Feeling extra tired these days? If you suddenly find it much more challenging to roll out of bed as soon as the temperatures drop and the dark evenings get longer, you might be experiencing winter tiredness. There’s no need to worry, though, as you’re not alone — plenty of people tend to feel more tired and sluggish during the winter months.
Adjusting to seasonal changes might be a genuine issue for some, but fortunately, there are plenty of practical and proven ways to tackle that winter tiredness. Things as simple as slight changes in your diet, such as eating more fruits and vegetables or trying some natural diet supplements, might make an enormous difference. Regular exercise, picking up some new hobbies, or boosting your vitamin D levels are also great ideas.
Here are seven proven ways to help you boost your mood and energy levels during the winter months.
1) Get Enough Sleep
The lack of sunlight affects our circadian rhythms and makes us produce less melatonin, which is the hormone responsible for making us feel sleepy and tired. As a result, many of us have a harder time falling asleep during winter and wake up with a feeling of grogginess in the morning. The best thing you can do about it is to get at least 7-8 hours of sleep each night and make sure that your bedroom is dark, quiet, and comfortable.
If you have trouble sleeping at night, try drinking a cup of chamomile tea before bedtime or pick up some natural supplements, such as melatonin or CBD oil, which are proven to help people fall asleep faster and wake up feeling refreshed in the morning. If you’re worried you won’t enjoy the taste of CBD oil, but you’d still like to try it, get citrus flavoured CBD oil instead. It will be as effective but should taste better.
2) Eat More Fruits and Vegetables
The body requires extra vitamins and minerals during the winter season when there’s less sunlight and we spend more time indoors. Eating more fruits and vegetables can help you fight off the winter’s tiredness. As fruits and vegetables contain plenty of nutrients, they can quickly boost your energy levels during the cold months.
If you’re not used to eating plenty of fruits and veggies, you can try eating one or two pieces of fruit per day or adding more vegetables to your meals without worrying about gaining weight — most of them are very low in calories. The goal is to eventually get to the point where instead of reaching for candy when you want something sweet, you’ll instinctively grab an apple or even make a smoothie!
3) Boost Your Vitamin D Levels
Vitamin D is probably the most important vitamin for maintaining your energy levels during the winter season. As mentioned before, there’s not much sunlight during that time of year, which means that our bodies might not get enough vitamin D to function properly.
As a result, we might feel sluggish and tired all day long without even knowing why. If you want to avoid this problem, try spending some time outdoors in the sun every day or taking vitamin D supplements.
4) Drink Plenty of Fluids
Another critical factor that helps us stay alert and awake is staying hydrated. As the weather becomes colder and darker, many people tend to drink less water than usual — making them feel tired and lethargic all day long.
Ensure that you drink enough fluids throughout the day so that you don’t experience any problems with your energy levels during the winter months.
5) Exercise Regularly
If you’re feeling sluggish and tired during the winter season, you might want to start exercising regularly. Not only does regular exercise help you maintain your weight and improve your overall health, but it also has a massive impact on your mood, making you feel happier and more energetic.
Try to set aside at least 30 minutes every day for exercise and choose an activity that you enjoy doing. Some people prefer to go for long walks outdoors, while others opt for taking indoor cycling classes or swimming laps in their local pool.
6) Find a New Hobby
In addition to exercising, you can also try and find a new hobby that will keep you occupied and active during the winter months. Try learning a new skill, such as playing a musical instrument or taking up a new art form. During winter, exercising your brain and challenging it can be just as beneficial as exercising your body.
You will not only feel more energized and happier thanks to this new hobby, but you’ll also have something to do on those gloomy winter days, thus making them a little bit brighter and easier to get through.
7) Go Out When You Can
Even though we tend to spend more time indoors during the winter months, try to get out as much as possible during the weekdays. See a movie with friends or family members, visit local museums, or volunteer in a local animal shelter and offer to walk the dogs.
As much as possible, try to combine an indoor activity with an outdoor one — for example, go shopping and then have lunch outside or go to the movies and then go for a walk afterward. Doing so will bring more happiness to your life!
The Take-Aways
There is no magic bullet for curing the winter blues. It is not something you can take care of overnight, and it is not a condition that you can cure with a simple pill. The solutions to helping your body adjust to the changes in the environment and the cold weather conditions will take patience, commitment, and some trial and error before figuring out what works best for you and your unique situation.
The tips provided above should be a good starting point to help you find the perfect solution for your winter tiredness. By exercising more, drinking plenty of water, and eating more fruits and vegetables, you can improve your mood and make the winter months seem less intimidating.
