How Many Days Until Spring? Mental Health Tips For Making It To March

Staying positive and maintaining mental well-being can sometimes be challenging when the days start to shorten and winter steadily pushes autumn off center stage. While there are those who enjoy what winter has to offer, many others would skip the season entirely if given the chance due to its common negative mental health effects. Here, we’ll explore why happiness, motivation, and overall well-being tend to decline in winter and what happens when that decline becomes severe, plus tips for caring for your well-being in winter and year-round. 

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Why people often look forward to March in the northern hemisphere

Spring begins on the spring equinox, which occurs on March 19, 20, or 21 in the northern hemisphere. The term “equinox” refers to the length of day and night, which are approximately equal on that date. While the length of daylight increases from the winter solstice (in late December), the spring equinox marks the first point in the year where the day is longer than the night. Day length continues to increase until the summer solstice (late June), and the weather also typically becomes warmer. 

For many, the period before the spring equinox when days are short, dark, and cold coincide with negative mental health effects. In fact, evidence suggests that many people who live in areas that experience cold, dark winters feel emotionally worse during the winter months. For some, this amounts to no more than the “winter blues” and might be scarcely noticeable. For others, the loss of daylight and warm weather can cause life-disrupting symptoms that often require assistance from a mental health professional to manage effectively. 

Seasonal affective disorder, explained

SAD is a type of depression that happens in a recurring seasonal pattern. Symptoms typically last around four or five months, most commonly aligning with the winter months. However, for some people, SAD occurs during the spring and summer months (often called “summer-pattern SAD”), though this presentation is much less common. 

The symptoms of SAD are broadly similar to other types of depression. They commonly include things like: 

• Persistent sadness or feeling empty
• Feelings of hopelessness
• Increased irritability, frustration, and restlessness
• Decreased energy
• Significant changes in sleep and appetite
• Social withdrawal

SAD goes well beyond typical winter blues, which many people experience. To qualify for a diagnosis of this clinical condition, the depression symptoms associated with SAD must have enough of an adverse impact to affect a person’s daily life substantially. 

While the underlying causes of SAD are still being investigated, researchers believe that reduced light exposure may directly lower mood by depriving specific cells in the retina (the nerve in the eye that senses light) of stimulation. Those cells are thought to influence mood directly, which may help explain why increased darkness causes SAD. Another explanation involves disruptions to a person’s circadian rhythm, also known as their sleep-wake pattern. The lower light levels in winter may lead to a misalignment between waking hours and when a person’s body most wants to sleep, potentially inducing or exacerbating depressive symptoms. 

Like other forms of depression, a SAD is a serious condition that generally requires the help of a therapist or other professional to address—especially when symptoms are severe. However, improving self-care and adopting healthy coping strategies that bolster mood could be helpful in conjunction with professional treatment, and these approaches could also be effective for those with the nonclinical winter blues.

Setting up a countdown to spring to help yourself get through winter

One common way to cope with feelings of sadness or low energy in winter is to stay focused on the coming spring. Some people find it helpful to create a countdown calendar or clock of some type that keeps track of how many days are left until spring. A spring countdown can act as a visible measure of the progress of time, so you can see how far you’ve come through the winter season. 

There are many ways to make a countdown.Some people turn to apps and websites that allow a person to make a custom countdown clock. Digital countdowns often have additional features and visual elements that can make them more engaging. 

rAnother option is to create your own paper calendar to track how far along you are in the season. Designing a countdown calendar—such as a custom flip calendar—can be an enjoyable opportunity to explore creativity during winter. Creative hobbies and other enjoyable pursuits have been suggested by research to help reduce depressive symptoms.

A countdown is more than just asking, “How many days until spring?”

While counting down may help you stay focused on the longer, warmer days to come, it’s also typically worthwhile to look forward to other events that occur sooner. Many people begin their countdowns on January 1, once the post-holiday lull begins to set in. For them, their countdown will be around 78 days long, depending on when the equinox occurs that year. Many people also choose to add additional milestones along the way, however, such as birthdays, trips, or events. It may also be helpful to plan enjoyable activities to look forward to that can be added to your countdown if you can’t think of any milestones before spring.

Can a spring countdown help with seasonal affective disorder?

Seasonal affective disorder is a complex mental health condition that typically requires guidance from a mental health professional to treat. While a spring countdown may be helpful, it is not a substitute for interventions prescribed by a mental health care provider to treat a diagnosable disorder. If you find that your winter blues are becoming more disruptive or severe, it’s generally recommended that you reach out to a therapist for support. 

Deciding on dates for your countdown: From Christmas to Mother’s Day and other options

Many people start their countdown to spring on January 1—right after Christmas, for those who celebrate—and have it count down to Mother’s Day in May, which often marks the start of consistently nicer weather. This is because the December holiday season in the West offers many people a welcome respite from the shorter days and colder weather. However, some people may not enjoy or observe this holiday season and might start their countdowns earlier. Others might count down to the exact first day of spring, even if the weather is still cold. Deciding on the dates that work for you can be the first step toward making a helpful spring countdown calendar.

Why is Mother’s Day significant when spring starts in March?

Some people might not consider March to be the start of spring. While daylight increases, the weather often remains cold or rainy in the northern hemisphere until April or later. Mother’s Day, which takes place in mid-May, might signal the end of winter weather better than the literal start of spring. Your spring countdown should generally align with the time period your winter blues usually begin to dissipate. For some, that may not be until close to the start of summer. 

Things to consider adding to your spring countdown

When designing your own calendar, you might consider adding creative elements to make it your own and to bring you a little extra joy each time you look at it. For example, you might incorporate: 

• Daily motivational quotes or phrases
• Pictures of friends and loved ones
• Jokes, memes, or funny anecdotes
• Activity suggestions or plans for when a certain point in the countdown is reached

Emotional coping skills for winter

While countdowns can help, other coping strategies may also be effective when combating the winter blues or supplementing professional treatment for SAD. When applying coping strategies, aiming to set a routine is typically most helpful—for example, visiting with a friend every other Thursday to share a meal or getting at least 90 minutes of physical activity per week. Building routines can sometimes be challenging, but several strategies may help you develop robust health-promoting habits to get you through the winter with less emotional disruption. 

January and February self-care for those in the northern hemisphere

Ensuring you have a good self-care routine might be the most helpful thing you can do to help with the winter blues. Self-care refers to any behavior that improves or maintains your overall well-being. Self-care can sometimes mean rewarding yourself with things you enjoy, but it also means putting in the work to preserve your well-being, which can sometimes be more challenging in winter. Out of all forms of self-care, it is often most helpful to focus first on the basics, including: 

• Aiming to get adequate sleep
• Eating nutrient-dense foods often
• Getting regular physical activity
• Staying socially engaged

Why tracking “how many days until spring” can help you stay motivated

Using a countdown may help you manage your self-care routines. You might even align your countdown with the progress you’re making in self-care. Building habits can sometimes take time, and using your countdown to track how far you’ve come as you establish a strong self-care foundation may encourage motivation and help prevent burnout. Not only will it likely help the time seem to move faster, but you will have many opportunities to reward yourself during your countdown, which can help both motivation and mood. 

Using your countdown to spring to stay on track between Christmas and March

Your countdown can help you stay motivated and oriented toward your goals. Many people find it helpful to combine a mood journal or something similar with their countdown. Tracking how your mood changes as the countdown progresses may help you see the effect of your self-care and other interventions. It might also let you see where your self-care may need improvement.

Working with a professional to address seasonal challenges

While there are many strategies that may help you manage the winter blues, these feelings can sometimes escalate nevertheless. If you find it difficult to improve your mood, form good self-care habits, or engage with others, working with a professional will likely be helpful—whether you have seasonal affective disorder or not. A licensed therapist can evaluate your symptoms, help you develop healthy coping strategies, and address other concerns that might affect your well-being in winter. 

Worried about your mood in winter?

Get help from a licensed therapist

The option of online therapy

Many people experience barriers to receiving the mental health care they may need. Therapist shortages, long waiting lists, and extensive travel times are a few examples. Online therapy, which allows you to attend sessions remotely from home or another comfortable location, can often reduce or eliminate many of those barriers. It also gives you a connection to a wider range of therapists than you may be able to find locally, and session costs are typically less than those for in-person sessions without insurance.

Ongoing research continues to suggest the potential effectiveness of online therapy. In most cases, cognitive behavioral therapy and other approaches may be just as effective online as in-person, according to many studies. An online therapist can help address the winter blues, seasonal affective disorder, and many other mental health concerns.