by Autumn Colón, Associate Therapist
Winter has a way of turning the volume up on everything we already carry.
I see it every year, in my clients, in quiet check-ins that start with “I don’t know why this feels so hard right now, even my body feels it too.” The days get shorter, the light fades earlier, routines shift, and suddenly what felt manageable a few months ago feels heavier, louder, harder to move through.
If you live with PMDD, anxiety, or both, winter can feel especially unforgiving. Thoughts spiral faster. Emotions sit closer to the surface. Rest doesn’t always touch the exhaustion the way you expect it to.
I want to say this clearly: you’re not doing something wrong.
This is your body, your hormones, and your nervous system responding to real seasonal changes.
Why Winter Can Hit Harder with PMDD and Anxiety
PMDD already asks a lot of you. For part of every month, typically the one to two weeks leading up to your period (the luteal phase), your emotional tolerance becomes narrower. Anxiety may spike. Irritability feels constant. Sadness or
hopelessness can arrive without warning. Many women describe feeling like they become a different version of themselves during this time.
Now add winter to the mix. Here’s where things get layered.
Seasonal shifts often include:
● Less natural sunlight
● More time indoors
● Disrupted sleep and routines
● Lower energy and motivation
Even without a disorder, these changes matter. They affect mood regulation, stress tolerance, and nervous system balance. This is what I often tell clients: winter doesn’t create PMDD or anxiety, it simply amplifies what’s already there.
When the luteal phase overlaps with the colder months, it can feel like everything stacks at once. When it rains, it pours, am I right?
So, what has my experience working with clients taught me? That these moments are not regression. They are signals.
It’s your mind and body screaming for adjustment, not judgment. When we stop trying to power through and start listening, something begins to shift.
A Softer Way to Move Through Winter With PMDD
There’s a line from a book I read by Katherine May that I often come back to. Winter is not the end of the cycle; it’s the part where something is quietly reshaping.
This is a season for listening more closely and responding with care. Here’s how I help clients approach this time of year, and how you might begin thinking about it too.
Build Awareness Without Turning It Into Self-Criticism
One of the most helpful tools for PMDD is tracking, especially in the winter.
That doesn’t just mean tracking your cycle; it also means noticing seasonal shifts in your energy, mood, sleep, and stress levels. When you understand what tends to show up and when, you’re less likely to be caught off guard by it.
This can look like:
● Tracking your menstrual cycle alongside changes in daylight, energy, and mood
● Noticing when anxiety tends to spike or motivation drops
● Naming what’s predictable instead of treating it as a personal failing
For some people, additional light exposure during the darker months can be supportive. During the luteal phase, you might consider talking with a provider about using a light therapy lamp in the mornings to help support mood and energy.
Just as important is naming the “why.”
When anxiety ramps up, it can help to gently remind yourself that this is hormonal, seasonal, and temporary. That reminder doesn’t make symptoms disappear, but it can take the edge off the panic and reduce the shame spiral that often comes with PMDD.
Slow Down Earlier, Not After You’ve Hit Empty
Winter asks us to slow down, and PMDD often demands it.
When you keep pushing anyway, symptoms tend to escalate. Slowing down earlier helps prevent the crash that often comes later.
This might look like:
● Lighten your load and schedule during luteal weeks when possible
● Saying no to non-essential commitments without overexplaining
● Letting “good enough” be enough for now
Rest is not a reward for productivity. It’s a basic need, especially during this phase of the month and this time of year.
When energy is limited, how you spend it matters.
Support Your Body with Steady Nourishment
Winter PMDD often shows up physically as much as emotionally. Appetite changes, cravings increase, and energy dips are common, especially during the luteal phase. Instead of fighting that, focus on support.
That can include:
● Eating consistently to avoid blood sugar crashes that worsen anxiety
● Choosing warm, grounding meals that feel comforting and satisfying
● Prioritizing nutrient-dense foods like complex carbohydrates and healthy fats
The goal isn’t perfection. It’s steadiness.
Prepare for the Hard Days Before They Arrive
This is one of the most important pieces of working with PMDD in winter. Preparation is not pessimism. It’s self-care. Instead of waiting for symptoms to take over, we plan for them ahead of time.
That might include:
● Creating a short list of grounding anchors you can return to when things feel overwhelming
● Keeping those anchors simple and non-negotiable, like a short walk, deep breathing, or a calming playlist
● Choosing just one thing to do when symptoms hit, rather than trying to do everything
Grounding techniques can also be helpful when anxiety pulls you into future-based worry. Practices like the 5-4-3-2-1 exercise can help bring your focus back into your body and the present moment.
How I Work With Clients Through This
I don’t approach PMDD and anxiety as problems to manage from a distance.
As a therapist who specializes in women’s health, I work with women in a way that honors how their bodies, cycles, and lives change over time.
My experience has taught me that PMDD isn’t just a diagnosis, it’s a lived rhythm. When you learn to work with that rhythm instead of against it, the shifts begin to soften.
In our work together, we might focus on:
● Understanding your unique patterns
● Responding to your body with care instead of criticism
● Building supports that fit your life
This isn’t about pushing through winter chill. It’s about moving through it with more honesty, more pacing, and less self-blame.
A Final Thought
If winter feels heavier for you, especially with PMDD and anxiety, you’re not imagining it.
This season asks us to slow down, listen more closely, and stop expecting summer-level energy from winter bodies.
You’re allowed to adjust.
You’re allowed to need more support.
You’re allowed to meet yourself where you are.
Sometimes the most meaningful work isn’t quieting the inner storm; it’s learning how to stay with yourself until the storm passes. And you don’t have to do that alone.
These are the things I return to as winter settles in, and the pace of life shifts.
If you are looking for something that might help you move through this season with more ease, I invite you to book a consultation call with me.
Sometimes what steadies us is sharing our experience with someone who knows how to remain steady.
With care in this season and the next,
Autumn
