Living With the Seasons: Understanding Seasonal Affective Disorder

During the winter months you may find that you’re hitting snooze more often, cancelling plans you normally enjoy, craving carbs, and finding that everything feels emptier than it did a couple of months ago. You might be experiencing Seasonal Affective Disorder.

Seasonal affective disorder, or SAD, is a form of depression that follows a seasonal pattern. For most people, it shows up in the fall or early winter and eases in the spring. Living in Canada, where daylight drops dramatically during the winter months, makes this especially relevant. Many people experience milder “winter blues,” while a smaller percentage experience SAD in a more intense, disruptive way. What’s important to know is that this isn’t a personal failing or a lack of willpower. It’s a real interaction between your brain, your body, and your environment.

One of the biggest drivers of SAD is reduced exposure to natural light. Light plays a major role in regulating our sleep-wake cycles and the neurotransmitters involved in mood, like serotonin and melatonin. When daylight drops off, some people’s systems struggle to adapt. The result can look like low energy, low motivation, difficulty concentrating, increased sleep, weight gain, and a general sense of withdrawal from life.

People often tell me they feel “lazy” or “unmotivated” in winter, especially if they compare themselves to how they function in the summer. From a psychological perspective, that comparison can make things worse. When your nervous system is already under strain, self-criticism tends to pile on and deepen the low mood.

Light exposure is one of the most powerful tools for feeling better during the winter months. Getting outside earlier in the day, even on cloudy mornings, can make a difference. Bundling up and going for a walk in the morning or lunch hour can really lift your mood. Trying out an outdoor winter activity not only exposes you to more natural light but also increases social connection and enjoyment. Try joining a walking or hiking group or explore snowshoeing or sledding in a local park.

Gentle, regular activity — especially outdoors — can significantly improve mood and energy. A short daily walk can help reset your internal clock and give your brain a signal that the day has started. Many people find it easier to stick with movement in winter if they stop aiming for perfection and focus on consistency instead.

Connection is another key piece. SAD often pulls people inward, which makes sense, but isolation tends to worsen mood over time. Staying connected doesn’t have to mean big social events. It can be a weekly coffee, a regular phone call, or a standing plan that you keep even when motivation is low. Sometimes the structure comes before the desire.

Routine is underrated but powerful. Winter can blur days together, especially when there’s less light. Having a predictable rhythm — wake time, meals, movement, work, rest — can provide stability when your internal motivation feels unreliable.

Planning things to look forward to also helps more than people expect. Research shows that anticipation itself boosts mood. Even small plans placed on the calendar can create a sense of forward movement during months that otherwise feel stagnant. This doesn’t need to be something big, this could be a book club meeting, coffee with a friend, movie night, inviting friends over to build a snowman and drink hot chocolate.

Many people with seasonal low mood feel like they’re doing something wrong when winter slows them down. We live in a culture that values constant productivity and momentum, and winter can feel like a personal failure if you can’t keep up the same pace year-round.

It can be helpful to remember that humans evolved in close relationship with the natural world. For most of human history, winter meant less daylight, fewer resources, and a slower rhythm of life. Wanting to rest more, move differently, or turn inward during darker months isn’t a flaw — it’s a very old biological response.

Being gentle with yourself doesn’t mean giving up or ignoring your mental health. It means working with your nervous system rather than constantly pushing against it. That might look like adjusting expectations, building in more rest, or choosing forms of movement and connection that feel supportive rather than draining. Winter is a time for slower, softer activities.

Some people find it helpful to think in seasons. Summer might be a time of expansion and outward energy, while winter might be more about maintenance, reflection, and care. When we try to force summer-level output in winter, we often end up feeling more depleted and self-critical — which can worsen low mood.

Research suggests that Seasonal Affective Disorder isn’t rare — in Canada, it is estimated that between 2–11% of the population may experience SAD in its more intense form, with an even larger number experiencing milder winter lows or “winter blues.”¹ That means you are far from alone in this experience, and it’s not a personal defect — it’s a common, understandable response to seasonal change.

Be kind to yourself. Working with the rhythms of nature — with realistic expectations, gentle slowing where possible, meaningful connection, and regular time outdoors — can help you find more comfort and joy during the shorter, darker days.

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