When the Threat System Thinks Winter is a Personal Failure
February: Week 2
One of the most persistent thoughts people report in February is this: I should be doing more than this.
It sounds factual. Sensible. Almost motivational. But psychologically, it often signals that the threat system is in charge.
The threat system evolved to keep us safe. It is alert to risk, sensitive to uncertainty and quick to interpret change as danger. Winter, with its low energy and lack of momentum, can easily be misread as a problem that needs fixing. The threat system rarely speaks in emotional language. It prefers judgements. You are behind. You are wasting time. Others are coping better.
In response, the drive system often steps in. Plans are made. Pressure increases. Effort is doubled. When this fails to produce energy, shame usually follows. Understanding this pattern can be deeply relieving. Nothing has gone wrong. A survival system is misinterpreting seasonal signals.
Across cultures, winter was never treated as a personal failing. Reduced activity was expected. Lower energy was normal. The mistake we make now is judging ourselves by standards that belong to a different season. From a therapeutic perspective, the work is not to argue with threat, but to recognise it. To notice when urgency is being driven by fear rather than values. Soothing is the counterbalance here. Warmth, reassurance, steadiness and connection help the nervous system stand down. Not as indulgence, but as regulation.
February becomes easier when we stop treating threat-driven urgency as truth.
One way of working practically with this is to slow the moment down. When the thought I should be doing more appears, treat it as a signal rather than an instruction. Ask yourself which system is speaking. Is this threat trying to create certainty? Is drive being recruited to manage discomfort?
From a Compassion Focused Therapy perspective, the aim is not to eliminate threat but to bring soothing alongside it. This might involve deliberately softening your posture, warming your body, or offering yourself a phrase of reassurance that acknowledges difficulty without judgement. For example, instead of arguing with the thought, you might say: of course I feel like this, it is winter and my energy is low. I can still choose what matters without forcing myself.
This creates just enough space for choice. You may still decide to act, but the action comes from values rather than fear. Over time, this shift reduces exhaustion and loosens the grip of self-criticism. Learning to recognise threat-driven thoughts can create space for choice. You may still decide to act, but the action comes from values rather than fear.
About the Author
Dr. Richard Pomfret is a HCPC-registered Counselling Psychologist and founder of Therapy On The Hill. He works with adults experiencing a range of emotional and psychological difficulties, offering evidence-based therapy in a compassionate and collaborative way.
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If you’d like to learn more about therapy or enquire about working together, you can contact Richard at:
Dr. Richard Pomfret
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The content of this blog is for information and reflection only and is not a substitute for professional psychological assessment or therapy.
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