12/17/2025
Mental health and Utah winters
*Keep being social: It is known that socializing helps us mentally. During our Utah winters people tend to stay hunkered down indoors - because it is freezing outside! Well, embrace it. Keep pushing to be social regardless of Mother Nature: Book clubs, game nights, cooking parties, indoor sports or exercise classes are fun. Be creative with this so you don’t feel isolated this year.
*Keep being physical: During these cold months you can still push for it. Generally, you can just bundle up and do 75 percent of summer activities. Or… temporarily switch to an indoor version of activity. I, for example play pickleball at the parks in summer and at indoors places during winter.
*Keep getting sunlight: Utah is known for low UVB rays in winter. Besides vitamin D, we are missing out on the happy chemicals like endorphin and serotonin. You can get a light therapy lamp for under 20.00 on Amazon (EasyHome Light Therapy Sun Lamp). You can “open up the dirty window” like in the song Unwritten. And last but not least you can venture out of the house even when it is colder – you have to walk the dog anyways :)
Darren Gillespie, LCSW
Clinical Therapist
