Winter Wellness: Honoring Every Experience this Holiday Season

Images of reflection and stillness this Winter. Scenes outside with snow and ice reflected in a still lake, a stone that says Reflect on it, a person making a heart with their hands over the sunlight, a pier reflected upside down in a glass sphere, and a Winter scene reflected in a side-view car mirror.

Winter invites us into a season of contrast—light and shadow, celebration and remembrance, gathering and solitude.

As the holidays arrive, many people feel joy. Others feel grief, exhaustion, uncertainty, or separation from the communities and families they wish they could be closer to. Some hold all of these emotions at the same time.

This season is often portrayed as bright lights and perfect moments. But real life is softer, messier, and infinitely more human.

And that is where connection begins—right in the truth of how we are actually feeling.

At Pier 360, we honor the full spectrum of holiday experiences:

• Those who celebrate loudly, and those who keep things quiet.

• Those who have lost someone and carry their memory gently through the season.

• Those rebuilding their lives, taking things one day at a time.

• Those whose families are far away, complicated, or estranged.

• Those who are not always recognized in traditional holiday stories—people living with mental health or substance use challenges, people in recovery, people who are lonely, grieving, or simply trying to get through the winter.

  
  

Every feeling and person has a place here.

This time of year can also remind us of what truly sustains us: community, kindness, presence, and the small transitory moments that make us feel alive.

A shared cup of coffee. A conversation that turns strangers into friends. A walk in the cold air that clears the mind. A moment of laughter after a heavy day. A quiet morning where you feel your breath soften.

These are gifts too—and they last longer than any wrapped package.

Ways to Care for Yourself This Holiday Season

• Stay connected in the ways that feel right. Visit a peer center, attend a group, call the Warm Line 360-903-2853 4 pm-midnight daily, or reach out to someone you trust. Even one moment of connection can shift the day.

• Make room for your feelings. You don’t have to be cheerful if you’re not. You don’t have to hide your grief or your hope. Let the holidays meet you where you are.

• Create your own small rituals. Light a candle. Write a message to someone you miss. Take a mindful walk. Make a simple meal. Celebrate what feels nourishing—not what feels expected.

• Rest when you can. Winter is naturally a slower season; your body is allowed to follow its rhythm.

• Let the community support you. You don’t have to move through the holidays alone. Our peer community is here, and you are welcome exactly as you are.

A Wish for the Season

May this winter bring you moments of tenderness. May you feel connected—even in small ways—to the people around you . May you know that your story matters. And may you be held gently by community, by compassion, and by the quiet strength that carries all of us through the darker months.

From all of us at Pier 360: we see you, we appreciate you, and we are here to support you through the season.

Happy Holidays, however, the holidays meet you this year.