Understanding the Winter Blues and how to manage them

As we move through the second half of winter and the days slowly begin to brighten, many of us still feel the lingering effects of the darker months. Subtle shifts in mood, motivation, energy levels and performance are common at this time of year. This is often described as the having the ‘winter blues.’

To help us understand these seasonal changes and how we can best navigate them, we turn to Professor Stephen Palmer, Honorary Professor of Practice at UWTSD and a leading expert in stress management and resilience with more than 60 books on wellbeing, coaching, and mental health. 

Here he shares his insights into why these seasonal shifts happen, along with practical tips to help you manage the winter blues.

Let’s start by looking at what we actually mean by the winter blues.  

The winter blues - not to be confused with the ‘holiday blues’, which relate to feeling low because of a specific event or festive period - describe a subclinical pattern of seasonal low mood that does not meet the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders (DSM5TR) criteria for a depressive disorder. Signs of the winter blues typically involve mild sadness, reduced energy and lower motivation, triggered by the shorter daylight hours at this time of year.  

By contrast, Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is recognised in DSM5TR as a Major Depressive Disorder with a seasonal pattern, in which a full depressive episode occurs predictably at a particular time of year, most commonly during the winter months. Winterpattern SAD involves the same features seen in major depression, such as persistent low mood, reduced energy, diminished interest or pleasure, and social withdrawal. A distinguishing feature of winter-pattern SAD, compared with non-seasonal depression, is the frequent presence of so-called atypical features, such as increased sleep and appetite, leading to weight gain. Summer-pattern SAD is much less common with symptoms such as insomnia, reduced appetite, agitation, and anxiety. 

Research suggests that in the UK, up to 20% of people experience winter blues and around 3% experience SAD.  

In terms of who is most at risk, it might be surprising to learn that experiencing the winter blues or SAD isn’t just about where you live, although latitude does play a role, with shorter winter days increasing vulnerability. The picture is broader. Your age, gender, geographical location, and even your eye colour can influence your propensity to suffer from the effects.   

Women are generally more affected than men, younger adults more than older adults, and people with darker eye colours appear to be at slightly higher risk, possibly due to differences in light sensitivity. These patterns are drawn from a range of studies, each of which reports slightly different results, as is common across wellbeing and mental health research. 

As for what causes the winter blues, three factors tend to stand out. They are: 

1. Environmental: Shorter days and longer nights mean far less natural light exposure. Cold, grey, wet, or windy weather can keep people indoors, reducing sunlight even more and limiting opportunities to spend time in nature - both of which can affect mood and energy. 

2. Psychological: Winter often brings reduced outdoor activity, more time spent at home, and a tendency to withdraw socially. These shifts can reinforce unhelpful thinking patterns or negative expectations, which can contribute to feeling worse. 

3. Biological: Less sunlight in winter disrupts the body’s natural rhythms. It can increase melatonin (making you feel more tired), affect serotonin (linked to mood regulation), and throw off the circadian rhythm which is our internal body clock. Lower vitamin D levels, also influenced by reduced sunlight, may play a role too. 

The good news is that there are plenty of ways to support our wellbeing in winter.  

Many people find that a mix of small, everyday strategies can make a real difference to how they feel during this time. Nevertheless, if someone is experiencing depression, their GP may recommend antidepressants and/or refer them for cognitive behavioural therapy. But for milder winter dips, there are many practical things that we can do to help ourselves. 

1. Focus on rhythm and routine  

Our bodies and minds tend to thrive on consistency, especially in winter. Keeping regular sleep and wake times can help stabilise your energy levels. Morning rituals, even something as simple as starting the day with your favourite tea or coffee, can provide a helpful boost. Ending the day with a deliberate winddown routine can also make a real difference. This often needs a bit of planning. For example, instead of staying up late to finish a film, record it and watch it earlier on another evening. 

Another helpful approach is behavioural activation. This simply means scheduling rewarding activities into your day, breaking tasks into smaller steps if they feel too challenging, and perhaps having a friend or colleague to act as an accountability partner. Supporting each other in “winterbluesbusting” activities can be a helpful and motivating form of peer support. 

2. Light up your winter  

Light plays a huge role in regulating mood and energy. Many people use light boxes or SAD lamps, which often provide around 10,000 lux of UVfree light, for 30–60 minutes a day. In the evenings, exposure to blue light can be addressed by adjusting settings on phone, tablet, or laptop screens which can help to improve our sleep. 

3. Support your Vitamin D levels 

Low levels of Vitamin D have been linked with low mood. This can be caused by insufficient dietary intake, though levels often fall in winter when we’re not getting enough exposure to sunshine in the outdoors. Between November and February, people living more than around 33 degrees north or 30 degrees south of the equator may not be able to synthesise enough Vitamin D from sunlight alone. Dietary sources and supplements can help. The NHS advises that if people choose to take Vitamin D supplements, 10 micrograms per day is enough for most. 

4. Challenge unhelpful winter thinking 

It’s not just geography that affects how we experience winter, our mindset matters too. Our attitudes and beliefs can help to exacerbate and maintain the winter blues therefore recognising unhelpful thinking patterns and gently modifying them can help lift mood and motivation. Two common examples are: 

i) “Ican’tstandititis” (Low frustration tolerance) 

Unhelpful thought: “I really can’t stand even the thought of three long, dreary months.” 
More realistic alternative: “Although I strongly dislike even the thought of three long, dreary months, there is no evidence that I can’t stand it. I am living proof that I can tolerate it.” 

ii) Magnification (Awfulising) 

Unhelpful thought: “This weather is terrible. My life is awful.” 
More realistic alternative: “The weather is bad, but not terrible. It won’t be like this every day. My life can feel difficult at times, but it’s hardly awful.” 

In summary, while winter can be challenging for many of us, there are many steps we can take to ease the winter blues and manage SAD. This article has explored some of the approaches shown to support mood, energy, and wellbeing during the darker months. If you’d like to explore the evidence in more depth, the bibliography below lists the research that informed this piece. 

Please note: This article is for general information only and is not intended to replace advice, diagnosis, or treatment from a qualified medical professional. 

Bibliography 

American Psychiatric Association (2022). Diagnostic and statistical manual of mental disorders (5th ed., text rev.). https://doi.org/10.1176/appi.books.9780890425787  

MacNaught, S. (2021). Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) Statistics. www.microbizmag.co.uk/seasonal-affective-disorder-statistics  

Melrose, S. (2015). Seasonal Affective Disorder: An Overview of Assessment and Treatment Approaches. Depression Research and Treatment, 2015(1), 1–6. https://doi.org/10.1155/2015/178564  

Michalak, E. E., Wilkinson, C., Dowrick, C., & Wilkinson, G. (2001). Seasonal affective disorder: prevalence, detection and current treatment in North Wales. British Journal of Psychiatry, 179(1), 31–34. doi:10.1192/bjp.179.1.31 https://doi.org/10.1192/bjp.179.1.31  

NHS (2023). Vitamin D. National Health Service. https://www.nhs.uk/conditions/vitamins-and-minerals/vitamin-d/  

Palmer, S., & Cooper, C. (2013). How to deal with stress (3nd ed.). Kogan Page. https://www.koganpage.com/general-business-interest/how-to-deal-with-stress-9780749467067  

Penckofer, S., Kouba, J., Byrn, M., & Estwing Ferrans, C. (2010). Vitamin D and depression: where is all the sunshine?. Issues in mental health nursing, 31(6), 385–393. https://doi.org/10.3109/01612840903437657  

Rosen, L. N., Targum, S. D., Terman, M., Bryant, M. J., Hoffman, H., & Kasper, S. F. et al. (1990). Prevalence of seasonal affective disorder at four latitudes. Psychiatry Research, 31, 131-144. 

Rosenthal, N. E., Bradt, G. H., & Wehr, T. A. (1984). Seasonal Pattern Assessment Questionnaire. Bethesda, MD: National Institute of Mental Health. 

 Webb, A. R., Kline, L., & Holick, M. F. (1988). Influence of season and latitude on the cutaneous synthesis of vitamin D3: exposure to winter sunlight in Boston and Edmonton will not promote vitamin D3 synthesis in human skin. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology and Metabolism, 67 (2), 373–378. https://doi.org/10.1210/JCEM-67-2-373  

Workman, L., et al. (2018). Blue eyes keep away the winter blues: Is blue eye pigmentation an evolved feature to provide resilience to seasonal affective disorder? OA J Behavioural Sci Psych, 1(1), 180002. https://academicstrive.com/OAJBSP/OAJBSP180002.pdf  

Further Information

Mared Anthony

Communications and PR Officer: Alumni Relations   
Corporate Communications and PR    
Email: mared.anthony@uwtsd.ac.uk    
Phone: +447482256996