Why our mental health can suffer in winter and how to beat those ‘winter blues’

The nights have definitely been drawing in here in the southern hemisphere over the last few weeks and those long summer days are becoming a distant memory as winter approaches. I actually don’t mind this time of year. Not so much the grey, miserable days with non-stop rain, but I do love the cold, crisp, sunny days with bright blue skies. There’s lots of good things about this time of year in my opinion! Cooking up hearty stews and curries, roaring fires, red wine, hot chocolate, fluffy pyjamas and rewatching the entire box set of Sex and the City (I may be alone on that one, but for me it’s an annual winter event!).

That said, the change in seasons can trigger or exacerbate mental health issues for some. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), or the “winter blues’ is a form of depression linked to the change in seasons and is thought to affect around 1 in 3 people. Those who already suffer from depression may be at an increased risk of experiencing SAD and it also seems to be more common in women than men.

What to look out for

Persistent low mood and feelings of sadness
Feeling irritable
Loss of interest and enjoyment in usual activities
Sleeping more than usual
Low energy and increased fatigue during the day
Increased cravings for carbohydrates and sweet/starchy foods
Weight gain
Withdrawing from social connections
Problems concentrating

What causes SAD?

The exact cause of SAD is not fully understood, but it is thought to be connected to the reduction in daylight hours. We all know that feeling of going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark with little exposure to natural light in between. This can affect our natural body clock and disrupt the balance of neurotransmitters; chemical messengers in our brain that play a key role in regulating our mood, emotions, sleep and appetite.

The key players

Serotonin

Known as the ‘happy hormone’, serotonin helps boost mood, increase motivation and generally make us feel good.

Sunlight is required to produce serotonin in the brain, so reduced exposure during the winter months can cause a dip in serotonin levels, contributing to low mood.

However, 90% of serotonin is produced in the gut from tryptophan, an essential amino acid which cannot be produced in the body and must be obtained through our diet from protein sources such as poultry, meat, fish, dairy products, eggs, nuts and seeds.

Tryptophan has to get into the brain in order to be converted to serotonin, and unfortunately, that’s not an easy process. This is where carbs are your friend! Carbohydrate rich foods trigger the release of insulin which helps transport tryptophan to the brain.

And there you have the answer to why we tend to crave carb rich comfort foods in the winter when we’re feeling a bit low. It’s your body’s way of telling you it’s low on serotonin and needs increased levels of tryptophan in the brain (isn’t your body amazing?!).

Of course, this doesn’t mean you should reach for the cakes, biscuits and white bread. These refined carbohydrates will cause havoc with your blood sugar levels and only worsen your symptoms. Instead, combine tryptophan rich foods with complex carbohydrates such as brown rice or pasta, wholegrain oats and bread.

Melatonin

Melatonin is your ‘sleep hormone’ and is produced from serotonin. While serotonin requires light for its production, melatonin requires darkness. With the longer nights during winter, more serotonin may be converted to melatonin earlier in the day. This reduction in your feel good hormone and overproduction of your sleepy hormone, could be the reason you experience low mood and feel more lethargic during the day. Both common symptoms of SAD.

Vitamin D

Vitamin D is required for the conversion of tryptophan to serotonin, and given Vitamin D is produced in the body from direct sunlight to the skin, deficiency is extremely common, particularly during the winter months.

Whilst you can obtain vitamin D through food sources such as oily fish, egg yolks, liver and mushrooms, it’s not possible to to obtain sufficient amounts from diet alone and it is therefore worth getting your levels tested and supplementing as appropriate.

How to combat the ‘winter blues’

Exposure to daylight

One of the best things you can do to improve your mood and lessen the symptoms of SAD is to find opportunities to get as much exposure to natural light as possible. Even on a cloudy, overcast day you will still be exposed to approximately 1500 lux compared to around 300-500 lux from indoor lighting, so rug up and get yourself outdoors as much as you can.

Eat your breakfast or drink your morning coffee outside, or at the very least, by an open window or door (unfortunately glass blocks the UVB light so just sitting by a window won’t cut it). Go for a walk at lunch time or get off the bus one stop earlier on your way to work (leave the sunglasses behind to ensure you get the benefit of that full spectrum light to your eyes).

Exercise

We know that moving our bodies helps increase endorphins and boost our mood. Exercising outside will provide the added benefit of light exposure. It doesn’t really matter what you do, just being active will do the trick.

Healthy comfort foods

Feed your body and mind with comfort foods that make you feel warm and snuggly but are also good for you. Get the slow cooker or pressure cooker out and make batches of high fibre veggie soups, homemade curries and stews. Roast delicious root veggies, drizzle with olive oil and serve with baked salmon or slow roast meat. Try swapping your regular hot chocolate for raw cacao powder and sweeten with vanilla or cinnamon. You could even add a little chili if you fancy a kick!

And finally, I would highly recommend rewatching the entire Sex and the City box set, ideally in your fluffy pyjamas with a nice glass of red wine!