Feeling tired even though you got enough sleep, having low energy or motivation, and feeling no desire to socialise: These can be symptoms of the winter blues. They are triggered by a lack of natural daylight, reduced light intensity and falling temperatures, as well as shorter days in winter. 

The medical explanation is that because of a lack of daylight, the body produces less serotonin (the “happiness” hormone) and more melatonin (the “sleep” hormone). This change in metabolism can throw the body out of balance.

Light and movement can help

Balance can be restored by regularly going out in the fresh air, even in bad weather. Even the cloudiest day provides more light exposure than a brightly lit interior. Exercise also helps get your metabolism back on track, and socialising helps you to forget your winter blues. 

“Schedule a coffee date or make regular phone calls with your loved ones,” recommends Dr Silke Schmitt Oggier, Medical Director at santé24. “That should help to lift your mood.”

When winter blues become winter depression

If the symptoms of a low mood are more pronounced and do not go away, we are no longer talking about winter blues but are instead dealing with winter depression or seasonal affective disorder (SAD). You should consult a doctor to get treatment. An integral part of the treatment for winter depression (regardless of its severity) is light therapy. 

The patient sits for about 30 minutes a day at a distance of about half a metre in front of a special therapy lamp (which is many times brighter than a conventional lamp) in order to get the required amount of light. Light therapy is usually used in combination with psychotherapy and pharmacotherapy (treatment using medication).