Taking care of your mental health during the winter months

The shorter, darker days of winter can get us down. The holidays can also be a difficult time for many people. It’s important to know that you are not alone.

• Dark days can get us down. There are things we can do to help, like getting enough sleep, going outdoors daily, being active, maintaining social connections and reaching out for help when you need it.
• Mental health and substance use supports: Fraser Health has a wide variety of programs to support you on this page.
• Mental health supports for Indigenous Peoples
• Visit our Indigenous mental health and wellness page.
• Indigenous mental health nurses can be reached through community mental health offices or through the Indigenous Health Liaison line (toll free) at 1-866-766-6960, available Monday to Friday from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. excluding holidays.
• For Mental Health navigation support for Métis individuals, please contact mentalwellnesscoordination@mnbc.ca.
• For the 24/7 Métis Crisis Line, call 1-833-Metis-BC (1-833-638-4722)
• Get help in different languages. Learn about cross-cultural and multilingual mental health and substance use resources.
• Find out where to call if you’re worried about yourself or someone else and need to talk.
• Additional resources:
• Avoid the holiday blues with these tips from Canadian Mental Health Association.
• Learn about diagnosis and treatment of Seasonal Affective Disorder from HealthLinkBC.
• Find tips from HealthLinkBC for dealing with depression and the holidays.
• Watch our video on mental health:

Staying physically active even when it's cold

There are plenty of creative ways to embrace the chill and stay active this winter season.

• Make the most of the shorter days and colder temperatures. Find fun ideas for festive family activities when the weather is frosty.
• Find quick tips for staying active in cold weather from HealthLinkBC.
• Learn five social activities to do this winter:

Eating, drinking or using substances during the holidays

Food and alcohol are often present at many celebrations leading up to, and during the holidays. The information below can help you avoid diet culture, maintain a healthy relationship with food, reduce alcohol consumption and choose more non-alcoholic drinks.

Food and dieting

• Navigating diet culture during the holiday season: Tips from our dietitians to help you avoid the diet culture trap.
• Watch this video on tips for eating and drinking during the holidays.

Alcohol

• Alcohol consumption during the holiday season: Understand how alcohol may be affecting your health and create a plan to drink thoughtfully throughout the holidays and winter months. Less is better, no matter how much you currently drink.
• Learn how to reduce your alcohol consumption and find party tips and mocktail recipes.

Substances

• For information on harm reduction, visit the BCCDC website.
• It’s important to know how to prevent, recognize and respond to an overdose. If you or someone you care about uses substances, visit our Overdose prevention and response page.
• Find more resources through the South Asian Health Institute.

Get ready for winter. Here’s how you can stay healthy and safe. Winter wellness starts here. From getting vaccinated for flu and COVID-19, practising healthy habits, knowing the best care option or learning how to stay safe in cold and wet weather, we have you covered. Learn more: fraserhealth.ca/WinterSetGo