Short daylight and bleak weather can sap your spirit and make even small tasks feel impossible. Amid those physical, mental, and emotional slumps, your energy and mood need a reboot. Is there an alternative to medication and doctors?
Movement
Why do we feel drained in the late days of autumn? The energy slump during seasonal change comes from our bodies struggling to adapt to shifting environmental conditions. Our bodies respond to changes in barometric pressure and temperature with shortness of breath and muscle aches. These symptoms can signal reduced cardiovascular function and point to the need to fight a sedentary lifestyle. Lack of physical activity is a major contributor to feeling unwell during dreary months. Movement improves blood circulation, delivering more oxygen to the brain.
Exercising outdoors can speed the removal of compounds that contribute to fatigue, sadness, and apathy. Physical activity dilates blood vessels, improving oxygen delivery throughout the body. Start with two 15-minute sessions per week, work up to two 30-minute sessions, then aim for three 30-minute sessions a week. Choose walking or biking.
Diet
Maintain a healthy body weight and avoid excess pounds. Both overweight and underweight conditions can leave you feeling off. Even a full night’s sleep won’t restore energy if you aren’t eating enough. Eat regular meals, keep portions moderate, and balance protein and carbohydrates. Don’t cut out carbohydrates entirely — they’re key to energy and, often, optimism. Favor healthier sweets like fruit pastes, marmalade, and dried fruit. In autumn, include foods rich in zinc, an immune-supporting trace element found in eggs, fish, sunflower seeds, and sesame.
If your diet lacks meat, fish, and dairy, you may impair your nervous system, blood cell production, and metabolism by developing a vitamin B12 (cyanocobalamin) deficiency, which can lead to anemia. Nutritionists recommend a daily intake of about 200 grams of cheese, kefir, yogurt, or milk. Iron-rich foods can help fight fatigue: this mineral is abundant in liver, shellfish, apples, fortified cereals, and legumes. A blend of three parts carrot juice and two parts spinach juice may help with anemia — drink half a glass of this fresh mix three times a day before meals.
Vitamins
Say no to harmful habits. Smoking increases fatigue by reducing the body’s ability to absorb oxygen. People with unhealthy lifestyles often lack folic acid, which can lead to anemia; vitamin B9 is essential for red blood cell maturation and for DNA and RNA synthesis. Alcohol can turn the illusion of increased energy into real depression. Drinking can cause a deficiency in vitamin B1 (thiamine), which is important for energy production from glucose. Symptoms such as fatigue, muscle weakness, and leg cramps can indicate thiamine deficiency, so swap wine for grape juice when possible. B vitamins act as our energy reservoir.
Take B vitamins together rather than individually, since they work in concert. Cramps, numbness, insomnia, and neuropathy from a vitamin B6 deficiency can be addressed with foods like mushrooms, beef liver, egg yolks, or peanuts. For vitality, get vitamin C from seasonal fruits, vegetables, and greens such as beets, carrots, cabbage, onions, and garlic. Note that celery may require more energy to digest than it provides. Aim for about 0.5 kg (around 1 lb) of vegetables per day. Nutritionists also recommend eating at least five different fruits daily, preferably unsweetened varieties.
Color
Choose fruits in vibrant colors: red, orange, and yellow. Bright peppers, carrots, tomatoes, oranges, mandarins, lemons, persimmons, nectarines, and peaches can boost endorphin activity and help your body absorb vitamins and nutrients more effectively, giving you more energy. You can read more about the link between a food’s color and its nutritional value here. On gray days with little sunlight, fill your surroundings with color: studies have shown that a workspace with red-brick accents can raise energy levels and productivity. Bright clothing can also help rev up your metabolism.
Revitalization
A quick way to perk up is to rub your fingers, earlobes, and the surfaces of your ears with brisk upward motions. A 10-minute warm bath with fresh lemon juice or half a cup of apple cider vinegar added to the water can refresh you. You can infuse olive oil with dried lemon zest for topical use. Some people add a cup of salt, half a cup of baking soda, 10 drops of iodine, and a few drops of pine extract to the bath. While bathing for rejuvenation, avoid soap; instead, rinse with a diluted apple cider vinegar solution.
Hygiene
When coordination slips and productivity and reaction times decline, take a break. Fatigue is the body’s signal that something needs attention — a protective measure against wear and tear. A half-hour nap can restore energy, sharpen focus, and lift your mood, while reducing the chance of mistakes and accidents. People who live long often nap regularly (at least every other day), which has been associated with a one-third lower risk of sudden death from heart attack.
Cut down on screen time — blue light and nonstop content can harm sleep and mood. Remember: short, occasional stress can stimulate the body, but chronic stress suppresses it. Avoid dwelling on negative thoughts if you don’t want to reinforce them in your mind, and steer clear of people who constantly complain about fatigue, sadness, and hopelessness — poor well-being is contagious.
