Published January 16, 2026 | By Alyx E, Founder of Collectors MD

This is the time of year when life can feel especially heavy. The days are still short. The mornings are dark. Work hours feel longer than usual, and there is not much on the calendar to look forward to yet. The dead of winter has a way of amplifying fatigue, isolation, and restlessness all at once. Even people who feel steady most of the year can feel worn down and burnt out during this stretch.

When energy dips and motivation fades, old habits often start knocking again. Not because you’ve failed, but because your brain is looking for relief. Seasonal depression doesn’t just make us feel sad, it lowers our defenses. The habits we once used to escape stress, numb discomfort, or generate excitement can suddenly feel tempting again. The familiar pull of spending, chasing, gambling-adjacent behaviors, or compulsive routines can resurface quietly, disguised as “just trying to get through the week”.

There is also pressure during this time to power through. To grind harder. To ignore how you feel and keep moving. But relying on willpower alone during this time of year rarely works. Pushing without acknowledging the weight of the season can actually make the urges louder, not quieter. When the nervous system is already depleted, relying on mental discipline alone can be a fragile strategy.

The days tend to blur together during this period. Fatigue builds gradually, and it becomes harder to tell whether you are actually coping or just enduring.

This season asks for a different kind of strength. Not intensity and strain, but rather consistency and resilience. Short walks in daylight when you can get it. Honest check-ins instead of isolating. Scaling back expectations rather than adding more pressure. Replacing “I just need to get through this” with “What would support me today?”. These small acts create stability when motivation is at an all-time low.

If you feel yourself slipping toward old patterns right now, that doesn’t mean you’re regressing. It means you are human in a difficult and challenging season. The dead of winter has a way of exposing the cracks, but it can also teach us how to reinforce them with compassion and patience instead of shame and restlessness.

You aren’t weak for struggling during this time of year. You’re responding to real conditions with real effects on your body and mind. Awareness, support, and gentleness aren’t indulgences, they’re protective factors. This season will pass, but the habits you build to care for yourself through it can last much longer.

#CollectorsMD
This time of year isn’t about pushing harder, it’s about recognizing seasonal depression for what it is and responding intentionally.

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