Understanding seasonal mood changes, SAD, and how to support your body as the days grow shorter.
You've probably noticed it already — the mornings are a little darker, the evenings arrive earlier, and somewhere in your body you feel the pull to slow down. Maybe you're craving warmer, heavier foods. You could be feeling a little flatter, a little less motivated, and wondered if something is wrong with you.
Here's a gentle reminder: nothing is wrong with you. You are a seasonal being — and autumn is simply doing what it's supposed to do.
What Actually Happens in Your Body When the Season Changes
As the weather cools across Australia and the days shorten, many people experience a real shift in their mood, energy, and motivation. For some, this is mild and manageable. For others, it can feel heavier — a low-grade sadness or flatness that lingers throughout the cooler months. This experience even has a name: Seasonal Affective Disorder, or SAD.
However, before we label winter as the enemy, let's take a breath and consider a different perspective — one that our ancestors lived by, and one that nature has always modelled for us.
Seasonal mood changes are not 'just in your head' — they are rooted in real, measurable biology.
As sunlight decreases, a cascade of changes begins inside you:
- More melatonin - Melatonin production increases, making you feel sleepier and more drawn inward.
- Lower serotonin - Serotonin — your feel-good neurotransmitter — can drop when sunlight exposure decreases. Serotonin is partly regulated by light hitting your eyes and skin.
- Circadian disruption - Your circadian rhythm (your internal body clock) shifts, which can affect sleep quality, appetite, and overall mood.
- Vitamin D dips - Vitamin D synthesis slows significantly as the UV index drops — and vitamin D plays a significant role in mood regulation and immune function.
As a result, many people find themselves sleeping more, eating more, and feeling less motivated. These are not character flaws. They are physiological responses — and interestingly, they mirror what animals and early humans have always done in winter.
Interesting insight: Bears don't hibernate because something is wrong — they hibernate because it is wise. Their bodies have evolved to conserve energy, rest deeply, and emerge renewed in spring. Humans aren't so different. Our cave-dwelling ancestors would have naturally slept more, moved less, and eaten heartier foods in winter. The trouble isn't that we feel this pull — it's that modern life rarely makes space for it.
SAD vs. the Winter Blues: What's the Difference?
It can help to understand where you might sit on the spectrum of seasonal change:
- The Winter Blues — A natural, manageable dip in energy and motivation that lifts once you adjust your routine and honour your body's need for more rest. Most people experience this to some degree.
- Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) — A more significant form of depression that follows a seasonal pattern, typically beginning in autumn or winter and easing in spring. SAD can include persistent low mood, withdrawal from social connection, changes in sleep and appetite, difficulty concentrating, and a loss of interest in things you usually enjoy.
If you feel your mood shifting significantly — and especially if it is affecting your relationships, work, or day-to-day life — it's worth speaking with a practitioner rather than waiting it out alone.
You deserve support, not just willpower.
Winter Isn't the Enemy — It's an Invitation
Nature is cyclical, and so are we.
Spring is for growth. Summer is for action and expansion. Autumn is for releasing what no longer serves us. Winter is for rest, reflection, and renewal — not for pushing through.
When we fight against the season — staying up late under artificial light, skipping meals to stay productive, pushing through fatigue — we create more stress on an already-stretched nervous system. Therefore, the most supportive thing you can do is work with your body, not against it. This doesn't mean doing nothing. It means doing things differently.
Practical Ways to Support Your Mood This Winter
- Get Intentional About Light - Light is arguably the most powerful seasonal regulator. Because serotonin production is directly influenced by light exposure, getting outside — even on cloudy days — can make a meaningful difference.
- Step outside within 30–60 minutes of waking, even for 10 minutes.
- Keep curtains open during the day and sit near windows when you can.
- Consider a daylight lamp (light therapy box) if you work indoors — research supports their use for SAD.
- Avoid bright screens close to bedtime, as these can confuse your circadian rhythm.
- Nourish for the Season - Your body's nutritional needs shift in cooler weather. Rather than fighting cravings for warmth and comfort, work with them — just make them count.
- First meal of the day: Start with protein and healthy fat — this supports blood sugar balance and stable mood throughout the day. Scrambled eggs with vegetables, or soaked, warm oats with collagen powder and yoghurt, are gentle ways to begin.
- Tryptophan-rich foods: Include chicken thighs, eggs, oats, and pumpkin seeds — tryptophan is a precursor to serotonin, so supporting this pathway nutritionally can help.
- Embrace warm, grounding foods: Soups, slow-cooked stews, roasted root vegetables, and herbal teas are nourishing for both body and nervous system — and deeply comforting too.
- Vitamin D: Essential for mood regulation and low in many Australians during winter, particularly in southern states. Fish, eggs and mushrooms can help — however, supplementation is often needed. Speak with your practitioner or doctor about testing your levels. Optimal levels are around 100nmol/L but it is very rare to see it.
- Omega-3s: Fish, walnuts, and flaxseeds have been studied for their role in supporting mood and reducing inflammation, which is often elevated in depression.
- Move — But Gently: You don't have to train hard to support your mood. In fact, for many people in winter, gentler movement is far more sustainable and just as effective.
- Walking outdoors — even a 20-minute walk — combines light exposure with movement and is one of the most evidence-supported tools for low mood.
- Yoga, stretching, or gentle pilates can also support nervous system regulation — which is deeply linked to how we experience mood.
- Honour Your Sleep - It is completely normal to need more sleep in winter. Rather than fighting it, try to work with your natural rhythms where possible.
- Aim for a consistent bedtime and wake time — your circadian rhythm thrives on routine.
- Keep your bedroom cool and dark, even in winter.
- A warm herbal tea before bed (chamomile, passionflower, or lemon balm) can support a calm transition into sleep.
- Other Nutrients Worth Considering - These are commonly used to support seasonal mood changes. They can be used as supplements, but some interactions can happen with medications. Please book an appointment to discuss your particular needs.
- Vitamin K for Vitamin D absorption – Leafy greens, cheese, natto, liver, meat and egg.
- Magnesium – nuts, seeds, leafy greens, dark chocolate, pumpkin seeds and avocado etc
- B vitamins — particularly B6, B9, and B12, for serotonin and dopamine production – Meat, fish, eggs, nuts, leafy greens, dairy, nuts and seeds.
The Emotional Layer: What Winter Is Really Asking of You
Beyond the biology, there is something quieter happening in winter. It's a season that naturally draws us inward — and that is not always comfortable in a world that rewards productivity and constant output.
Many people find that unresolved stress, grief, or emotional fatigue becomes more noticeable in winter — not because winter creates these things, but because the slower pace makes it harder to outrun them. Additionally, if you are carrying the weight of family stress, work pressure, or ongoing overwhelm, your nervous system will feel the seasonal shift more acutely.
Winter, however, can also be a genuinely restorative time — if we allow it. This might look like:
- Saying no to a few more social obligations — and meaning it
- Going to bed earlier without guilt
- Spending more time doing genuinely restorative things — reading, cooking, gentle movement, creative projects
- Letting yourself feel a little quieter without immediately trying to fix it
There is a difference between depression that needs support and rest that needs permission.
Part of good self-care is learning to recognise which one you are sitting with.
A Gentle Closing Thought
You are not broken because winter feels different.
You are not lazy because you want to rest more.
You are not behind because your energy is lower.
You are human — and you are doing something deeply wise by paying attention to how your body is responding to the season. The goal is not to feel exactly the same in every season. It is to feel supported in each one.
If you find that the seasonal shift feels harder than usual — or if low mood, fatigue, or withdrawal is becoming persistent — please don't hesitate to reach out. There is so much we can do together, and you don't have to navigate it alone. Find how how I can help by booking your free discovery call.