How to beat winter tiredness: 7 ways to support your energy

Feeling tired, low on energy or more sluggish during the darker months? Winter can affect our sleep, routines, activity levels and mood, but a few simple changes can help you feel more energised.

🕒 6 min read

There are many reasons you might feel more tired during winter. Shorter days can make it harder to maintain your usual routine, while poor sleep, stress, reduced activity and changes to your diet can all play a part.

For some people, the changing seasons can also have a noticeable effect on mood and energy. The good news is there are plenty of practical ways to support your wellbeing through the darker months. Here's how to rev up your get-up-and-go with our seven-point action plan.

Organise and prioritise

If you're feeling overwhelmed by work and finding you never have enough time to finish the job in hand, try the following:

• Cut out unnecessary tasks or journeys where you can.
• Delegate some chores and responsibilities to others.
• Make a list of important 'to do' jobs and put them in order of priority. Finish one before starting the next and avoid setting yourself unnecessary deadlines.
• Learn to say 'no'. We naturally want to help others, but sometimes politely declining an invitation or request can prevent additional stress later.
• Make time for yourself and the things you genuinely enjoy.

You don't have to accomplish everything at once. Creating a little breathing room in your routine can make both your time and your energy feel easier to manage.

Improve your sleep quality

Contrary to popular belief, you don't necessarily need a solid eight hours' sleep every night. But you do need enough good-quality sleep to support your physical and mental wellbeing. The HSE says adults need around seven to nine hours of sleep on average, although individual needs vary.¹

Consider using two alarms. The first wakes you up in the morning, while the second is your signal in the evening to stop working, put away your phone, tablet or laptop and start winding down for bed.

Keep your bedroom cool, dark and comfortable. Try to go to bed and get up at roughly the same times each day too, as a consistent routine can help keep your natural sleep-wake cycle on track.

Keep moving

When it's cold and dark outside, staying on the sofa can be tempting. But regular movement is an important part of looking after both your physical and mental wellbeing.

Start your morning with some gentle movement or stretching to loosen up after a night's sleep. Later in the day, try to fit in some more purposeful activity. A brisk walk, cycle, exercise class or home workout can all help you build more movement into your routine.

Irish physical activity guidelines recommend that adults aim for at least two hours and 30 minutes of moderate-intensity aerobic activity each week, alongside muscle-strengthening activity on at least two days.²

If you're currently inactive, start with an amount that feels manageable and gradually build from there. Finding something you enjoy can make it much easier to stick with it.

Get more daylight

Making the most of natural daylight can be particularly useful during the darker months. If possible, get outside during the brightest part of the day. A lunchtime walk is an easy way to combine daylight, fresh air and movement.

For some people, winter brings more than ordinary tiredness. Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a type of depression associated with changes in season. Symptoms can include lethargy, daytime sleepiness, sleeping for longer than usual, difficulty getting up in the morning and problems concentrating.³

The HSE recommends getting as much natural sunlight as possible and staying active, particularly outdoors during daylight, as self-care measures for SAD.⁴

If the darker months are having a significant effect on your mood, read our guide to supporting your mood during the winter months. If you think you may have SAD and are finding it difficult to cope, speak to your GP.

Tweak your diet

It may be tempting to rely on rich comfort food during winter, but eating a varied and balanced diet remains important throughout the colder months.

Include plenty of fruit and vegetables, wholegrain or wholemeal carbohydrates and sources of protein such as fish, eggs, beans, nuts, poultry and lean meat. Staying hydrated throughout the day matters too.

Several B vitamins contribute to normal energy-yielding metabolism and the reduction of tiredness and fatigue.

A varied and balanced diet should always come first, with supplements used to complement rather than replace healthy eating.

Remember vitamin D during an Irish winter

Vitamin D isn't a quick fix for tiredness, but it deserves particular attention during winter in Ireland. Vitamin D contributes to the normal function of the immune system and normal muscle function, as well as the maintenance of normal bones and teeth.

The Food Safety Authority of Ireland (FSAI) describes an extended 'vitamin D winter' from the end of October to March, when sunlight in Ireland does not provide enough UVB radiation for the skin to produce sufficient vitamin D.⁵

Vitamin D occurs naturally in relatively few foods. Sources include oily fish and egg yolks, while some foods are fortified with vitamin D. The FSAI notes that vitamin D intakes are inadequate for many people in Ireland.⁵

Find out more in our guide to vitamin D, deficiency symptoms and how to get enough.

Be inspired

Just as our emotions can leave us feeling down or drained, things we enjoy can help us feel more motivated and engaged. When winter routines start to feel repetitive, giving yourself something enjoyable to look forward to can provide a welcome change of pace.

It could be revisiting a favourite film, meeting a friend, starting a new book, trying an exercise class, taking a new walking route or making time for a hobby you've neglected.

It doesn't need to be ambitious. Sometimes simply having something enjoyable planned for the end of the day or week can make the darker months feel less monotonous.