Surviving the Winter Blues (Not Just Decorating With Them)
I decorated my dining room and living room in winter blues this year. Soft blues, worn textures, pieces that feel calm and familiar. And while it’s beautiful, it’s also honest.
Because winter blues aren’t just a color palette… they’re something many of us are quietly living with.
For a long time, I thought decorating was the answer. If my home felt cozy enough, warm enough, intentional enough, maybe winter wouldn’t feel so heavy. But over time, I’ve learned that surviving the winter blues means more than decorating with them. It means acknowledging them.
What the Winter Blues Really Look Like
The winter blues don’t always show up dramatically. Sometimes they look like:
A lack of motivation that feels unexplainable
Wanting to stay home, but feeling restless anyway
Feeling behind even when you’re doing your best
Losing interest in things that usually bring joy
These feelings don’t mean something is wrong with you. They mean it’s winter.
Decorating With the Winter Blues (And Why I Still Do It)
Decorating with winter blues isn’t about pretending everything is fine. For me, it’s about creating spaces that match the season I’m actually in.
Muted blues feel quieter. Slower. Less demanding. My dining room and living room don’t ask for constant updates or reinvention. They’re meant to hold space… for slow mornings, quiet dinners, and days when energy feels limited.
Decorating this way doesn’t fix the winter blues. But it does make room for them.
Surviving Winter Means Lowering the Bar
One of the most helpful shifts I’ve made is letting winter be a lower-expectation season.
Winter is not the time for pressure. It’s not the season for productivity or reinvention. It’s the season for maintenance. For rest. For doing what you can and leaving the rest for later.
Survival, in winter, looks quieter than we expect.
Small Ways to Support Yourself Through Winter
Beyond decorating, surviving the winter blues often comes down to small, repeatable comforts:
Letting your home stay styled longer instead of constantly resetting
Keeping lights on during the day to soften the darkness
Repeating meals, music, and routines that feel familiar
Choosing cozy over polished, ease over effort
None of these are fixes. They’re supports.
You’re Not Falling Behind — You’re in Winter
If winter feels harder than other seasons, you’re not weak. You’re human.
Decorating with the winter blues can make your home feel supportive — but surviving them means allowing yourself to slow down, feel honestly, and let this season be what it is.
Spring will come.
But for now, it’s okay to stay right here.