LIGHT CLUB GUIDES · UPDATED 27 OCTOBER 2026
Getting through winter together: a small plan for staying connected
When winter feels difficult, ‘be more productive’ can be the last thing you need to hear. A different starting point is company: a few people who know you, a small reason to be in touch, and permission to have a harder day.
Start with a conversation, not a challenge
Ask a couple of friends how they find the darker months. You do not need to ask for a diagnosis, a personal history or a public confession. Try: ‘I find this time of year harder. Would you like to check in with each other through winter?’ Make clear that saying no is fine. The group is something you choose together.
Choose a small way to be in touch
A short good-morning message, an occasional call, or a shared plan for a walk can give your group a point of contact. Choose something that fits the people involved. It is all right if one person is chatty and another only wants to say hello. A missing message should not turn into an interrogation, and a short check-in should not become a demand to feel better.
Make room for things to do, as well as things to say
Your group might each try a small activity and then check in. A short walk in suitable conditions, a gentle stretch, or a few quiet minutes can give you something ordinary to share. Adapt it to your circumstances and keep an indoor option. You do not need to go out in darkness or unsafe weather, wake earlier, or prove that you can push through a bad day.
A simple version in Light Club
Light Club is a free winter check-in app. Its app currently works through private groups of up to eight friends. Invite people you know, open the day’s suggested activity or its gentler option, and check in after doing it, before 9 AM London time. You can see your friends’ check-ins and keep chatting in your own WhatsApp group. It does not currently match strangers, and no one has to meet in person.
Let the group change as winter goes on
Try a week first. Ask whether the contact felt welcome, which part was useful, and what felt like extra work. Keep what people want. Someone can take a break or leave without explaining themselves. Everyday company does not need a perfect attendance record. If the morning window does not fit your lives, a different way of staying in touch may work better.
Take seasonal depression seriously
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression that usually occurs in winter. Everyday connection can sit alongside support, but a group or app is not a diagnosis or treatment service. The NHS recommends speaking to a GP if you think you may have SAD. Its guidance explains symptoms, treatment and support options; you do not need to rely on a community app to work that out. NHS guidance on seasonal affective disorder.
Want to try it together?
Light Club is a free community for getting through winter together. Create a private group with friends and try a week of small activities and daily check-ins.
Get the free group starter kit ↗