Have you ever wondered why waking up and getting out of bed is so much more difficult in the winter months than during the summer months? For many of us, winter means waking up in the morning when it’s still dark outside and already feeling exhausted and unmotivated before even starting the day. The usual morning routine starts to feel like a chore, and we may feel laziness creeping up over us, accompanied by a low, unenthusiastic mood. The “lazy” feeling we get during winter is a common occurrence for many people and is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). These shifts in our motivation and moods often happen without warning, making it much harder to cope with the effects of SAD if we don’t know what’s causing the changes.
When the days get shorter, the sun comes up later and it’s typically still dark as we’re waking up for school. These changes in our environment all translate over to our biological mechanisms, like our circadian rhythm and melatonin production, in ways that are disruptive to sleep patterns and moods. The effects of SAD on our mood can be extensive or minor, with many people feeling depressed mood for most of the time, and many also feeling moody and “lazier” than usual. Symptoms of lethargy usually go together with feelings of being “lazy”, which we tend to blame ourselves for. Rather than assuming you’re being lazy, treat SAD as a disorder that needs care and attention. The symptoms of SAD, when experienced all at once, can feel overwhelming to no fault of your own. By learning the warning signs and symptoms, we can learn how to best care for ourselves to mitigate the negative effects.
Throughout life, we’re all guaranteed to have days like these. It’s essential to remind ourselves that we’re allowed to have low mood, and low energy days and still congratulate ourselves for working through it with grace. On days when you wake up tired and unmotivated, try congratulating yourself for getting out of bed, brushing your teeth and hair, and eating some breakfast. Even though completing a task list of three basic things such as those may not feel like a win, it will change the way you consider the effort and care you show yourself. Not every day has to be our best day, but we can work towards giving every day our best attempt and still feeling proud of accomplishing the day.
