Supporting Your Team Through SAD, Winter Blues and the Darker Months.
Winter Wellbeing Workshop: What you need to know:
For many UK teams, the shift from October into February is the hardest of the year. Specifically, shorter daylight hours, colder weather, post-Christmas fatigue and higher rates of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) combine to affect mood, energy and productivity across the whole workforce. Notably, around 1 in 3 people in the UK experience some form of winter-related mood dip — and roughly 1 in 15 meet the clinical threshold for SAD.
For HR and People teams, winter is where wellbeing budgets prove their worth. Furthermore, the organisations that invest properly in seasonal wellbeing see measurable differences in engagement scores, absence rates and team performance through the darker months.
Our Wellbeing for Winter workshop gives your team the practical tools, science and shared language to navigate winter well — not just endure it. Delivered virtually or on-site, it’s the single most-booked seasonal workshop on our menu.
What your team will learn
Delivered by a leading clinical mental health trainer, the 60-minute Wellbeing for Winter workshop covers:
- The science of winter mood. Specifically, how changing daylight, temperature and circadian rhythms affect the brain, body and mood — plus how to spot the signs of SAD, winter blues and seasonal fatigue in yourself and colleagues.
- Energy management through the darker months. Practical tools for maintaining focus, stamina and motivation when the world feels slower
- Recovery-ready routines. Furthermore, evidence-informed micro-habits that support quality sleep, restorative rest and true recovery when the external environment is less forgiving.
- Stress, isolation and connection. As a result of hybrid working, winter loneliness has become a genuine workplace issue. We cover recognising the signs (in yourself and others) and using connection as a resilience tool.
- A practical winter toolkit. Finally, transferable practices for the workplace and home that add up to a substantially different winter.
- A clear personal action plan. Every participant leaves with a one-page plan they can apply the same week — not another set of things to remember.
Client who’ve booked this workshop:
Why winter matters for workplace wellbeing
The winter productivity dip isn’t imagined. In fact, three converging factors make October to February the toughest stretch of the year for most UK workforces:
Reduced daylight and vitamin D. As a result of shorter days, the brain produces less serotonin and more melatonin — affecting mood, motivation and sleep quality. Notably, vitamin D deficiency spikes across the UK population between October and March, with knock-on effects on cognitive function, energy and immune resilience.
Increased isolation and reduced connection. Furthermore, remote and hybrid workers report significantly higher loneliness scores in winter months. Meanwhile, colder weather and darker evenings reduce natural opportunities for informal team connection.
Post-Christmas emotional and financial pressure. In addition, January brings the “great return” — post-holiday fatigue, financial stress, resolution pressure and often the year’s most demanding workload. Consequently, Blue Monday (the third Monday of January) has become a real workplace mental health moment, not just a marketing invention.
Higher rates of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). Above all, an estimated 2 million people in the UK live with SAD — a form of clinical depression triggered by reduced light exposure. Additionally, many more experience subclinical “winter blues” that still meaningfully affect performance at work.
Taken together, these factors mean your team’s mental health, focus and energy genuinely need extra support between October and February. In practice, a seasonal workshop is one of the most cost-effective ways to provide it.
Who this workshop is for
HR and People teams planning winter wellbeing support for the workforce — particularly relevant for organisations with hybrid or remote teams where winter isolation risks are highest.
Wellbeing leads designing a coordinated winter programme covering October through February. In practice, this workshop pairs powerfully with our Coping with Christmas workshop, Loneliness, Connection & Belonging and our Nourishing Winter Foods for Employees nutrition workshop.
Employers marking Blue Monday who want to anchor the third Monday of January with something more meaningful than a poster or a lunch-and-learn. Notably, Blue Monday makes an excellent launch moment for a broader winter wellbeing investment. See our
Global teams with UK/European workforces where the impact of winter is meaningfully greater than in warmer markets. As a result, this workshop is one of our most-requested for organisations with mixed UK/international teams.
Global teams with UK/European workforces where the impact of winter is meaningfully greater than in warmer markets. As a result, this workshop is one of our most-requested for organisations with mixed UK/international teams.
Particularly relevant for: Hybrid and remote-first teams across all sectors; global teams where time zones limit informal connection; growth-stage tech and professional services with rapid hiring; financial services and law firms where culture is intense but interpersonal warmth often gets squeezed out.
When to book (timing matters for winter workshops)
For maximum impact, book your Wellbeing for Winter workshop between October and January. Specifically:
- October — November: Best time to introduce the workshop as autumn transitions. Consequently, tools land BEFORE symptoms peak, giving employees the whole winter to apply what they’ve learned.
- January — early February: Notably, this is when Blue Monday and post-holiday fatigue peak. A workshop at this moment gives teams the reset they genuinely need.
- December (mid-month): Furthermore, some organisations pair Wellbeing for Winter with their year-end team days as a strategic close to the year.
Most UK organisations book their winter workshop 4-6 weeks in advance. As a result, for a January delivery, aim to book by mid-November.
What clients say about our Wellbeing for Winter workshop
I could have spent ALL afternoon on this session.
It’s really reassuring knowing that it’s normal to find the winter hard.
The facilitator was amazing and presented very well put together information. It was nice to hear everyone sharing their ideas too.
Build a full winter wellbeing programme
Notably, the strongest results come from treating winter as a coordinated three-to-four-month wellbeing arc — not a single January workshop. As a result, most of our winter-focused clients combine Wellbeing for Winter with 2-3 additional sessions:
- Coping with Christmas Workshop — for the December pressure moment (family, workload, loneliness, festive drinking)
- Nourishing Winter Foods for Employees — winter nutrition support led by a BANT-registered nutritionist
- Loneliness, Connection & Belonging — the workshop that specifically addresses winter isolation
- Mindful Chocolate Tasting — as a lighter-touch team moment through December-January
For teams marking Blue Monday specifically, see our Blue Monday at Work guide for the full programme options.
Ready to book?
If your organisation is planning winter wellbeing support for the darker months, we’d love to help you design the right programme for your team. Furthermore, whether you’re anchoring a single winter workshop or building a coordinated October-to-February programme, we can shape the delivery around your team, your calendar and your goals.
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Wellbeing for Winter workshop — the basics
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) and how does it affect the workplace?
Seasonal Affective Disorder is a form of clinical depression triggered by reduced daylight exposure — typically affecting people between October and March in the UK. Notably, around 2 million people in the UK meet the clinical threshold for SAD, and many more experience “subclinical” winter blues that still meaningfully affect mood, focus and energy at work. Symptoms include low mood, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite and sleep, and withdrawal from social contact. In practice, workplace performance is measurably affected in most people experiencing SAD or seasonal mood changes.
When should we run our Wellbeing for Winter workshop?
Between October and January for maximum impact. Specifically, an October or November delivery gives your team practical tools BEFORE winter symptoms peak. Alternatively, a January delivery around Blue Monday (the third Monday of the month) works powerfully as a post-holiday reset. As a result, most UK organisations book 4-6 weeks in advance — for a January delivery, aim to book by mid-November.
What’s the difference between Wellbeing for Winter and Coping with Christmas?
Both are winter-focused workshops, but with different angles. Specifically, Wellbeing for Winter covers the whole seasonal arc — daylight, SAD, energy management, connection and mood — designed to give employees tools they can use across October to February. By contrast, Coping with Christmas focuses specifically on the December pressures: family expectations, financial stress, workload pileup, festive drinking, loneliness and the emotional complexity of the holiday season. Notably, many organisations run both as part of a coordinated winter programme.
Booking, format and cost
How is the workshop delivered?
Live virtually via Zoom, Teams or Google Meet as standard. Furthermore, on-site UK delivery is available on request for teams booking as part of a wider wellbeing day or offsite. The session runs 60 minutes with structured Q&A, though a 90-minute deep-dive version is available for teams wanting more depth on SAD, sleep science or nutrition. Above all, every session includes a recording (12-month internal licence) so colleagues who couldn’t attend live can catch up asynchronously.
Who delivers this workshop?
Our Wellbeing for Winter workshop is delivered by a chartered clinical psychologist with specialist expertise in seasonal mental health and workplace application. As a result, the content is grounded in current clinical evidence rather than generic wellness content, and every session includes signposting to professional support for anyone concerned about their own winter mood.
What does the Wellbeing for Winter workshop cost?
Pricing depends on audience size, tailoring level, and whether you’re booking standalone or as part of a multi-workshop package. Notably, standalone sessions typically start from £1,500. Furthermore, tiered discounts apply for organisations booking multiple winter workshops (Wellbeing for Winter + Coping with Christmas + winter nutrition, for example) or as part of an annual wellbeing calendar. Book a discovery call and we’ll send a clear quote within 48 hours.
Programme options and combining workshops
Can we combine this with other winter workshops for a full seasonal programme?
Yes — and in practice, this delivers the strongest results. Specifically, most of our winter-focused clients combine Wellbeing for Winter with 2-3 additional sessions across October to February: our Coping with Christmas workshop in December, our winter nutrition workshop, and our Loneliness, Connection & Belonging session. Furthermore, multi-workshop programmes are priced more favourably than standalone bookings.
Is this workshop suitable for global teams outside the UK?
Yes — particularly relevant for global organisations with meaningful workforce in the UK, Northern Europe, Canada or northern US where winter has a measurable seasonal impact. As a result, we regularly deliver this workshop to distributed teams via virtual delivery across time zones. Notably, the content also translates well to Southern Hemisphere winter (June-August in Australia, New Zealand and Southern Africa) — just run the session six months later.
Can we use this workshop to mark Blue Monday specifically?
Yes — Wellbeing for Winter is one of our most-booked Blue Monday sessions. Specifically, delivering it in the week of Blue Monday (the third Monday of January) turns the awareness moment into a genuine intervention. Furthermore, the workshop pairs well with our Mental Fitness Hour as a Blue Monday programme. See our Blue Monday at Work guide for the full programme framework.
