When stick season begins, I start leaning heavily into Christmas. Lights, wreaths, tea candles everywhere. Also, Christmas-y scents- simmer pots, scented candles, room sprays, cologne/perfume. I used to think there was no point to Christmas decorating when your apartment isn't great for friend or family gatherings and nobody would see it, but I get it now. I got myself a little Norfolk pine and decorated it with tiny red ornaments, and it helps chase of that weird dread feeling- you know the one- whenever I look at it.
Winter trail walks are highly underrated. I always try to take a dog if I can. If you're bundled up properly you won't be miserable. Natural materials > synthetic materials most of the time. Cashmere-lined leather gloves or shearling mittens, merino wool socks (Costco has great cheap ones that aren't itchy), a big coat lined with fur (vintage are usually warmer for some reason), and wool base layers are the way to go. Still looking for a good winter boot that is warm and waterproof but not bulky, though. Even bundling up and sitting on the porch/balcony with a warm coffee feels infinitely better than sitting near a window inside.
There's also some content creator who has a "how to stop rotting" series that I found helpful. Shifting your perspective from "Oh fuck, I've wasted the whole day, look how dark it is outside at 5pm" to "I still have ~7 hours to make it a good day". Taking little steps, like just doing 5 minutes of yoga or stretching in bed at first.
Winter is a tough season. If you get as much vit D as possible and then try to find little things to love about it, it gets much easier.
