A Self-Care Ritual for Fall & Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)
MEDS + Water
Meditation. Exercise. Diet. Sleep + Water = Mental Health
It’s time we bring our body into the mental health conversation.
Why MEDS + Water?
Hi! I’m Cassandra.
Every fall, I used to enter Hermit Mode because I felt like I needed to go into hiding. I was less motivated, more lethargic, and low on energy, while everyone else seemed excited to dress up for Halloween. And ugh…forget about “exciting plans” for the holidays, I just couldn’t match that energy. And I thought something was wrong with me.
To cope, I drank. From Halloween through MLK Jr. Day, it was a blur—just enough alcohol to take the edge off, but not enough to lose control. The darkness would start to lift around February, but if I’m being honest, I lived in high-functioning depression until spring. I silently resented all the happy people who had no idea what I was going through.
Then, in 2020, I learned about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) during an interview on my old podcast. I was interviewing a therapist who mentioned the term, and I could have cried with relief. It had a name! It wasn’t just me in drowning in sadness. I wasn’t doing anything wrong and I wasn’t broken. Because it had a name, then I wasn’t the only one. My hurt wasn’t personal. That helped… for a while.
Then a few years after that, I learned something that changed my life. I learned about the seasons.
Yes, the actual seasons.
It sounds simple, but it rocked my world. Why? Because, I realized that nothing was wrong with how I felt. As a matter of fact, everything around me was also slowing down. Trees were letting go. The sun was retreating. Nature was moving into stillness… and so was I.
THAT realization brought freedom… and a little anger. Why weren’t we taught this? Why were we labeled as disordered when our biology was doing exactly what nature does?
We are not broken. We are just misinformed.
Since giving myself permission to be human, I no longer suffer from seasonal depression. That doesn’t mean SAD isn’t real, or that your experience isn’t valid. It is. But before you accept a diagnosis, gather more information. Study not just Western medicine, but natural rhythms and remedies. The goal isn’t to find a cure. Just being educated about your Self can shift everything. It is healing.
This guide is filled with simple, often overlooked tools…because healing isn’t always complex. Sometimes it’s so simple, it seems ridiculous. And that’s exactly why we aren’t taught it.
So, from my heart to yours and in collaboration with Joselyn Zambrana LCSW, this guide is for every human heart that just wants to feel like themselves again.
Take your MEDS + Water
Our Contributor
Joselyn Zambrana, LCSW
Joselyn is an Afro-Latina EMDR and Somatic Healing Therapist who turned her lived experience with PTSD into a mission for accessible wellness. She blends psychology, neuroscience, and body-based practices to help people understand how stress lives in the body & how to restore balance through awareness, movement, and play.
Zaiyari Wellness was created as a gamified healing journey that helps you reconnect with your body’s natural rhythms and build authentic connection. If you struggle with any of the following stress responses, your nervous system needs regulation - and it's not your fault!
Fight: You’re Reactive, Become Defensive, & Get Misunderstood
Flight: You Overthink, Stay Busy & Can’t Rest Even When You’re Exhausted
Freeze: You Shut-Down, Can’t Make Decisions, Go Numb or Feel Stuck
Fawn: You People-Please, Burn-Out, Avoid Conflict, & Lose Yourself
Take the Stress Response Quiz & get a free guide on how this stress response changes the way you think, handle conflict, experience emotions, and connect with others.
Zaiyariwellness.com
After Care
If talk therapy, mindset work, or even medication haven’t been enough, you’re not alone.
Most healing models forget the body … the very place where trauma lives, emotions move, and regulation begins.
The Body Ministry™ is here to change that.
We bring the body into the mental health conversation, with simple, powerful rhythms rooted in daily self-care.
Not the kind that overwhelms you.
The kind that brings you home to your Self.
The Rhythms of The Body Ministry™
These 9 Pillars create a self-care system designed to support your mental health, emotional healing, body trust, and daily rhythm.
You’ll learn how to implement real practices, not from guilt or perfectionism, but from self-relationship.
Your Body Is the Missing Link in Your Healing Journey
This Is For You If…
You’ve tried therapy, wellness routines, or fitness programs… but nothing sticks
You’re ready to stop abandoning your body every time life gets hard
You want to feel safe, powerful, and consistent in your self-care
You’re healing from stress, burnout, trauma, or anxiety
You want real tools for living well in a modern world — not just more advice
What You’ll Walk Away With
A trauma-informed system to support your healing
Simple habits that help regulate your mood, energy, and nervous system
A new relationship with your body rooted in safety and sovereignty
A rhythm for self-care that works in real life — even when you’re busy
Confidence in your ability to feel good and get things done