Ep. 147: Winter Blues and Sobriety - 5 Strategies that Actually Help

If the darker months tend to stir up cravings, low motivation, or the urge to numb out, this is your sign to plug into real support. For November only, you can try the Day Makers Community for two weeks for just $1. Get coaching, connection, and stability during the hardest season of the year. Join at www.nomorewasteddays.co/daymakers.

Episode Summary

Winter can be one of the most challenging seasons to stay alcohol free. Shorter days, less sunlight, gray skies, and changes in routine can mess with your mood and energy. In the Pacific Northwest, Sara calls it the Big Dark for a reason. In this episode, she breaks down why the winter blues happen, why they hit harder when you are alcohol free, and the practical strategies that help you stay grounded instead of slipping backward.

Sara shares the story of her first winter living in a camper trailer on the land while building her house. The lack of natural light, heavy rain, and isolation hit stronger than expected, and it became the first time she truly understood how intense the winter blues can feel, even deep into sobriety. She now approaches every winter with intention and has built a winter-specific sober toolkit to stay emotionally steady.

Through personal experience and research, this episode teaches you how to recognize winter blues, how to distinguish them from seasonal affective disorder, and how to protect your alcohol free identity during the months when cravings or old coping mechanisms may begin whispering again.

You will leave with five winter-proof strategies that help you stay energized, connected, and proud of your choices, even when the season feels heavy.

What You Will Learn 1. Why the Winter Blues Happen

• How reduced sunlight lowers serotonin.
• How longer darkness disrupts circadian rhythm, leading to fatigue, fog, and increased melatonin.
• Why people in northern latitudes are more susceptible.
• How environmental factors like rain, darkness, and isolation intensify the emotional dip.

2. How Winter Impacts Your Alcohol Free Journey

• Lower mood plus lower energy can increase cravings and relapse risk.
• Lack of motivation can sabotage routines that usually protect your sobriety.
• Social withdrawal and loneliness can make old patterns feel nostalgic or tempting.
• Winter can become a unique season in your recovery, requiring specialized tools and preparation.

3. How to Know Whether It Is the Winter Blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder

• Winter blues tend to be mild and temporary.
• SAD is more persistent, more intense, and repeats each winter.
• Sara stresses the importance of not minimizing clinical depression and reaching out for professional support when needed.

4. Five Strategies to Protect Your Sobriety This Winter

Light exposure and environment

• Use a light therapy lamp.
• Increase brightness in your indoor spaces or embrace warm lighting if it brings comfort.
• Explore vitamin D supplementation.
• Get your face outside for whatever sunlight exists that day.

Routine and structure

• Keep consistent wake times.
• Resist the urge to retreat into isolation.
• Anchor habits that reinforce your non-drinker identity.
• Maintain community engagement even when motivation dips.

Movement, connection, and purpose

• Move daily even when it is dark or rainy.
• Bundle up, put on the rain gear, and get outside.
• Plan intentional social touchpoints.
• Reaffirm your personal why and your identity as a non-drinker.

Ask for support when things feel off

• Speak up early.
• Share your experience with a partner or community.
• Build a winter strategy before you are struggling.
• Seek professional care if symptoms feel intense or prolonged.

Mindset reframing

• See winter as a season of reinvention rather than defeat.
• Lean into coziness, warmth, and slow living.
• Remember that you no longer use alcohol to numb