June & July in Queenstown is beautiful and brutal in equal measure
We chose this town for the outdoors. The mountains, the trails, the crisp air that makes you feel alive just breathing it. And then Jack Frost arrives and suddenly the very thing that grounds us feels completely out of reach.
For many people, winter brings more than just cold weather. According to the Mayo Clinic, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is significantly more common in people who live far from the equator, precisely because of reduced sunlight during winter months. Which means those of us in the South Island are not imagining it. The geography is working against us.
The symptoms of winter SAD are worth knowing because they are easily mistaken for laziness or lack of willpower. Persistent low mood. Fatigue that does not shift even after a full night of sleep, often accompanied by oversleeping. Difficulty concentrating. Low motivation. Carbohydrate cravings and gradual weight gain. A withdrawal from the activities and people that usually bring you joy.
This is a normal response and it’s your nervous system responding to less light, less warmth, and less movement than it is designed to run on.
The unhelpful response, and the one most of us default to, is to push harder. To shame ourselves for not doing the things we managed easily in summer. To treat a physiological response to seasonal change as a personal failing.
Winter is not asking you to stop. It is asking you to shift.
A few things that genuinely help:
Vitamin D is essential, particularly from the Abel Tasman region southward. Our winter sun is simply not strong enough to maintain adequate levels. A good quality supplement through these months is foundational, not optional. Talk to your GP about testing your levels if you are unsure where you sit.
A daylight lamp used in your bedroom or workspace in the morning meaningfully supports mood and energy by mimicking natural light. Research supports light therapy as one of the most effective tools for managing SAD symptoms.
Creative indoor activities, whether art, music, dance, or anything that gets you out of your head and into your hands, give the nervous system something it genuinely needs: expression without pressure.
And when Jack Frost is making the idea of an outdoor run completely unappealing, moving indoors still counts. Fully and completely.
Winter is a season, not a verdict on who you are. You are allowed to move more slowly. You are allowed to rest more deeply. You are allowed to give yourself the same grace you would offer a friend struggling through the same grey weeks.
Pressing pause is not giving up. Sometimes it is the wisest thing your body has ever asked of you.
If the winter heaviness is feeling like more than seasonal sluggishness, I am always happy to have a conversation. Book a free 30-minute Clarity Call at https://breastwise.co.nz/clarity-call
Katherine Froggatt is a 10-year breast cancer thriver, Evidence-Based EFT Practitioner, Metabolic Health Coach, and founder of Breast Wise, a breast cancer recovery and survivorship coaching platform based in Queenstown. Visit breastwise.co.nz
