and what to do about it!
Last week I spoke about why waiting for motivation doesn’t work due to the fact that it is a self perpetuating cycle. So true to my word I have been testing out the tips I gave in the last blog and broadly I have been pretty successful. This week I have stuck to my running and exercise plan Yayy! I think the technique I have found most helpful has been a mixture of my own just doing 20 minutes and habit stacking. I am super impressive with this but I realised I am missing something before we even consider motivation and that is energy!
I and most people I know seem to be distinctly lacking in energy right now.
Depending where you are in the world right now this may be different, but for us in rainy England we are still in the clutches of a rainy dark winter. And yes spring is coming soon but the dark evening and unpredictable weather (largely rain) will be here for another month or so.
I for one find winter much more difficult to stay energised, especially once the festive period is over. It is like when we unplug the Christmas lights we unplug my energy levels too. Maybe they are boxed up there somewhere in the loft waiting to be unpacked.
It seems like I am not alone in this. Research shows that in the UK approximately 1 in 15 people experience Seasonal Affective Disorder.. Whilst I wouldn’t say that I have SAD or vitamin D deficiency (I am a redhead and we can create our own, what a super power), I would say that I find it harder to do the things that keep me well in the winter months. I find myself feeling sluggish, tired more of the time, wanting to go to bed and not feeling as much enjoyment of the things I usually do.
So why is it that so many of us find winter exhausting?
Sleep cycles
The darker mornings and evenings change the body’s production of melatonin, the hormone that tells our brains when to sleep. This means when it is dark our body is preparing itself for sleep so we can feel tired and groggy from 16:00 in the depths of winter. Making us feel less able to do what we need to do to keep us well. So it is a vicious cycle of feeling tired, not doing what we would usually do and then we feel less motivated and lethargic.
What’s more is recent research has found that humans may need more sleep in the winter than in the summer months. So the sleepiness may actually be our bodies trying to get the extra sleep that they need.
Vitamin D
Another reason we may feel lower in energy in the winter is because we are not getting enough vitamin D. Vitamin D is essential for muscle, bone and teeth health but it also has a key role in the metabolism of glucose which affects our energy levels. In the lovely summer sunshine our incredible bodies make their own vitamin D from the sunlight. For most people though from the middle of autumn to the beginning of spring our bodies don’t get enough rays to create the vitamin D that we need. So you may need to take vitamin D supplements to keep your energy levels up throughout the colder months.
Diet
Diet sort of links to vitamin D because there are some foods mainly fish, meat and eggs that can help increase your vitamin D levels. Our diets in winter are important more generally. I think because winter can feel a bit miserable we can try to cheer ourselves up with huge steamy cosy bowls of beige, I mean who doesn’t love a nice bowl of macaroni cheese. All followed by some sweet treats because you deserve a treat when it is grim outside. The issue is that whilst delicious, these treats when they become a very regular occurrence can increase that lethargic feeling and give us sugar crashes. Often these cosy foods don’t have the nutrients that will leave you feeling more energised and the heavy meals leave you feeling full and sluggish.
What can you do to increase your energy over the winter ?
Get more daylight
Getting out in the daylight wherever possible can be really beneficial as it can increase your vitamin d a little, and the fresh air will likely make you feel a bit more energised too. Getting outside in the morning can also help your body to regulate your melatonin production which can help to set your circadian rhythm and improve your sleep.
Maintain your exercise routine
Research also shows that maintaining your workout routine in the winter, even when it doesn’t seem appealing, is really important in helping you maintain your mental health and keep your energy levels up. The motivation to exercise in the winter may disappear for several months so it is important that we don’t wait for motivation to exercise.
Eat nutritious food
So we know that we might be really tempted to live off cosy food in the winter, but we need to make sure we have nutritious foods in our diets too. These don’t need to be completely separate options, there are so many delicious saucy bean recipes or cosy chillis or veg filled curries that can be perfect for a snuggly sofa evening whilst also giving us more energy.
The same can be said for sweet treats. Why not reduce the sugar crash and make some high quality hot chocolate or some naturally sweetened date balls rather than a whole milktray (not that I am speaking from experience at all!).
Try to make sure that you are also getting enough vitamin D either from your food or consider taking a vitamin D tablet.
Sleep hygiene
With us potentially needing more sleep over winter but then also being more likely to have disturbed sleep due to the changes in daylight. It is even more important to maintain good sleep hygiene habits. So as well as getting out in the daylight and exercising, be mindful of your screen use around bed time. Try to keep your bedroom just for sleep and other bed activities (and no I don’t mean watching netflix in bed). It is also beneficial to keep your sleeping space calm and relaxing. Also try to keep an eye on your alcohol, caffeine and sugar consumption around bedtime.
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