Seasonal Affective Disorder: Combating the Winter Blues
Shorter days, less sunlight, and disrupted routines due to snowstorms or frigid temperatures can affect mood, energy, and focus. If winter leaves you feeling tired, low, unmotivated, or “not quite yourself,” you’re not weak, you’re not alone. Many people experience changes in mood during the colder months. For some, this is known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Learn why winter blues happen, the impact on people with darker skin tones, and what you can do now to support your mental health, regulate your body, and protect your well-being this winter.
What is Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD)?
SAD is a type of depression that happens during certain seasons—most often winter.
Common signs include:
Low mood or sadness
Fatigue or low energy
Trouble focusing
Changes in sleep
Wanting to withdraw or isolate
Loss of motivation
You don’t need to have all of these for winter to be affecting your mental health.
What causes SAD?
SAD can happen when your body has to adjust to big seasonal changes.
Common causes include:
Less sunlight: Shorter days affect mood, sleep, and energy
Changes in sleep: Dark mornings and early nights can disrupt your body clock
Lower vitamin D levels: Especially common in winter and in people with darker skin tones
Reduced movement: Cold weather can mean less time outdoors and less activity
The combination of biology and environmental factors can contribute to low mood. Understanding what’s happening makes it easier to respond with care and address the issue head on.
Why Winter hits harder for some people
Limited Sunlight which typically helps regulate:
Mood (through serotonin)
Sleep (through melatonin)
Energy and focus
In winter, reduced daylight can disrupt these systems. Cold weather can also limit movement, social connection, and routine which are things that help keep us emotionally balanced.
Why people with darker skin tones may feel it more
Darker skin filters sunlight. This helps protect the skin, but it also means the body makes less vitamin D from the sun, even in summer.
Because of this, some people with darker skin may start winter with lower vitamin D levels. When days get shorter and there is less sunlight, those levels can drop even more.
Vitamin D helps support mood, energy, and immune health. Low levels can make people feel more tired, low, or foggy during winter.
💡 Tip: If you have darker skin, it can be helpful to have your vitamin D levels checked twice a year, especially before and after winter. Connect with your care village to request a test.
What you can do now
1. What you eat matters to help with mood regulation during the SAD season
Eat whole foods. They are foods that are:
Close to their natural form (eggs, oats, fruits, veggies)
Not heavily processed (chips, fast food)
Easy to recognize
💡 Tip: When choosing oats, look for plain oats without added sugar. Frozen fruits and vegetables count too—they’re nutritious, convenient, and often more affordable.
2. Support your body with routine
Wake up and go to sleep at similar times
Get regular daylight and movement (yoga, sledding, skating)
Keep one daily anchor habit (walk, stretch, tea, journaling, playing records)
3. Get Moving!
Movement helps regulate mood.
Short walks
Stretching
Dancing at home
Gentle workouts
Mental health support matters
Winter can amplify stress, grief, and burnout but, understanding what might be happening and addressing it head on can support your health baseline.
Support can include:
Using workplace or school benefits to cover therapy or counselling
Talking to your primary care provider
Checking in with trusted people
If you are having trouble coping with your mental health that include ideations, please contact your local help line or head to the emergency department.
A reminder
Feeling low in winter does not mean something is wrong with you or that the way you are feeling will not pass.
This winter, focus on regulation, not resilience.
Gentle support today supports your mental health and healthy aging long-term.
