by Camila Almeida
Light is essential to life in its many forms, from helping plants create nutrients to promoting chemical balance in the human brain. And with less natural light in winter, the brain’s chemical balance can be upset, bringing the risk of developing mood disorders. Thus, many people experience what’s called “winter blues”—changes in their mood, energy levels, and behavior during winter—with symptoms that vary from mild to severe. Some even show symptoms similar to major depression in what’s known as “seasonal affective disorder” (SAD).
I'm one of the many who struggle with shorter days during the winter. My energy level tanks, and my cognitive performance at work drops. I get distracted more easily, and my motivation and drive to reach personal and professional goals decreases. I feel that, if I let myself sleep as long as I wanted to, I would probably reach the 12-hour mark. I also tend to crave more carbohydrates, particularly sweets.
Many years ago, I shared these struggles with my primary-care physician and asked if she thought they were signs of SAD. She promptly answered yes and added that, in my case, the best approach would be to invest in healthy lifestyle habits all year round. In her assessment, I could successfully manage my mild and intermittent symptoms without medication. I invested time into finding and developing habits that would help me sustain (or at least experience a smaller drop in) my well-being during the winter.
Get light exposure
Exposure to sunlight supports mental fitness in many different ways. But during the winter, days are shorter, temperatures are colder, and most people spend less time outdoors, even when the sun is shining. One of the leading theories is that this reduced exposure to natural light contributes to winter blues.In my journey to support my performance and wellness during the winter, I committed to stepping outside to get sunlight exposure as much as possible. My goal is to go out at least 3 times a day—morning, midday, and evening—and let natural light come in through my eyes. I don't look at the sun, but I turn my face toward it. Doing this can be extra hard on super-cold and windy days, but I stick to the plan as much as possible. I know my brain is craving light and will benefit from all the sunlight exposure I can get.
Stay active
Regular exercise is another effective way to boost brain health. It increases brain chemicals that boost your mood, drive up motivation, and support your well-being. Being active is a great strategy to cope with winter blues because it boosts some of those brain chemicals that get low due to the lack of light.For me, doing some type of physical activity early in the morning is extra helpful, particularly in the winter. The energy and mood-boosting effect of exercise is essential for my brain to perform during the day. I vary my exercise, from a simple bodyweight workout to a lap swim, depending on my energy level and schedule. What I do isn’t as important as making sure I get my heart pumping. If you can stand the cold (I can't), it's also a good idea to combine light exposure with outdoor physical activity.
Focus on nutrient-dense food
I can't stress enough how important healthy nutrition is for a happy, healthy brain. Your body alone can't provide the building blocks needed to produce essential brain chemicals that help you feel happy, energized, motivated, and accomplished. Such building blocks need to come from food!I know that focusing on healthy foods helps my brain function better throughout the entire year—not only in the winter. So, I make sure I follow recommendations for healthy eating. Excessive carbohydrate cravings are a common sign of winter blues, so I'm also careful to set up an environment that supports healthy eating.
Get social
Spending time with the people we love and who love us back is a brain health-boosting experience. And I make an extra effort at an active and healthy social life during the winter months. I love having friends over to share a meal, and the cold months seem the perfect season for that. Since it gets dark early and is cold outside, we can gather inside and share a wholesome comfort meal and some good wine.Do something fun indoors
Over the years, I have worked on my mindset to perceive that being indoors can be fun too. I used another aspect of my personality to get me excited about the winter months. Being a learner is my number-one signature strength, which means that learning something new is an energizing, naturally rewarding experience. Thus, I've used the winter months and all the time inside to learn new hobbies and skills, like sewing, photography, and scrapbooking. I'm not good at any of them, but I enjoy the process of learning and building those skills. Knowing that I'll have more time indoors to work on my hobbies gives me something to look forward to in the winter.Pay off sleep debt
Most people need 7–9 hours of sleep every night to sustain health and performance. The exact number varies from person to person, but you can’t decide how many hours of sleep you need—your biology controls this. When you don't meet your sleep requirements regularly, you accumulate sleep debt. Then, to pay off this debt, you need to sleep longer than you normally do or take naps whenever possible.The shorter daytime hours of winter make it easy to fall asleep earlier and get extra snoozing. A few extra minutes here and there can help me pay off any sleep debt I might have accumulated. Of course, I can also adjust my schedule to get extra sleep during the other seasons, but I find it easier to do so in the winter. And I take advantage of that. Service Members who often need to prioritize their mission over sleep can also benefit from opportunities to sleep longer in winter and optimize their sleep readiness.
Genetic factors might make you more vulnerable to winter blues than others, as well as influence the severity of symptoms. As with any other health concern, talk to your healthcare provider if you think you struggle with winter blues to any degree. Winter blues can come with feelings of hopelessness and thoughts of not wanting to live. If you’re in crisis, reach out for help. Don't wait until your symptoms get worse to take action. Identify the TFF strategies that work for you and build habits that support your military health and wellness.
Disclosure: The opinions and assertions expressed herein are those of the author and do not reflect the official policy or position of USU or DoD. The contents of this publication are the sole responsibility of the author and do not reflect the views, opinions, or policies of The Henry M. Jackson Foundation for the Advancement of Military Medicine, Inc. Mention of trade names, commercial products, or organizations does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. The author has no financial interests or relationships to disclose.
