8 Ways To Beat The Winter Blues

It’s almost dark at 5:30 p.m. My son is barely home from school, having his afternoon snack before soccer practice. It’s still dark when we wake up at 7 a.m., and the sun won’t peek out its head to greet us until 8:30 a.m.

Yep, it’s winter. 

When my alarm rings loudly and screams me out of bed, I moan. All I want to do is stay curled up under the covers, in the warmth of my soft blankets. I don’t want to get out and begin my day . . . in the dark.

Little sunlight, low energy—feelings of heaviness and discouragement overtake me in this season. 

Winter.

For global workers—those who cross borders, languages, and hemispheres—winter isn’t only a season. It is an experience that shifts with geography, culture, and expectations. We will not experience the same “winter” if we are in Minnesota or if we are in Chad.

With all of the other changes in our lives, we may underestimate the changes of the season.

The Body Knows It’s Winter

Even before the Gregorian calendar turns the page to December 21, the body is already aware of the looming transition.

Seasonal changes affect human biology regardless of nationality or profession. Reduced exposure to daylight during the winter (fifteen hours of sunlight in the summer down to nine in some locations) alters circadian rhythms, disrupts sleep, and affects mood-regulating neurotransmitters such as serotonin and melatonin.

The U.S. National Institute of Mental Health explains that these changes are central to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), but they also influence people who never receive a formal diagnosis (NIMH, 2023).

Beyond light exposure, seasonal biological changes can also influence mental health. A narrative review in the Journal of Clinical Medicine introduces the concept of “immunoseasonality,” suggesting that immune system activity changes with the seasons. These fluctuations may interact with inflammatory processes linked to depression, further explaining why mood disorders intensify during winter. This biological phenomenon challenges the idea that winter distress is purely psychological. It is also physiological.

Cold temperatures increase cardiovascular strain, exacerbate respiratory conditions, and raise the risk of infections. This is why there are more cases of colds and flu in the winter. 

In addition, your eyes contain specialized cells called intrinsically photosensitive retinal ganglion cells, and these cells send light information directly to the part of your brain that regulates your circadian rhythm. When they detect less light, your entire system recalibrates.

You’re not imagining that winter feels harder. It is harder, at a cellular level.

Global Nomads in Winter

For those who regularly travel and cross borders, these winter challenges may be compounded. Jet lag, irregular schedules, and cultural expectations around work may override biological signals to rest. The body, however, continues to respond to seasonal cues.

Living abroad can also amplify the psychological effects of winter. Social support systems may be weaker, language barriers can make seeking care more difficult, and familiar cultural rituals that once marked the season may be absent. The World Health Organization has repeatedly emphasized that social connection is a key protective factor for mental health, particularly during periods of environmental or seasonal stress. Research also suggests that winter isolation can increase anxiety and depression.

No matter where we are on the globe, the winter season asks something different of us all. It affects the body and the mind. Yet, many of us carry on as if nothing has changed, pushing through fatigue, loneliness, and low mood. 

Modern life pretends winter doesn’t exist. Your boss expects the same productivity in January as in June.

Your social calendar doesn’t slow down.

The cultural message is clear: keep going, keep producing, keep showing up at the same pace regardless of what season it is.

This disconnect between what your body needs and what your life demands creates an exhaustion that accumulates over the cold months.

Increasingly, research suggests that this approach comes at a cost. Wintering—intentionally slowing down and caring for oneself during winter months—is not indulgent. It is a necessary practice for everyone, perhaps even more so for those living and working far from home.

Building Your Winter Operating System

1. Light exposure—Light is as non-negotiable as food and water. Your brain needs bright light, preferably natural daylight (10,000 lux) compared to 100-500 lux with indoor lighting. Go outside during daylight hours for at least twenty minutes—even when it’s cold, even when it’s cloudy, even when you don’t feel like it. Morning walks are best to help regulate your circadian rhythm. Position your workspace near a window and open your curtains fully.

2.⁠ ⁠Movement—A tool to regulate mood, energy, and stress. The endorphin release from exercise acts as a natural antidepressant. The exposure to daylight while walking outside doubles the benefit. The movement doesn’t need to be intense. Gentle yoga, stretching, a slow walk around your neighborhood all trigger the neurochemical benefits you’re looking for. Consistency matters more than intensity during winter.

3.⁠ ⁠Warmth—When you’re chronically cold, your body diverts resources to thermoregulation that could otherwise go to immune function, mood regulation, and cognitive performance. Your home should be genuinely warm during winter, not just tolerable. Warm drinks, warm baths, and warm layers of clothing are also tools for managing your physiological stress load.

4.⁠ ⁠Sleep—You may not be able to change when you need to wake up to go to work, but you can choose go to bed 30-60 minutes earlier. To improve sleep quality, keep your bedroom temperature cool, between 65-68°F/18-20°C. Establish bedtime routines that signal to your body that sleep is approaching by reducing screens and dimming lights two hours before bed to help your melatonin production ramp up naturally. Try to maintain a consistent bedtime schedule, even on weekends, to keep your circadian rhythm stable.

5.⁠ ⁠Boundaries of Time and Energy—Think of your energy in winter like a phone battery that starts each day at 70% instead of 100%. You have less to work with, so you have to be more selective about where your energy goes. High-value activities that restore you or move you toward important goals should get priority.

6.⁠ ⁠Connection—The isolation impulse is strong in winter, and you have to actively counter it. Humans are social animals, and prolonged isolation worsens mood and anxiety. You don’t need constant social contact, but you need some. Regular connection, even in small doses, provides both accountability and comfort. A weekly call with a friend, a recurring coffee date, a small group that meets consistently . . . these touchpoints matter more in winter than in summer, when casual social interaction happens more naturally.

7.⁠ ⁠Nourishing Food—The food piece of winter self-care is both physical and psychological. Physically, your body needs fuel for thermoregulation and immune function, both of which work harder in winter. Warm, nutrient-dense meals heavy on vegetables, whole grains, proteins, and healthy fats provide what your system needs. Soups and stews aren’t just comfort food. They deliver nutrition and hydration, and the warmth itself is useful. Your body often craves carbohydrates in winter—bread, pasta, and potatoes—which is a normal response to decreased serotonin in the cold months. Vitamin D supplementation is also helpful for most people in winter, since you can’t produce it from sunlight when the sun is at a low. Vitamin D correlates with both depressed mood and reduced immune function.

8.⁠ ⁠Calming Sensory Experiences—Your environment affects your mood and stress level. Soft textures, warm lighting, pleasant scents, and comforting sounds all send safety to your brain. A soft blanket, a candle with a scent you enjoy, warm light from lamps, and relaxing music create an environment that supports rest. Make tea or coffee, hold a warm mug, and sit for a few minutes while you drink it. This can become a small ritual that punctuates your day and gives you brief moments of intentional rest.

Around the Corner

By late February, the sunlight starts to linger a little longer. Energy returns slowly. Looking back, it becomes clear that the hardest part of winter was not the cold or the darkness, but the expectation to move through it unchanged.

Wintering asks us to listen—to our bodies shaped by seasons, to our minds stretched across cultures, and to our limits that deserve respect. Whether winter arrives as snow, cool mornings, or emotional heaviness, it is a season that calls for self-care.

In learning to winter well, especially far from home, we do not withdraw from the world. We sustain ourselves so that when the light returns—as it always does—we are still able to meet it with strength, curiosity, and compassion.

Need a visual reminder of ways to care for yourself this winter? Download “6 Powerful Ways to Take Care of Me,” a one-page PDF you can hang on your fridge or bathroom mirror. This free resource will help you think more broadly about ways to slow down, listen to your body, and recharge.

Guest author, Marci Renée, along with her French husband and four boys, is a global nomad who has traveled to more than 30 countries and has lived in the United States, France, Morocco, and Spain. She loves to travel, speak foreign languages, experience different cultures, eat ethnic foods, meet people from faraway lands, and of course, write and tell stories. She is a published author of children's picture books, memoirs, short stories, and poetry.

You can find Marci and her books on her website.

"The Cultural Story-Weaver," at www.culturalstoryweaver.com