Season Survival - A guided worksheet for navigating the highs and lows of any season

Seasons bring change: some welcome, some challenging. This worksheet helps explore how specific seasons may affect mental health, substance use, or overall well-being. Whether it's Winter's isolation, Summer's unstructured time, or the pressure and family drama that can be associated with the Holiday Season, every season has unique triggers, opportunities, stressors, and struggles. This exercise is designed to help identify seasonal patterns and prepare with proactive coping strategies and setback prevention tools.

Icebreaker: Opening Seasonal Discussion

People generally tend to enjoy talking about what they like and don’t like about a various season. So whatever season you choose, as a way to break the ice and get discussion going, as a group share what you like and don’t like about the season selected. Keep in mind this is just a general opening icebreaker discussion to get things started. The group will go into more depth later in the activity.

Optional Discussion Prompts – Some additional things to consider associated with the season:

• The weather (Hot/cold, rainy, snowy, stormy, etc.) – What do you like/dislike about the weather?

• Activities you like/dislike doing during this season

• Feelings/emotions that come up related to the season (For example excitement, loneliness, etc.)

• Opportunities that may arise during the season (More work, vacations, friendships, for example)

• Challenges that come to mind related to the season (Keep specifically in mind substance use and mental health related challenges and triggers)

Based on your experience, is this a difficult time or good time for you with related to mental health?

Did you tend to use more or less during this season?

Unlock the full worksheet—PDF link waiting for you below!

Want to read more?

Subscribe to takingtheescalator.com to keep reading this exclusive post.

Subscribe Now