The alarm goes off and you sleepily open your eyes. It's 7:30 a.m. and feels like 3 a.m. There's not a single ray of daylight yet. You'd rather crawl back into bed or hibernate like your childhood pet, Oskar the turtle, until the spring sun gives you a good dose of serotonin.
Instead, the home office calls – you sit down behind your desk with a cup of extra-strong filter coffee.
You are not alone if the dark, short days are bothering you. According to a Statista study, a full 36 percent of women and 24 percent of men suffer from a low mood during the winter months. The whole thing is called "winter blues" and is a mild form of SAD, the so-called seasonal affective disorder , also known as winter depression.
Winter blues describes a feeling of depression and listlessness that affects people during the dark season. This is usually accompanied by an increased need for sleep and a craving for more carbohydrates (hello, chocolate gingerbread – does anyone still eat them apart from us?!).
But how does the winter blues actually come about?
Apart from the current, extremely depressing situation thanks to Corona and the prospect that this will continue for at least the next few months, many of us are hit by the winter blues every year in various forms.
The main reason for this is daylight or the lack of it. Our body orientates itself on the hours of sunshine each day - when it is dark and it doesn't get really light, it switches to low power and we feel sleepy. This is due to the influence of daylight on our hormone balance. When we are exposed to less light, less of the happiness hormone serotonin, which makes us awake, is produced. At the same time, the release of melatonin, the sleep hormone, is stimulated.
Normally, our body produces melatonin at night when it is dark – but when it is twilight during the day, our internal clock gets confused.
But how can you survive this time despite the grey weather and not give in to the urge to just hide in your bed for the next few months? Read here how you can put an end to the winter blues with the help of our scientifically proven tips.
1. Exercise and sport (shake your fat)
According to a study , one in three people said they don't do any exercise at all in winter. But exercise leads to the release of serotonin and dopamine, among other things, which lift your mood. Exercise also boosts your immune system and helps you feel more tired in the evening and sleep better at night. And with better sleep, you are simply more alert and happier during the day - win-win. The results of a study in Health Psychology magazine support the beneficial effects of exercise - they found that after just 10 minutes of exercise, fatigue was reduced and overall mood improved.
Of course, winter sports are a good option – but beware of overcrowded slopes.
It's a good idea to put on your running shoes, jog around the block and enjoy the " runner's high ." It's the most practical, requires hardly any preparation and is nice to be out in the fresh air. If you're more of a chilled-out type, a nice brisk walk is of course enough (boomer alert). But due to the Corona crisis and closed gyms, strolling is back in fashion, even among younger people.
And if, despite your good intentions, it's too cold outside in the winter, you can simply resort to online sports, such as yoga classes. They are a balm for your body and soul. AloMoves, online yoga classes in English, are particularly hyped at the moment. There is also Mady Morrison's channel on YouTube for free.
2. Light (therapy) against the winter blues
As already described, your winter fatigue and lack of motivation have a lot to do with the lack of light in the cold season. How can you solve the problem? Of course – the best thing to do is to expose yourself to more light – and do so in various ways:
Put on your thick underwear and boots, put on a scarf and hat, and go for a walk during your lunch break. This will optimize the time you spend in daylight, and according to expert Till Roenneberg, a chronobiologist and professor at Ludwig Maximilian University, you will be exposing yourself to around 15,000 lux of light.
For comparison, if you do light therapy with special lamps, the intensity ranges from 2,500 to 10,000 lux. Incidentally, in countries like Sweden, etc. some offices already have special, extra bright lamps to counteract the darkness of the winter months.
3. Don’t be too hard on yourself
Are your usual hours of sleep no longer enough for you to feel rested during the day? No problem. If your lifestyle allows it and you are not spending time with your children in the home office , just sleep half an hour longer.
When the days are shorter and you don't want to go out, you can make yourself really comfortable indoors. Cuddle up in a blanket, make yourself a cup of tea, bake a cake or watch your favorite series on repeat. Now is the time to chill out without feeling guilty.
And here's another little scientifically proven tip from positive psychology to boost your mood - every evening, write down the five things you were grateful for during the previous day. Then you'll go to sleep feeling much better.
4. Exchange ideas with people close to you
The longest Harvard study on happiness ever conducted has found that deep, meaningful relationships with others make us happiest – it has even been scientifically proven that interacting with your favorite people is a real mood booster.
But how can this be implemented during the pandemic and social contacts maintained?
By now, even the last of us has reached the point where we simply find Zoom calls exhausting. Even meeting in front of the screen with a glass of wine together is no longer as uplifting as it was at the beginning of the pandemic. However, conversations over the screen are usually all we have left at the moment if we don't want to endanger ourselves or others.
Sometimes it helps to be a little old school. Pick up the phone, without a video call on Zoom or Whatsapp, and get in touch with your loved ones. You can also connect the two and call while you're on your lunch walk.
Or you can take a good friend with you for a walk and combine two of the tips. Hearing a loved one gives you positive vibes and you can maybe even talk about your frustrations and listen to what is bothering the other person. Many people are probably in a similar situation to you.
5. Give your day some structure
Does it bother you that your workday and your free time merge so much because of the home office and the grey days and you no longer know when you are actually working and when you are chilling? That is how many people feel at the moment.
What helps against this is a plan.
When exactly do I get up, when is breakfast, when do I work and when do you take a coffee break or go for a quick walk around the block - write everything down and stick to your plan. And if you've got a lot done at work, the breaks are much more relaxing.
If you also plan something small to look forward to every morning, it will be easier to get out of bed. How about a tasty croissant for breakfast or listening to an audio book for 20 minutes while you drink your coffee?
Concluding remark
If you notice that your depressed mood continues even after the winter months, and other symptoms may occur, be sure to seek medical advice to check whether there is more to it than just the winter blues.