It’s Getting Cold and I’m Feeling Down What Is It, and How Do We Manage?

Fashion Week just wrapped, the Victoria’s Secret Fashion Show is floating around the timeline again (more on that in another piece), and major fashion houses are switching creative direction like they’re changing playlists. Models are jetting from city to city for castings, fittings, rehearsals and still trying to keep their personal lives from falling apart. Oh, and to top it off? That random, disrespectful snap of cold air has entered the chat.

The industry is buzzing, but beneath all the glitz and noise, there’s an elephant in the room we rarely slow down to acknowledge.

You know that feeling you get after finally dropping a project… and you still don’t feel right? When you eat your comfort meal and it hits a little less? When you haven’t released anything because “wow, it’s that time of year again” and your creativity suddenly feels like it took a seasonal PTO?

Yeah. That feeling.It looks different for everyone, but let me be real—those examples are pulled straight from my own experience. And I know I’m not alone. So let’s talk about it.

Because in a time where our humanity feels under attack, where education and welfare are constantly being tested, my goal is twofold:

1. Educate my community about their mental health.

2. Validate my own voice and experience as a minority creative in this industry.

So, shall we?

What We Call “Seasonal Depression” Has a Real Name

Most people call it “seasonal depression,” but its clinical name is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). According to the Merriam-Webster Dictionary, it’s “depression that tends to recur each year chiefly during late fall and winter and is associated with shorter hours of daylight.”

The National Institute of Mental Health estimates that millions of Americans experience SAD as sunlight disappears and the cold months take center stage.

This isn’t the same as the everyday stressors of life. If you’re experiencing persistent symptoms, please talk to someone you trust and consider seeking support from a medical professional.

So What Does This Have to Do With Artists, Models, and Creatives?

Everything.

Humans are unique because of our wonderfully overcomplicated brains—capable of abstract thought, storytelling, symbolism, imagination. It’s literally built into us to create. And for those of us who turned that ability into a career? Whew. It gets personal.

We create from our thoughts, our feelings, our environment, our pain, our joy, our heartbreak, our lived experience—and sometimes the world around us starts to feel heavier, darker, or uninspiring. Combine that with the fast-paced digital universe we live in (where everyone else’s accomplishments are forced into our eyeballs 24/7), and burnout becomes almost too easy.

But here's the good news: you’re not alone, and more importantly, you can get through this season without harming yourself or others.

My Simple, Honest Strategy

This isn’t clinical advice—I’m just sharing what has helped me year after year, in hopes it lands somewhere helpful.

1. Break It Down

We’re complex. Our work is complex. Our lives are complex. Sometimes just acknowledging that removes a layer of pressure.

I break my life into six categories:

• PERSONAL

• PROFESSIONAL

• RELATIONAL

• MIND

• BODY

• SOUL

Then I list everything currently happening in each category—habits, routines, stressors, responsibilities.

2. Prioritize What Keeps You Grounded

Look at your lists and highlight the pieces that protect your mental and emotional well-being.This shows you where your energy is leaking… and what actually deserves space on your plate.

3. Plan Without Over-Planning

Using a planner or digital calendar, schedule one to two weeks ahead—not to pressure yourself, but as a gentle guide. A whisper saying, “Hey… you can do this, even on the low days.”

4. Create Three Lists:

Write down three things that make you feel:

• Joy

• Safe

• Peace

These can be activities, affirmations, places, people, scents—whatever works.Sprinkle them throughout your planner every couple of days or on your “free” days.

This small system has been a quiet lifesaver for me. It lets me reconnect with myself before the season overwhelms me.

A Final Note: Because You Deserve Softness

Seasonal Affective Disorder is not a myth, and it does not make you weak, lazy, dramatic, or unreliable. It makes you human. And humanity needs care—especially in the cold seasons.

So whether you're a model running to castings, a creative juggling deadlines, or someone just trying to make it out of bed on a gray morning, hear me clearly:

You deserve intentional, gentle, nourishing care this season.You deserve rest.You deserve understanding from others, and from yourself.

And you don’t have to push through it alone.