As we enter the colder, darker season down under, mental wellbeing can often take a hit.

The good practices and habits that we cultivated at the start of the year have a way of falling away, some of us turn to work, food or alcohol as a way of coping with stress and the change of season, and ongoing pressures in our personal and/or professional lives can cause stress to creep in.

If we don't manage it well, there's a risk of burnout. Reaching the end of the year and being so exhausted that we can't fully take advantage of the warmer, sunnier weather to enjoy with friends and whānau.

Winter should be a season of rest, rejuvenation, and recharging so that we're ready to go when summer comes back around.

And that's what these coaching sessions are all about! Helping you cultivate and embed solid habits, practices and mindset strategies so that you decrease the chances you'll end up in a place of burnout later in the year.

Who are these sessions for?

This series of 3 coaching sessions are for you if you are a business owner or professional in New Zealand or Australia who struggles during the winter months, are prone to experiencing burnout, and are looking for ways to ensure you don't end up there.

The workshops will be run online (link will be provided closer to the date) so that those from different parts of New Zealand and Australia can join.

What will you get out of the sessions?

Each session is a group coaching session, where you'll get a taste of what it's like to experience group coaching in a supportive, non-judgemental environment with others in a similar boat.

I'll provide some information and insights at the beginning of each session, followed by an introduction to a coaching tool that we'll work through together to help you tackle a particular aspect of your wellbeing during winter.

I'll guide you through the exercises, and you'll also get the opportunity to discuss and bounce ideas around with others. You might even make a few friends along the way!

You'll get the most out of these sessions if you come with an open and curious approach, undertake any prework exercises, engage during the sessions, and take the opportunity to both share and learn from others.

Note: Coaching always involves some mental mahi and a bit of discomfort because it's all about challenging your existing thinking! However, the accountability is gentle and supportive, and you'll never be pressured to share anything or engage in anything you don't feel ready for.

Session 1: Your Winter Wellbeing Roadmap

If you’re feeling the strain of burnout now, this first coaching session will give you the tools to reclaim your energy and momentum before it’s too late.

In this first session, we’ll explore the early warning signs of burnout and how the colder months can intensify its effects.

You'll learn practical strategies for preventing burnout and sustaining your mental health through the winter. Using a powerful coaching tool, you'll map out a personalised winter roadmap, identify potential road bumps, and set achievable milestones for your wellbeing.

By the end of this session, you'll have a clear roadmap to manage burnout and be prepared for the challenges that winter may bring.

Session 2: Cultivating Better Winter Habits

If you’ve noticed winter habits taking a toll, this coaching session will empower you to make real changes and create lasting habits that serve you better.
Winter can bring about habits that don’t serve us—whether it's overindulging in comfort food, turning to alcohol after a long day, binging way more TV than normal, being more sedentary, or isolating from others.

In this session, we’ll dive into the unhealthy winter habits that we ALL fall into (myself included!), and pinpoint where these behaviours come from.

Through a powerful coaching tool, we’ll delve into your current behaviours, understand the deeper needs driving them, then develop healthier alternatives that support your long-term wellbeing.

This will ultimately be a positive, uplifting workshop that focuses on providing the tools you need to break the cycle and develop positive habits that nourish you through the winter months and beyond.

Session 3: Resilience Through the Seasons of Life

In this final coaching session, you'll look to the future and learn how to foster resilience when winter bites again, as it inevitably will, and learn how to see it as a necessary period of rest and nourishment.

What can we learn from cultures that thrive through long, dark winters?

In this final session of the series, we’ll explore how societies like Sweden and Finland embrace their harsh winter seasons with resilience and mental strength.

By understanding the seasons of life, we’ll gain insights on building lasting resilience, even during difficult times. Using neuroscience-backed coaching tools, you’ll also generate your own practical strategies to navigate your own "winter seasons"—whether in life or career—and create a sustainable, resilient mindset for the future.

By the end of this workshop, you’ll feel empowered to face life’s challenges with strength and adaptability, equipped with strategies to keep going when times get tough.

The sessions are designed as part of a series, with each one building on the previous one. However, they can also stand alone, so you can pick one or even two that seem most helpful to you if you like.

There is a discounted rate if you sign up to all three at once.

Pay-What-You-Can (koha) option

If you're struggling financially right now and paying to attend these workshops will impact your ability to pay your rent, bills or feed your family, I don't want you to miss out. While I do run a business, I also believe everyone should be able to access information like this when they need it most.

I have a number of tickets set aside for those who've recently gone through redundancy or job loss, or are experiencing financial hardship. Enter the access code WINTER25KOHA at the ticket page to access these.

Times are tough right now - I get it. There's no judgement at all, so feel free to take this option if it makes more sense for you right now. However, if you are able to pay the full price, please consider leaving these koha tickets for someone who may really need them.

About your facilitator

Clarissa Hirst (Riss) is a trained coach who helps business owners and professionals navigate their way out of burnout. She’s also the co-creator of Project Sunrise, a community that runs events to support those experiencing burnout, stress and mental health struggles. Riss is passionate about mental wellbeing, running, community, and empowering people to live their best lives.

Having also lived in Sweden for 4 years, she learned a lot about how to navigate the colder, darker months, and has been through a few personal "winters" in her 35 years: the loss of a parent, relationship abuse and breakdown, burnout, and mental health struggles. She approaches these topics with empathy, and a deep understanding of what it's like to feel hopeless and like nothing will change, bringing light to those who are currently in this place.

In these series of workshops, she brings both her neuroscience-backed coaching expertise and life experiences to shed light on something we don't often talk about. Her goal is to help break the stigma and equip others with practical resources and mindset tools so they can take action, using the winter months as a way to recover and recharge the batteries rather than a fast-track to burnout.

Read more about Clarissa's work on her website or connect with her on LinkedIn.

Winter Wellbeing Coaching Series

Choose your tickets

Coaching session 1: Your Winter Wellbeing Roadmap ticket

Coaching session 2: Cultivating Better Winter Habits ticket

Coaching session 3: Fostering Resilience Through the Seasons of Life ticket

All 3 coaching sessions ticket