SAD in the Willow World: When Winter Drags On

3 February 2026

How SAD (Seasonal Affective Disorder) manifests in the Willow World

Winter has a way of creeping up on you.

For people who work with willow – makers, coppice workers, growers, the year is shaped by seasons more sharply than most. Long days in the field, hands in wet ground, the rhythm of cutting, tying, sorting, weaving. Then winter arrives, and everything takes more effort. The light fades earlier, the weather sets in, and the work keeps going.

This is where Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can quietly take hold.

What is SAD?

SAD is a form of depression linked to reduced daylight, usually beginning in autumn and winter and easing in spring. It’s not simply “feeling a bit fed up” – it can affect mood, energy, motivation, sleep, and concentration.

For some people it’s mild.
For others it’s heavy and persistent.
And in seasonal, outdoor industries, it often goes unrecognised or unspoken.

How SAD can show up in willow work

Everyone experiences SAD differently, but common signs include low or flattened mood, loss of motivation (even for work you usually enjoy), ongoing fatigue, sleep changes, increased withdrawal or quietness, and difficulty concentrating or making decisions.

In the willow world, these feelings are shaped by the realities of the job.

Willow makers may struggle to start work, doubt their skills, or feel disconnected from their craft. Coppice workers spend long days outside in cold, wet conditions, often followed by quiet evenings when there’s little energy left. Willow farmers carry the added pressure of responsibility, weather, and timing.

The added weight for willow farmers

For willow farmers, winter doesn’t just bring shorter days – it brings different pressures.

The off-season doesn’t mean less to do. Income can be tighter and milestones less clear, even while the work keeps coming. There’s so much to do at a time when motivation is low, and the quiet weight of knowing that the whole year depends on what you do now.

Winter harvest runs right through the darkest months, often stretching on longer than planned. Days blur together: cut, bundle, move, repeat. Planning for the year ahead has to be squeezed in around physical work, when energy is already low and the end still feels a long way off.

That tension – between knowing the work needs doing and feeling worn down by how long it drags on – can quietly feed into SAD. It isn’t laziness or lack of commitment. It’s the cumulative effect of weather, fatigue, responsibility, and limited daylight.

Recognising that matters. Because once it’s named, it can be managed – by pacing work where possible, sharing the load, or simply acknowledging that winter takes more out of you than other times of year.

Recognising it in yourself (or someone else)

You might notice you’re withdrawing more than usual, that small tasks feel heavier than they should, that you feel flat or numb rather than just tired, or that you’re pushing yourself through work with little sense of reward.

Looking out for others doesn’t mean pushing them to be “normal” or more sociable. A quick check-in can be enough. No pressure to explain. No expectation to cheer up or carry on as usual. Winter affects people differently, and for some, solitude is part of how they cope.

Support doesn’t always mean company or conversation. Sometimes it’s simply knowing someone has noticed, and that there’s space to be as you are.

Asking for help is OK

Support can also be very practical.

It might be asking someone to keep you company for a bit, help with the shopping, share a lift, or take something small off your list when energy is low. It could be working alongside someone in silence, or having an extra pair of hands when the work feels relentless.

Asking for help doesn’t mean you’re not coping. It means you’re paying attention to what you need. And what you need can change from week to week.

Our approach at Musgroves

Here at Musgroves, we take the mental health of everyone on the farm seriously.

That means recognising that winter is hard, that people cope in different ways, and that wellbeing isn’t about constant positivity or pushing through at all costs. We aim to foster a supportive working environment where quiet is respected, check-ins are gentle, and asking for help – practical or otherwise – is normal and accepted.

Whether that’s company, space, flexibility, or a shared workload, we believe caring for people is just as important as caring for the land.

A final word

Willow teaches patience.

You cut back hard in winter not because the plant is failing, but because it needs rest to grow again.

People aren’t so different.

If winter feels heavy, you’re not broken.
If you need space, that’s okay.
If you need help, it’s there.

Spring will come.
And until then, we get through winter together – steadily, quietly, and with care.