❄️ Snow Days, Sidewalk Slush, and Our Mental Wellness: A Very New York ReflectionYesterday,

New York City did what New York City does best — overdid it.

One minute we were checking the weather app casually, the next minute the city was covered in thick snow, MTA delays were trending, bodegas were out of milk, and everyone suddenly became a meteorologist. And while snow days can feel magical — especially when the city quiets down just a bit — they can also stir up a lot emotionally.

Because here’s the thing: snow doesn’t just change the streets.It changes our rhythm.

When the City Slows Down (and We Don’t Know What to Do With That)

New Yorkers are not built for stillness.We walk fast. We talk fast. We multitask while crossing the street and drinking coffee we probably shouldn’t be drinking that hot. So when snow hits and everything slows — canceled plans, remote work, empty sidewalks — it can feel cozy for some and unsettling for others.

You might notice:

• A spike in anxiety (“I hate being stuck inside”)

• Low mood or heaviness

• Restlessness or irritability

• Or the opposite — relief you didn’t realize you needed

None of this means something is “wrong” with you. It means your nervous system noticed the shift.

Snow Has a Way of Bringing Feelings to the Surface

Snow days tend to bring up memory. For some people, it’s nostalgia — childhood, school closings, laughter, simplicity. For others, it’s isolation — being alone in an apartment, disrupted routines, or that quiet getting a little too quiet. Mental wellness isn’t about forcing yourself to feel grateful for the snow.It’s about noticing what it brings up — without judgment.

You’re allowed to say:

• “This is beautiful, and I’m overwhelmed.”

• “I love the snow, and I feel lonely.”

• “I hate this, and I also needed rest.”

Two things can be true. Always.

A Very New York Kind of Self-Care

Snow days don’t require a full wellness overhaul. This isn’t the day for “be your highest self.”

This is the day for:

• Looking out the window like you’re in a movie scene

• Ordering takeout without guilt

• Wearing socks that don’t match

• Letting yourself move slower — even if it’s uncomfortable

Mental wellness sometimes looks like permission, not productivity. Permission to pause.Permission to cancel.Permission to just be a New Yorker watching the city breathe for a minute.

When the Snow Melts (and Life Picks Back Up)

By today or tomorrow, the slush will be back, sidewalks will be questionable, and we’ll all pretend we weren’t slightly enchanted yesterday. But maybe — just maybe — we can carry one thing forward: The reminder that slowing down doesn’t mean falling behind. Sometimes it means regulating your nervous system in the middle of a city that rarely stops moving. And if yesterday’s snow stirred something in you — anxiety, sadness, comfort, or calm — that’s worth paying attention to.

Your mental wellness doesn’t pause just because the weather changes. It adapts. Just like we do.

Stay warm.Watch your step.And be gentle with yourself — New York style. ❄️🖤