Is Winter Fatigue a Real Thing?

In a word, yes.

For some of us, winter is a groggy, slow-moving season. The reasons for this are partly mental and partly physiological. Winter can be mentally daunting, bringing with it cold, dark mornings, early sunsets and cloudy days. The holiday season can throw your energy off, too. Holidays can certainly be enjoyable, yet their disruption of our normal routines can be exhausting, as can the extra work that comes along with them: preparing meals for big gatherings, wracking our brains over finding the perfect gifts for loved ones and keeping up with kids’ winter break activities. For many, the holidays themselves can also be a source of sadness, loneliness or unease, and those sorts of feelings are notorious for sapping energy.

Some causes of winter fatigue:

Not enough sun exposure. Winter’s shorter days can throw your circadian rhythm out of whack.  Less light during the day may cause your body to produce more sleep hormone (melatonin). More sleep hormone makes you sleepier.   

You need more vitamin D. This is also a function of shorter days with less sunlight. A key source of vitamin D is sunlight. Just 10 minutes of sunshine a day (yes, you still need to wear sunscreen in winter) can help your body produce a full day’s supply of vitamin D. Here’s how the National Institutes of Health describes vitamin D’s role in the body: Vitamin D is found to be important not only for physical health problems but also to address various mental health issues, as suggested by some meta-analyses conducted mainly for depression. Adding a vitamin D supplement can help, but a daily dose of natural light is even better.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a condition whose symptoms tend to begin in the fall or winter and improve or disappear in spring and summer. SAD isn’t the same as feeling a bit tired or blue. Its symptoms are similar to those of depression and can include:

• Losing interest in activities you used to enjoy
• Feeling sad for most of the day on most days
• Feeling low-energy or listless for most of the day on most days
• Feeling sluggish
• Sleeping more than usual
• Feelings of hopelessness, guilt or worthlessness
• Craving carbs, overeating and gaining weight
• Suicidal thoughts and/or ideation

SAD is a serious disorder. If you’re not able to shake your winter fatigue and/or blues, don’t suffer in silence. Ask for help. Your primary care physician is a great place to start. If you feel you’re in crisis, though, don’t wait. Visit your closest emergency room or call 988, the Suicide & Crisis Hotline. Help is available and you are not alone.

Low-grade winter fatigue and the ‘winter blues’ are common experiences for lots of folks. If your winter fatigue is more of an annoyance and less of a health crisis, try these tips to feel more energized and less blah this winter:

Eat the rainbow - mindfully. It’s easier to get your recommended servings of fruits and veggies in the spring and summer months when more produce is in season. It’s also much more tempting, when it’s cold and dark at dinner time, to default to refined-carb-laden comfort foods and takeout. Limit this treat to once or twice a week and plan your meals for the other days. Aim for three colors of produce per meal and cook for yourself. Pro tip: Soups and stews are comforting and easy to pack with healthy veggies.

Cooking can also become a mindfulness exercise, according to Psychology Today: “Cooking provides a wonderful opportunity to be present, mindful and aware, as opposed to being distracted, stressed or overwhelmed. It is an opportunity to train the mind, to understand what it means to be in the here and now, with a healthy sense of appreciation, patience and a non-judgmental attitude. It’s also an opportunity to get back in touch with the food that you eat.”

Use a light box. If you head out to work before it’s light outside, and your post-work commute happens at sunset, it’s pretty hard to get the recommended ten minutes of serotonin and vitamin D-producing sunlight per day without a light box. The light emitted by devices like light boxes has been used to successfully treat SAD for decades. First thing in the morning, spend 30 to 45 minutes sitting in front of your light box – the light produced is 20 or more times brighter than regular indoor light and contains no harmful ultraviolet rays.

Practice good sleep hygiene. During the holidays it can be hard to stick to your regular bedtime. You may also eat and drink too much before bed, both of which are known sleep stealers. Most people need seven to nine hours of sleep each night, and most people also function better when they go to bed and wake up at the same time every day. To optimize your sleep, keep your bedroom dark and cool (65-68 degrees Fahrenheit is ideal). Avoid devices with screens starting an hour before bedtime. Create a nighttime routine that you love: read, journal, indulge in some self-care like a deep moisturizing masque, take an essential-oil infused bath and slip between the sheets ready for slumber.  

Power naps and caffeine. Use these carefully. If you can wedge a 20-minute nap into your day between the hours of noon and 3 PM, do it. Caffeine is best used sparingly – it may seem counterintuitive, but caffeine is more effective when you use it less on a regular basis. So yes, a cup of coffee in the morning can help energize you but three or four is probably too many. If your energy is low and you know you need to perk up for a meeting, a caffeinated beverage an hour beforehand may be the boost you need.  

Exercise. It doesn’t take much daily activity or movement to reap some solid benefits. Deborah Riebe, PhD, associate dean of the College of Health Sciences at the University of Rhode Island, explained it to The New York Times this way: “To increase feelings of energy, you have to expend more energy through physical activity. There’s no need to overexert yourself; you’ll sense an immediate shot of energy after 20 minutes or more of low- to moderate-intensity exercise.” A 20-minute walk at lunch is a great idea because you’ll benefit from the sunlight and the movement. Exercise first thing in the morning can be a great mood-boosting routine to embrace. Take care not to exercise too close to bedtime, though. Wrap up your workout a few hours before you plan to hit the hay. 

Go outside anyway. Yes, it’s chilly, but winter is also beautiful. Enjoying the outdoors in winter can be as simple as grabbing a good book and nestling in next to your fire pit or as full-throttle as heading out for a hike or long run. The trick to staying comfortable is in the layering: thinner layers closer to the body, sweaters or fleece on top of those and wind-blocking coats and pants as the outer layer.

Sunlight is great for mood because it triggers the release of serotonin, which plays multiple important roles in your body. Serotonin in your brain stabilizes or regulates your mood and is often called your body’s natural “feel good” chemical. Grab a hat, bundle up and embrace winter’s icy glory!   

Get your hygge on.  Hygge (pronounce HOO-gah) is the Danish concept of coziness and pleasure, developed over countless generations to turn the long Danish winters into something lovely to look forward to. At its core, hygge is about taking pleasure or comfort from soothing, ordinary, everyday things. Cozy up and read a great book. A ritual bedtime cup of herbal tea is very hygge. Lighting a fire each evening is, too. Switching to wearing only your comfiest clothing like hyggesokkers (wooly soft socks), spending time with friends or playing board games are all good hygge. Trust us – you’ll know hygge when you feel it.  

Ask for help when you need it. Let us say that again. ASK FOR HELP WHEN YOU NEED IT. There is not a person on this planet who doesn’t need help sometimes. Seasonal fatigue and its more diabolical sibling SAD can be tough to handle on your own. It’s OK to feel out of sorts and it’s OK to want to feel better. If you or someone you know is experiencing a mental (or physical) health emergency, call 911 or 988.