for the strong friend: weather SAD season + darker, colder months.

idk if it’s just me but the energy has been so heavy lately. the mornings are darker later. the evening comes too soon. and even when you’re doing everything right, your mood still feels….. off. i think we’re all entering a new season and our bodies know it before our mind do.

for many of us, this time of year brings on something deeper than just “feeling tired.” it’s called seasonal affective disorder (SAD): a seasonal depression that usually starts when daylight shortens. it looks like fatigue, brain fog, irritability, low motivation, and an intense craving for more carbs, sugar, and salt. it’s not weakness. it’s biology. the sun pulls back, and so do we. we are all a part of nature, after all.

but here’s the thing most people don’t realize: your gut feels the season, too.
and the strong friend, the one who holds it all, shows up for everyone, and rarely slows down… usually feels it the most.

listen to your body’s whispers before it starts to scream. it says things like ‘slow down,’ ‘go to bed earlier,’ ‘drink some water before that next coffee’. when we ignore those cues, they don’t disappear. they turn into fatigue, anxiety, bloating, and brain fog.

when we ignore this they turn into fatigue, anxiety, bloating, brain fog, even sadness. your gut feels everything you ignore. and the truth is, your digestion is your internal compass. when life feels off, your gut is the first place it shows up.

and! it’s not just emotional. it’s chemical. when sunlight drops, serotonin levels dip. less serotonin = lower mood, slower digestion, disrupted sleep. add in stress, skipped meals, caffeine, poor hydration and your minerals start burning out too.

stress depletes magnesium.
caffeine strips potassium and sodium.
low iron makes fatigue feel endless.
your mood is mineral-deep. this is why you’re more tired during the colder months.

your body doesn’t care that it’s Q4 and you have deadlines. it only knows that daylight is shorter, temperatures are colder, and energy is naturally meant to slow down. your cravings change. your appetite changes. your mood changes. everything inside of you is adjusting to the season. your only job is to listen.

so many of my clients come to me saying, “i don’t feel like myself lately.”
and when we dig deeper, it’s usually not that they’re doing anything “wrong.”
it’s that they’re still trying to move through fall and winter with a summer pace.

if you’ve been feeling off, ask yourself:
what have i been feeding my body emotionally?
what have i been consuming mentally?
and is any of it truly nourishing me?

i call this the strong friend toolkit. your winter survival kit, built on softness and science. here’s what i recommend starting with:

morning grounding: warm lemon / lime water or ginger tea / ginger shot before caffeine. even better if you can catch sunlight before screens.
nourishing foods: focus on omega-3s, spinach, kale, swiss chard, arugula, garlic, berries, sweet potatoes, and legumes. they support mood, gut, and immune health.
hydration ritual: aim for mineral-rich water or electrolytes. if you’re constantly tired, you might not be dehydrated. you might be demineralized. add pink salt to your water.
gut support: eat your meals warm, cooked and slow; cold foods slow digestion this season.
evening calm: magnesium tea or bone broth before bed to soothe the nervous system. these small things are medicine.

if you know you need more structure, you have to create a system. my favorite way to do this is the 12-week wellness year. it breaks your goals into 12-week seasons, so you can focus on what your body actually needs right now instead of forcing another January resolution that won’t stick. twelve weeks gives your body time to build consistency and your mind time to witness change.

you don’t have to do it alone. if you need something more personalized, book a 1-hour holistic nutrition consultation. we’ll look at your eating habits, stress levels, sleep, energy, and emotional patterns and rebuild a system that works with you, not against you.

and if you’re not ready for 1:1 work, start the 12-week program.
it’s for this exact season. the one where you want to feel aligned again, grounded again, like yourself again.

and to my strong friends… i see you.
you’ve spent all year showing up for everyone else.
you deserve to show up for you.

your body isn’t asking for perfection. it’s asking for partnership.
to be heard. to be seen. to be loved. to be cared for.
your gut isn’t angry. it’s just overwhelmed.

so this season, may you stop rushing your healing.
may you feed yourself warmth instead of pressure.
and may you finally remember that rest is still a form of strength.

cheers to slowing down.
cheers to the strong friend finally letting herself be held.

with gratitude,
Arielle