Mental Health During Winter
It’s fairly common to struggle a little bit more during the cooler months - even though winters in Australia (particularly on the coast) are much more mild compared to the Northern Hemisphere. It’s important to recognise and be aware of the ways that shifts and changes, even in the season, can play a role in our mental health. In the same way that we might make preparations or adjustments in our homes or our wardrobes with the new season, we might need to be aware of ways to prepare for and adjust our mental health routines.
Why might we struggle more during winter?
There are so many reasons why we might struggle more during the winter months! It’s generally colder, of course! And depending on where you live, it may be much, much colder. Anecdotally, what we know is that it’s harder to feel motivated to get out of bed or get outside when it’s cooler. Leaving the warmth of your bed or contemplating heading outside is much less enticing than whe it’s sunny and warm outside. We might have to use much more of our motivational energy to do things which in summer or spring are more effortless; like getting ready for the day, having a shower, walking to the bus stop, getting to work or school, going to the shops. If we find those activities take up a little more energy, then it’s understandable that we have less left over other pursuits and activities.
It’s also darker earlier in winter! It’s often dark by the time we’re home from school, uni, or work – and this can feel like a real shock after having many daylight hours left in summer at that time. This after-work time is often when we get our ‘optional’ activities in – such as going to the gym, going for a walk or run, organising to see friends or family. So, during winter, these are often harder due to the dark – it might feel less safe, you might be restricted from driving, or you might simply feel more of a desire to be inside at home!
For these reasons, we might get less sunlight leading to lower vitamin D levels. We might exercise less. We might have big routine changes. We might do less – see less friends, exercise less, spend more time at home, want to sleep more. Our regular hobbies or interests might be more difficult to do – such as outdoor swimming, or getting to the beach.
Whilst inactivity is often a symptom of depression, it’s also a really significant contributing factor. When we do less, we feel less good about ourselves, we give ourselves less of an opportunity to feel productive or connected, and so we’re likely feel worse (which feeds back into wanting to do less!).
In it’s most extreme form, you might suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (aka SAD). Seasonal Affective Disorder is most commonly understood as a cluster of symptoms most like Depression (but may include Anxious features) that occurs around seasonal changes, particularly winter.
What can I do about it?
Remember to have self-compassion – as mentioned, everyone tends to struggle more during winter! It’s a very human thing to do. Remember there are some animals that hibernate for most of the winter months – it’s quite possibly an evolutionary, biological drive to want to do less around this time of year. Engage in self-compassion exercises to reduce self-criticism about what we do and how we look over these months. It’s important to not have rigid expectations about what we can achieve our how we’ll feel all year round.
Recognise that everything passes – quite literally, the seasons always change! In the same way that winter seems to just ‘arrive’ each year unexpectedly, it will also pass as well. Days will get longer and things will get warmer. It can be helpful to remind yourself that even if you’re struggling now, things always change.
Pin point what contributes to your mental wellbeing – if you are struggling, try and work out what has contributed to the shift. Perhaps use an experimental approach, a bit like after an elimination diet, by adding in different routine changes or activities one at a time to see what makes you feel better. You might discover that it’s the lack of exercise that’s been making things worse, or lack of sunlight, or less socialising, or maybe your diet has changed. Once you’ve recognised what’s contributing, you can…
Think about how to make reasonable adjustments – in the same way that we wear different clothes in winter, we might need to make different adjustments to our routines or self-care strategies. Perhaps you need to exercise differently (move to an indoor gym class as opposed to a morning run outside?), or eat different foods, or find a different way to connect with people or get places. Maybe it’s about having self-compassion for staying in more. Or getting up earlier to catch the sunlight, or eating outdoors at work to get more Vitamin D intake. Little shifts and changes can make a big differences to getting through the season.
Speak to a health professional – this might include a psychologist, but it might also include your GP or a nutritionist. There are often biological factors which contribute to lessened mental wellbeing in Winter – getting advice on if other therapies (such as light therapy or vitamin supplements) might be helpful for you is essential.
