What’s your plan for the winter?

Winter is hard for me. I've lived with depression for many years — and the dark skies, bare trees, and colder weather consistently make me want to hibernate emotionally, socially, and physically. I'm aware of that. And self-awareness, while not enough on its own, is a good starting place.

So what if we could be more strategic — more intentional — about how we enter this season?

Start with your why

Before making a plan, understand why you need one. For me, it's mental, emotional, and physical well-being. I know at the deepest level that having a plan helps me stay hopeful and create intentional pockets of joy in my own life and the lives of the people around me.

What's yours?

Make the plan flexible

When most people hear "plan," they think checklist — things that must happen in exactly this way. But what I'm really talking about is a set of options and possibilities that can be adapted based on what life actually looks like.

Possibilities I've considered for leaning into winter rather than just surviving it:

• A family recipe contest — each person finds their best international recipe, cooks it, sends a photo and recipe to the group, and votes on the one they'd most like to try. The person with the most votes gets bragging rights.

• Modifying seasonal activities — this summer we planted vegetables outside. This winter we're adding to our houseplant collection. New green additions indoors remind us that growth is still happening, even in the cold.

Options are the antidote to feeling stuck. You don't need a perfect plan. You need a few real possibilities — and the flexibility to adapt as you go.

Be deliberate about savoring the good

When I recently achieved a significant professional milestone, I was at a loss when asked how I'd celebrate. I wanted to postpone it — wait for a "better" time. But celebrations, big and small, matter because they require us to sit in the present moment and actually notice something good.

Fred Bryant, a social psychologist at Loyola University Chicago, calls this savoring — the ability to linger with the good. He describes it as a way to maximize the positive impact of good things in our lives. This practice strengthens resilience and gratitude in ways that carry us when harder things come.

What savoring can look like

For my own celebration, I'm buying myself flowers and taking intentional time off to paint — two things I love and don't do often enough. You get to decide what savoring looks like for you. The point is to stop, notice, and let it land.

A question to take into this season

What is one possibility — one option, not a plan set in stone — that could make this winter feel a little more like yours?

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If the season ahead feels heavy — and you're wondering how to stay connected to yourself and what matters while the demands don't let up — the RESET program explores exactly this: what it means to build a sustainable life, not just a sustainable schedule.

See if RESET is right for you →

Not tips. Not a list of habits. Real work, alongside real people, that builds lasting change.

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Carolon Donnally, MSOD, PCC

Burnout Resistance Coach · Trainer · Strategic Organization Consultant

Carolon helps high-achieving leaders and mission-driven organizations do great work without burning themselves or others out. She is a former Head of Leadership Coaching at the IRS, holds an MSOD from Pepperdine University, and is an ICF PCC credentialed coach. Her work is grounded in 20+ years of real-world experience — and her own experience on the other side of burnout.