As the nights draw in and temperatures fall across the UK, many people find the colder season challenging, often experiencing shorter days and lower energy levels. Mindset and life coach Jo Irving views the period differently. She sees the darker months as an opportunity to reset, reconnect, and make home a place of comfort, offering practical ways that require little cost to romanticise the season and find joy in stillness.
Irving has over 25 years of experience as a business owner, having opened her first salon at 21 after winning a Prince’s Trust Award. Following burnout in 2018, she trained in mBIT, EFT, meditation, and coaching modalities. She now helps entrepreneurs, salon professionals, and leaders create aligned success without burnout through speaking, courses, and retreats, while continuing to run The Loft salon and wellness space in Reigate, Surrey. Her guidance draws on her personal experience of building businesses while raising a family, blending science-backed strategies with soulful practices.
Her framework centres on simple everyday habits to transform living spaces and protect mental energy
Create a home cocoon
Irving updates lighting, buys new candles and throws, and shifts the space into comfort mode as soon as darker evenings arrive.
Change into home clothes immediately
An unspoken rule in her family mandates changing into comfortable clothes upon walking through the door. There are no jeans or work clothes indoors, only warmth and softness to ensure the house is a place to fully relax.
Add pockets of glow everywhere
Soft ambient light from battery-powered lamps and small glow lights on shelves or side tables creates a hygge feel, making rooms warm and calm without harsh overhead lighting.
Keep warmth on standby
A heated blanket stays plugged in and ready while candles burn in the background, creating a mix of warmth and scent that feels instantly grounding.
Romanticise the darkness
Rather than resisting this time of year, Irving views it as a beautiful invitation to come inward, rest, reflect, and reconnect. The darker nights serve as a reminder to slow down, appreciate home life, and fill the space with love and light.
Keep your space light, not cluttered
Because more time is spent indoors, keeping living spaces clear supports a lighter emotional atmosphere when outdoor light is limited. Clutter can make a dark room feel closed in, whereas a tidy, peaceful space feels cosy rather than chaotic, creating a home she is genuinely excited to return to.
Celebrate the season through food
While her family eats outdoors often in summer, winter focuses on slow, home-cooked, comforting dishes such as stews, soups, and Sunday roasts accompanied by candles and good music. Long walks with rosy cheeks and something delicious bubbling on the hob complete the experience.
Irving emphasises that winter offers a natural pause to strengthen family connections. By softening the pace and focusing on these accessible rituals, her combination of mindset work and simple habits provides a clear framework to turn the season into one of the happiest times of the year.