Living Seasonally: Respecting our Circadian Rhythms

As seasons change, it’s natural to notice feelings you didn’t experience in the previous season. Summer months often include full schedules of waking up with the sun, long days of work, and late nights with friends or family, as we soak up all the enjoyment the warm summer nights have to offer.  Perhaps as summer is fading and life gets busier, you’re drawn to comforting shows and other things you rely on to soothe yourself through the season’s change. Maybe in the winter, you’re less motivated, feeling a desire to sleep more, and to move more slowly?  We often attempt to convince ourselves that this isn’t supposed to happen, that we are supposed to live each day unchanged by the seasons. 

But that’s just not the case. We are seasonal beings meant to adapt to our environment. In our most natural state, people are designed to live in harmony with their environment, waking when the sun rises and sleeping when it sets, being outdoors often, working more during the warm months, and resting more during the months of bitter cold. We set the clocks ahead in the summer for farmers to rise early and work the land, and set them back in the winter to give the farmer and the land a season of recovery during the cold. When considered this way, it makes sense that we are designed to follow this pattern; otherwise, we would find ourselves exhausted and burned out, trying to keep the same pace year-round.

Maybe that’s where you find yourself each year. Trying to keep the pace and activity of summer year-round…but finding your body and your mood don’t want to follow.

So what does this mean for the upcoming winter months? How can we adapt our daily routines to reap the benefits that living seasonally has to offer? 

Seasons & Circadian Rhythms 

It’s only as we have made technological innovations that we can stay up whatever hours we like, no matter the light outside.  However, scientists agree that a disrupted sleep cycle and circadian rhythm have a serious negative impact on your body, including: hormonal imbalances, weight issues, weakened immune system, mood disorders, and cognitive impairment. The transition to shorter winter days actually delays your circadian rhythm. Some people find this delay more disruptive and difficult than others, causing SAD disorder (Seasonal Affective Disorder) or what we call seasonal depression. What does that mean? It means that “down” feeling isn’t you! It’s your body trying to regulate to accommodate for less light and a new 24-hour cycle, and there are ways we can help our body in that transition. 

Restoring Your Circadian Rhythm

In the Morning

Set your alarm for the same time each morning, and when you wake up, open the blinds and soak in the sun for a minute. Sun exposure starts your circadian rhythm for the day, boosts your mood, and ends melatonin production. This isn’t always possible in the winter, as it may be dark out when you wake up, but there are light-based alarm clocks that slowly brighten in the morning, mimicking the rising sun’s signal to your body to wake up. Or you may want to incorporate a sunlight therapy lamp into your morning coffee routine and sit in front of it for 20-30 minutes every morning within the first hour of waking. 

At Night

The most impactful key to helping your body restore its circadian rhythm is prioritizing a regular sleep schedule and getting deep REM sleep. 

The National Institute of Health reports the most common factor in SAD is non-restorative sleep.  We all know those nights spent tossing and turning; well, they could keep you in a cycle of seasonal mood disorders.

When it’s dark so early in the evening, it can be hard for your body to tell when it’s time to sleep. Create an evening routine you can enjoy and stick to that will signal your body to wind down for the night: a hot shower and skincare, a sleepy tea and a book in bed, and set a time for yourself to go to sleep.

Staying Social

Yes, it’s important to stay social in the winter and not isolate yourself, but sometimes keeping a good night routine could do more to help seasonal depression than a late-night social outing. Plan that cocktail (or mocktail) hour with friends for earlier in the evening, host friends for a game night, or plan a cozy pajama movie binge! There are plenty of comfortable ways to stay social in the winter when you feel like your battery is running a little lower, or you just don’t feel like being out in the cold! 

We know that seasonal depression impacts some people more than others, and as always, these are just tools you can implement to help regulate your own body and set healthy rhythms to live by, but sometimes you need more help than that. Our team of psychologists at Laura Ferrer & Associates is here to support you in your mental and physical health journey. Don’t hesitate to reach out to us via our website if you or someone you love could use more support; we would love to help get you connected with a professional who is the right fit for you.