How To Feel Less Tired In The Winter
The cheeriness and excitement of the holidays has come and gone, and now we’re left in the depths of the winter months. Our days are shorter, the temperature is colder, and it doesn’t always seem like there’s a lot to look forward to until the spring. But even amidst all of this, you might be wondering: why am I so tired all the time? How can I wake myself up?
I want to stress that if you feel this way, THERE IS NOTHING WRONG WITH YOU. So many of us experience the sad, winter blues and even more of us feel uncharacteristically sleepy during the winter season. There are two major reasons why this is - both of which are based in biology, no less - and don’t worry: there are tangible things you can do to feel less tired this winter.
Reason 1: The Days Are Shorter.
Though the days are starting to get longer minute by minute following the winter solstice, January and February are still characterized by 5pm sunsets. By the time many people are done with work or school, it’s already dark. Some may get through entire days without seeing any sunlight. A lot of people attribute this to feeling sad or having a more subdued mood, but there are biological reasons why this is impacting your energy levels and causing fatigue.
Our circadian rhythm is what we often refer to as our “internal clock.” It’s responsible for telling our body when to wake up and when to go to sleep, and even impacts our digestion and body temperature (you know how you can sleep better when it’s chilly? Yeah, that’s because of your circadian rhythm!). It does this by responding to environmental cues to release hormones that make us more sleepy or more awake. When the body is exposed to natural light, it releases cortisol which makes us wake up and tells us it’s time for the day to start. Alternatively, when the body is exposed to less natural light, it releases melatonin which makes us fall asleep.
So naturally, because exposure to sunlight is limited in the winter, our bodies are constantly being signaled that it’s night time - and time for bed! Our society’s 9-5 work schedule doesn’t help with this wintertime conundrum.
Possible Strategies To Feel Less tired:
Get Sunlight Early In The Day
So much of your energy for the day can be predicted by how you start the day. Though you may work from home, or even leave for school or work before the sun is fully up and shining, it’s important to prioritize exposing yourself to natural light early on. This will signal to your body that it’s time to wake up, and you may feel a lot more energy as the day progresses as well. If you don’t have an organic opportunity for this, try to create it: you may adopt the practice of taking a 10-minute walk in the morning before you start your day. When you hit that mid-day slump, you may refrain from indulging in the usual caffeine kick and opt for a short, brisk walk instead. The exposure to light will release more of that cortisol which is sure to wake you up!
If you want to learn more about how to regulate your circadian rhythm during the winter, check out this article from the Institute For Integrated Nutrition.
Reason 2: It’s Cold Out - And Our Bodies Are Responding Appropriately.
When the temperature drops, it takes more energy for our bodies to warm us up or regulate our temperature. Have you ever wondered why you shiver when you’re cold? Shivering is our body’s natural response to cold temperatures - a shiver is when our muscles tighten and relax rapidly, as a way to generate energy and heat. So, you’re basically working out when you’re cold! (JK, but I’m kinda serious).
The extra energy it takes to regulate our temperature means we’re burning more calories and expending more energy. On the other hand, sometimes our body will slow down our metabolism to reduce our activity levels in order to conserve the energy it needs to keep us warm. With the combination of these bodily functions, the cold zaps our energy. This is a core part of the reason why we feel hungrier in the winter, and why we feel more tired. Often we attribute this as not having “discipline” in terms of nourishment or being “lazy.” But really, this is a biological response, and it’s truly nothing to beat yourself up about.
Possible Strategies to feel less tired:
Nourish Yourself With Energizing Foods
Unfortunately our day-to-day responsibilities may require us to engage with the world more actively than we feel like during this season. To boost your energy, you might use that extra hunger to nourish yourself with foods that make you feel good and energized (fruits, vegetables, whole grains, etc.). Be careful not to confuse this approach with calorie restriction or shaming yourself for eating the foods you crave (boo, diet culture!) - just make sure to mix in some nutrients and energizing foods as well! And remember, you know what your body needs best.
Move Your Body
You also may find opportunities, especially during the morning, for movement. Though intuitively, it seems like movement is what tires us out, it’s often quite the opposite. Have you ever spent the whole day sitting or lying down at home thinking you’ll feel rested, but by the time 5 or 6pm rolls around, you can barely stand up? Yup, that’s because movement actually helps drive our energy. A moderate amount of movement releases endorphins in our body (aka the “happy hormone”) which helps lift our mood, and provides us with an energy boost that can help sustain us throughout the day and stave off the sluggies (a word I made up for feeling sluggish - should we add it to the dictionary?) That morning walk reference earlier can serve as a double-whammy for exposing us to light, and also getting those endorphins going in our body. Doing a workout at the gym, at a fitness class, or at home can also help us get those movement benefits. Getting out into the world at the gym or a class can also help us feel more socially connected during a time when we have limited motivation for social plans - another double-whammy!
Try some of these strategies the next time you’re getting the winter blues or feeling unusually tired. Godspeed as we muddle through the remainder of the winter!