HOW TO BEAT WINTER TIREDNESS

Long nights, cold weather and the festive season can all put a strain on our physical and mental health, but there are ways to boost our energy

- AMY JONES

When winter hits, our bodies go into a natural response, which can leave us feeling tired and lethargic. The colder weather and darker days play a role in this, along with our diet and lifestyle, which we often find changing during the winter months, whether we intend to or not. Limited sunlight sees us staying indoors more, colder weather gives us cravings for comfort food, and darker mornings tempt us to stay in bed for longer. While all of these factors are perfectly normal during what some people call “hibernation season”, they can leave us lacking energy and motivation.

The run-up to Christmas can also add extra stress and exhaustion to our lives, as breathing and wellbeing coach Jess Parkinson explains. “It can be surprisingly easy for our bodies to become a bit stuck in an upregulated, stressed state over this period, leading to both physical and mental symptoms. Later nights, over-indulging, extra socialising and general festive stress may prevent our nervous systems from relaxing. This can lead to disrupted or broken sleep, anxiety and feeling overwhelmed, topping it off with colder and darker days, we may find ourselves feeling a little low.”

Explaining the reason behind our lack of energy during the winter, Cathy Lawson, a mental health and wellbeing coach, tells us, “The shift in weather can lead to feelings of tiredness as our bodies may take time to adjust to the change. The reduction in daylight hours can impact our circadian rhythms — our internal clocks that regulate sleep, mood and energy levels. People may experience a dip in mood or even symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) due to reduced exposure to natural sunlight and weather changes.”