6 Ways to Beat the End-of-Winter Slump
It’s that time of year: it’s February, it’s grey outside, and we’re all worn down by winter. It’s everywhere: 41% of people polled by the American Psychiatric Association reported declined mood and energy during this season. For expats in the Netherlands, the holidays are over and school and work routines are back in full swing for the foreseeable future. Summer’s out there in the distance but not quite close enough to feel real yet.
We all know that late winter can bring a dip in mood and motivation. If you’re raising kids here, you might have noticed that they’re more tired or irritable too. Every molehill becomes a mountain and every chore is a slog. If you’re living far away from family, this stretch can feel especially long.
But there’s good news: change is already happening, and spring’s on its way (we promise!). You just have to train your eyes to see it. Let’s get into six grounded, practical ways to help yourself and your family stay motivated until the sun’s out and the weather’s warmer.
1. Notice Visible Signs of Change in Nature
All across the Netherlands, snowdrops start to bloom toward the end of winter. They’re small, white, and easy to overlook, but once you find one you’ll see them everywhere. They show that the earth is starting to wake up. There will also soon be crocuses and tiny green shoots poking their heads out of the ground. These are visible signs that the season’s shifting and they can bring a lot of hope.
Make it a habit to get outside as a family and look for early flowers on your walks. Listen for birdsong becoming more frequent or buds forming on trees. Turn it into a small weekly ritual: ask your kids, “what’s changed since last week?” Take photos of the same tree or patch of grass and compare them. This helps build a visual record that we’re not stuck in winter; we’re moving towards spring.
2. Track the Return of Daylight (And Warmer Temps)
The shortest day of the year was December 21st and we’ve long since passed it. Since then, we’ve been gaining daylight by the minute. Even if the sky’s still cloudy and grey, the light is increasing. There’s more daylight after school and it’s all uphill from here. So make this visible! Check your weather app in the morning and note how there are a couple more minutes of light every day. Watching the sunset time move from 16:30 to 17:45 to 18:30 can be surprisingly uplifting. It gives your brain something concrete to hold onto.
It’s also a good idea to try to plan one small activity during daylight hours each week. It doesn’t have to be elaborate; it can be that walk with your family or standing outside with your coffee for a minute. Exposure to natural light will help you feel more like yourself by supporting your energy levels and sleep patterns.
You might also find it helpful to look at visual resources that show the sun’s position through the year. Time lapse maps are great for this, as are charts of daylight hours. Some calendars even show both in a visual representation. It helps you see that you’re literally moving out of the darkest period.
And it’s not just the return of light, but the return of “outside temperatures.” As you check your app, over the weeks you’ll watch the temperature slowly creep up into jacket weather. Even a two or three degree increase is meaningful. There are warmer times ahead!
3. Bring Nature Indoors
When the Dutch winter weather means that the outside world feels bleak, it can help to make your living space feel warm and bright. Bring signs of growth into your home, like flowers that you can watch bloom more fully over the next few weeks. There’s something nice about seeing a living thing change day by day. For kids, watching something grow can be especially reassuring in that it makes seasonal change visible and concrete.
Consider bulbs like hyacinths, tulips, or alstroemeria that start tightly closed and slowly open. Caring for plants also adds a comfortable sense of purpose during a season that can sometimes feel stagnant.
If fresh flowers aren’t practical, there are other small touches that can help: branches that will eventually bud in a vase on the table or kitchen herbs on the windowsill. Consider rearranging your space to let in more light and shake up the way your home feels with the start of the new season. It’s all about creating visual cues to remind yourself and your family that growth and change are underway.
4. Create Things to Look Forward To
Winter feels longer when there’s nothing special on the calendar. The good news is, all you need to change this is a plan and a pen. Adding something to anticipate can bring a little light back when you’re feeling the February burnout.
Again, this is one of those things that doesn’t have to be elaborate. It could be a short weekend trip or a museum visit. Maybe someone you know is having a birthday. Maybe you can start your very own family holiday. It can be easy and silly (in fact, the sillier the better)--it’s just something to look forward to and make special. Here are a couple ideas to get you started:
Pancake Day: Eat different kinds of pancakes for all three meals. Let the kids be included in deciding what kinds of pancakes to make and mixing the batter. Crepes, American pancakes, fruit pancakes, dollar pancakes, souffle pancakes, buckwheat pancakes, even yorkshire puddings—the world is your griddle.
Nature Crown Day: Take a walk outside as a family and make nature crowns with leaves and flowers you find. When you come in, dance in the living room with your crowns (nature crowns are famous for amping up dancing skills) or have a fashion show to show them off.
Inside Camping Weekend: Set up a tent or make a fort with sleeping bags in the living room on a Saturday. Watch movies, tell stories with flashlights, and have a sleepover.
Make-Your-Own-Pizza Party: Make pizza dough and set out toppings. Let each kid “make their own pizza” by stretching the dough to any shape they want and putting on their favorite toppings. Bake in the oven and eat during Family Movie Night.
Library Day: Turn your living room into the coziest reading space you can find, with pillows and mats and blankets. Everyone brings their favorite books and either reads them together or in their favorite spot.
5. Spend Time Outside
You’ll notice that a lot of our advice includes getting out of the house, even if it’s only for a brief period of time. There’s a reason for that: even short stretches outside can improve your mood. A 20-minute walk in the middle of the day, when light’s strongest, can boost alertness and help regulate sleep. We know it’s tempting to wait for perfect weather, but this might be the time of year your body needs that fresh air the most.
It’s also a good time to reflect back on previous years. Was there an unexpectedly warm day in February when you wore a t-shirt outside? Have you had a year where spring felt like it came early? Winter isn’t permanent and you’ll have more of those days soon.
Reflect on your energy levels and notice subtle changes in your body as the days become brighter. Maybe you feel more talkative, creative, motivated to cook, or social. Maybe you just have more mental space: minor setbacks don’t bother you as much. Your body’s preparing for spring, even if you don’t consciously feel it yet.
6. Match Energy Instead of Fighting It
Sometimes you just run out of practical options. The sky’s not budging and schedules are fixed. This is where rituals can be extremely comforting. Lighting a candle at the same time every evening or making the same tea in the afternoons, letting your body rest and taking reflective pauses: all of these create steadiness.
Routine brings predictability, which is especially helpful during low-energy seasons. Instead of pushing yourself full speed ahead, consider adjusting your expectations. For all the fuss about “new year, new you,” winter’s really a good time to treat as a period of hibernation: resting, thinking, and moving more slowly.
This is also a time to acknowledge the emotional challenges that often show up over winter. School pressure can feel heavier around this time of year. Homesickness after holidays might come up after having left extended family behind. You might feel frustrated that you’re not as productive or cheerful as you’d like to be. You might wonder, “why does February feel so hard?”
It’s okay to not feel excited for spring or summer. Motivation doesn’t have to look like constant positivity. Sometimes it’s just steady routines and small signs of change that remind you that time is passing. You’ve already come a long way since December 21st. The daylight’s longer and the snowdrops are blooming. Temperatures are rising and birds are flying home. Spring isn’t here yet—but it’s closer than it was yesterday.
Navigating a Change? EKC is Here to Help.
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We specialize in helping people navigate new experiences and situations from the universal to the unique. Our mission is to help kids, teens, and families build resiliency, discover their identities and values, and form healthy coping strategies to manage the tough moments.
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