Winter hits different!

Winter Hits Differently. MS, Mental Health, and Finding Strength in the Cold

Winter hits different when you live with MS and mental health battles.

Most people just feel the cold. We feel it in our bones, in our nerves, in the way our bodies suddenly refuse to cooperate. The temperature drops, and everything gets harder, moving, thinking, staying positive, even getting out of bed.

For me, winter isn’t just a season. It’s a fight.

The cold tightens everything. My legs get heavier. The fatigue creeps in faster. Pain sharpens. Balance gets worse. Even the simplest things, getting dressed, stepping outside, keeping warm, feel like uphill climbs. That's before the mental side even kicks in because winter affects the mind too.

Shorter days, darker mornings, long evenings where your thoughts get louder. You can feel cut off from the world. Plans slow down. Routine gets disrupted. And when MS already plays with your mood, winter adds weight you never asked for.

But we’re still here.

We still push through.

We still find ways to adapt.

Some days, the win is stepping outside for five minutes. Some days it’s staying home and resting without guilt. Sometimes it’s choosing warmth over expectations. Sometimes it’s using every mobility aid we’ve got without feeling embarrassed. There’s strength in listening to what your body needs, not what the world expects from you.

Winter teaches you to appreciate the small things.

A hot drink that actually warms you through.

A slow morning where you don’t force yourself to rush.

A message from a mate that reminds you you’re not doing this alone.

That’s a big part of surviving winter, remembering we’re in this together.

The MS community, the chronic illness crowd, anyone fighting mental health battles… we get it. We know the courage it takes just to show up in the cold months. We know how heavy the darkness can feel and we know the power of talking about it instead of pretending it’s “just winter.”

There’s no shame in struggling. There’s no weakness in slowing down. Winter will test us, yes but it also shows us how much grit we’ve built up over the years.

If you’re reading this and winter is hitting you hard, remember this,

You’ve survived every cold season you’ve faced so far.

You’re stronger than you think.

Even when the days feel dark, you are never fighting this alone.

Spring always comes but until then, we hold each other up through the cold.