How Do You Help Your Team With the Winter Blues at Work?

Picture someone on your staff. She gets to work at 7 a.m. and drives home at 5 p.m., and since the clocks changed, both drives happen in the dark. She hasn't said anything. She's still showing up and still doing good work. But she's a little slower to laugh and a little quicker to close her door. You've noticed, and you're not sure whether to say something.

This post is for whoever decides how an organization takes care of its people: the founder, the CEO, the head of school, the executive director, the HR lead, the senior pastor.

Your people take care of everyone else. Who takes care of them?

The good news: helping your team through the winter blues at work doesn't take a clinical degree or a new wellness program. It takes a few honest sentences and a willingness to say what everyone is already feeling. Below are four things you can do starting this week, and how to tell when it's more than the winter blues.

Is Your Team Slowing Down as the Days Get Shorter?

Probably. And if they are, most of them think it's just them.

In a 2024 poll, 41% of Americans said their mood declines in winter, about twice as many as said it improves (22%). The most common changes were sleeping more (41%), feeling tired (28%) and feeling down (27%) (American Psychiatric Association, 2024). The National Institute of Mental Health says many people feel "down" or have the "winter blues" when the days get shorter, then feel better in spring (NIMH).

A smaller group has something more serious. About 5% of U.S. adults experience seasonal affective disorder, a form of depression tied to the seasons (American Psychiatric Association). We'll come back to that.

For most of your team, it's the milder version: the heavy feeling that shows up when the sky goes dark before dinner. Most people don't mention it. They figure they should be able to push through, and they keep going until spring.

That thought, "It's just me, I should be able to handle this," is the one worth interrupting.

Why Should a Leader Name the Season Out Loud?

Because it tells people what they're feeling is normal, and it costs you almost nothing.

When a leader says, plainly, "This stretch of the year is heavy, and that's normal," something changes in the room. The person who has been pushing through her afternoons hears that she isn't falling behind. It's November. She's not the only one feeling it.

You don't need to call a meeting about seasonal depression, and you don't need to make it a big thing. You just need to name the season.

At Forte, we think of this as part of Mental Fitness: paying attention to what matters and building small habits that keep people steady. For some people in these months, that means doing a little less. For others, it means finally asking for help. Naming the season gives people permission to do either one.

What Can a Leader Actually Do This Winter?

Four things. None of them needs a budget.

1. Say the Season Out Loud

At your next team meeting, try something like: "We're in the stretch where the days are short and the pace is heavy. That's real, and I see it." That's the whole move. You're not diagnosing anyone or running a support group. You're telling your people that you notice them. That one sentence will do more than a wellness email.

2. Lighten the Pace Where You Can

Look at the next six weeks and find one thing to move: a deadline to push, or a meeting that could be an email. You probably can't change the whole workload. But if you take one thing off the calendar and say, "I moved this so we have a little room right now," people notice. It shows them you mean it when you say you care.

3. Protect a Little Daylight

NIMH notes that winter mood changes follow changes in daylight hours (NIMH). So help your team get some. If you can, take a ten-minute walk outside before the afternoon light fades. It doesn't need to be required or branded. It can be as simple as: "I'm walking around the block at 2. Come if you want." Some people will. Even an open blind or a desk by the window helps.

4. Ask One More Question Than Usual

When someone seems off, ask one more question than you normally would. "How are you doing?" And when they say "fine," try: "No, really. How are you?" Most people will still say fine. A few will tell you the truth. And the ones who don't answer this time will remember that you asked.

If someone does tell you they're not okay, our guide on what to say when an employee tells you they're struggling walks through the first minute, word for word. For more ways to start the conversation, try these check-in questions to ask your team.

When Is It More Than the Winter Blues?

Everything above is for a normal seasonal slump. Some people are dealing with something heavier. Watch for:

• Low mood that doesn't lift for weeks
• Pulling away from people they care about
• Trouble getting through basic tasks

That deserves a real professional. Encourage them to talk to their doctor or a licensed counselor, and make sure they know about your EAP or health plan options. As the president of the American Psychiatric Association put it: "If you're feeling very poorly, consider talking to a mental health clinician" (APA, 2024).

Your job isn't to be anyone's therapist. Your job is to be the person who noticed and said something. If you're not sure where the line is, that's a good reason to point them toward a professional.

If someone is in immediate danger, call emergency services. In the U.S., anyone can call or text 988 to reach the 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline.

How Do You Reach the People You Can't Sit With?

We know you care, but you can't sit beside every one of your people. Some things never get said at work, no matter how open your door is. And winter is when that gap shows most.

That's why Forte gives every one of your people their own Forte Coach, a real person outside work who's with them for all of it, the dark months included.

Everything lives in one app. They pick a time, their Coach calls them, and short exercises keep them growing between calls. Members can connect with their Coach as early as the next day, and they can keep the same Coach or switch any time (Forte Coaches). Sessions are confidential, and you see only anonymized, organization-wide trends. You can see how Forte works step by step.

Here's how one Forte Member described the difference: "Before Forte, I felt seen but unsupported. After Forte, I feel seen and supported."

You become a place where everyone has someone in their corner. So your people feel as cared for as the people they care for, in March as much as in November.