I think you’ll find these tips are not only practical, but pretty simple!

January 1st - 25th: Fresh Start Mode

A fresh start is really important to me, and I love the vibe of a January clean slate.

January 26th - February 28th/29th: Love/Self-Love

This theme is all about love, self-love, passion, sexiness, and feeling your best.

March 1st - April 15th: Spring/Easter

I LIVE for spring. The weather is getting nicer, flowers are blooming, and you know Peter Rabbit is my homeboy. I’m always excited for spring!

April 16th - May 31st: Summer Prep/Spring Cleaning

This is a great time for a fresh summer reset and cleaning the whole house because it’s warm enough. I’m all about getting ready for summer and working on my summer bod during this time!

June 1st - September 3rd: Full Summer Mode

This season gives me all the feels, especially this year. Since we moved into our new home, I’ll be living at the lake! Why did I choose September 3rd, you ask? It’s my birthday, so I like to include that in summer before switching to the next theme.

September 4th - October 31st: Halloween Mode

As you know, I LOVE Halloween. I’m doing all the things during Halloween Mode, like going to Halloween Horror Nights, Mickey’s Not So Scary Halloween Party, filming YouTube videos, decorating, etc.!

November 1st - December 31st: Christmas Mode

When midnight strikes on November 1st, Christmas is here. Similar to Halloween Mode, I’m decorating, celebrating, and enjoying all things Christmas for the rest of the year.

Now, I’ll walk you through the 12 steps I take to CRUSH every theme of the year. For each step, pick some things that resonate with you for the current theme. I’ll give you some examples of what I’m doing for February’s Love/Self-Love theme. Before we get started, grab some paper so you can write down your own list. I like using the Lined Paper Insert so I can keep it in the front of my planner!

1. Playlist & Music

Choose some music that gives you the vibe you’re going for. In January, pop hits and upbeat music put me in the right frame of mind for a fresh start. My fave playlist for January is called “Mood Booster” on Spotify. I’m still all about pop in February, but make it sexy. I’ve got the “50 Shades” playlist on repeat!

2. Movies & Shows

Like the Playlist & Music category, pick some things to watch that get you into the feels for your theme. For February, I’m going with Mean Girls, Legally Blonde, and Valentine’s Day (the movie).

3. Decor

If you’ve been around for a while, you know I’m ALL about the decor. Pick an area of your house to decorate, even if it’s just a few cool little pieces. For me, I love setting up a tiered tray and bar cart for each season. To get some guidance on building a tiered tray and see the items I picked for February, check out my latest YouTube video.

4. Habits

What are some habits you want to incorporate into your routine? Something I am implementing this month is getting up before the sun to have some me time/quiet time. Making sure I’m getting in some self-love is super important to me.

5. Focus

What do you want to focus on for that month? It can be your routine, something you want to switch, or even a word/phrase of the month. This month, I’m choosing to focus on quality time with myself, my spouse and my fur baby.

6. Movement

What does movement mean for you, and what is your movement goal? It doesn’t have to be a workout plan. In other words, what are you going to do to get off your butt? That’s all it has to be! This month, I’m working on pilates and flexibility daily.

7. Recipes

For me, February is all about steak and chocolate everything (not together, lol). I would love to make some cozy stew or “husband catching” recipes, like the “Catch A Husband Casserole.”

8. Details

What I mean by “details” are the little things like fun cuppies, straws, cocktail picks… things that are on theme and help add to the overall vibe you’re going for. Those little details just help you get excited about the season! No surprise here, my go-to cuppie this season is the Really Pretty tumbler!

9. Outfits & Accessories

For this, I don’t only mean clothing. Don’t skip out on the accessories that add fun little details, like a cute V Day scrunchie, lollipop heart earrings, etc. For every season, I love a good graphic sweater. This month, I’ve been living in my Gal Squad merch and this cute pink jumper!

10. Self-Care

This one is SUPER important. My focus in this category changes throughout the year with the different themes. Right now, my priorities are having a bubble bath every single night, doing face masks, reading, doing my nails, etc.

11. Goals

What are your goals? It’s crazy how much momentum you get when you start checking them off! My goal this month is to make myself proud. There are some big things I want to accomplish this month, and I just want to end the month feeling proud.

12. Books

What are you reading this month? I’m going through My Dream Life Blueprint Workbook. For fun, I’m reading the book Things We Never Got Over by Lucy Score.

That’s my list! This felt therapeutic, and I hope it helps you get excited about the season that you’re in. Embrace the vibes, the excitement, and just be all about it! I’d love to hear your suggestions as well. Be sure to tag me in your list and share your ideas in the comments!