This time of year can feel heavy. The mornings are dark, the evenings disappear quickly, and your usual energy might feel like it has slipped away. If you are finding it harder to get out the door for your runs, or if everything feels slower, flatter, or less enjoyable, you are not alone. Seasonal Affective Disorder, often shortened to SAD, affects many people as winter settles in. It is real, it is common, and it influences more than your mood. It can also shape your running performance, your motivation, and the way you feel about your training.
Causes of Seasonal Affected Disorder
The main cause of Seasonal Affective Disorder is reduced sunlight during autumn and winter. Your brain relies on light to regulate your internal clock, also known as your circadian rhythm. When daylight hours shrink, and you’re waking up in darkness and coming home in darkness, your body’s natural rhythm shifts.
Two important hormones play a role here:
Melatonin
This is the hormone that helps you sleep. In winter, your brain produces more melatonin than usual because it’s darker for longer. That extra melatonin can make you feel groggy, sluggish, and slow to “wake up” mentally, even in the middle of the day.
Serotonin
This neurotransmitter supports mood, motivation, and overall wellbeing. Lower exposure to sunlight can reduce serotonin activity, which makes it harder to feel energised and positive.
The combination of higher melatonin and lower serotonin is tough. You’re tired, low on motivation, and not getting the natural boost that sunlight normally provides. Add cold weather, grey skies, more time indoors, and busy holiday schedules, and it’s no surprise many people struggle. It is not a character flaw or a lack of discipline. It is a biological response to reduced light.
Typical Symptoms of Seasonal Affective Disorder
The symptoms of SAD often build slowly. You might notice a drop in your mood, more irritability, or a sense of heaviness. You might sleep more but still feel foggy when you wake up. These changes can be confusing because they often arrive quietly. Many people chalk them up to stress, bad weather, or being busy, not realising there is a seasonal pattern behind it.
SAD doesn’t look the same for everyone, but symptoms can include the following:
- Persistent low mood
- A general sense of heaviness or fatigue
- Low energy despite adequate sleep
- Cravings for carbohydrates
- Feeling more irritable or emotionally sensitive
- Difficulty concentrating
- Reduced motivation
- Avoiding social situations
- A drop in interest in hobbies or exercise
- Oversleeping or trouble waking up
- Feeling disconnected or unusually flat
Some Factors Increase the Risk of SAD
Certain groups are more likely to experience the effects of SAD. People who live in countries with long, dark winters are especially prone to it. You are also more likely to notice symptoms if you spend most of your day indoors, work long hours, or already tend to feel a dip in mood at certain times of the year. Runners can feel these effects more sharply than expected, especially if you thrive on early morning light, warm evenings, or outdoor routines that feel effortless in summer. When winter pulls those conditions away, the contrast can feel significant.
What Runners Can Do to Manage or Prevent Seasonal Affective Disorder
Running gives you an advantage because movement, routine, and spending time outdoors all support mood. That said, winter running comes with its own challenges. You may not feel like going out. You might not have daylight available. You may be juggling work, school, dark mornings, or icy pavements.
Here are practical steps that help:
Get Outside During Daylight Whenever Possible. Exposure to natural light is one of the strongest tools against SAD. Even short bursts make a difference. If you can fit a run in at lunchtime, it’s worth trying. But if a run isn’t practical, a lunchtime walk still gives you the benefit of outdoor light. Ten minutes counts. Fifteen minutes counts. It all helps. If you work in an office, try stepping outside for a few minutes during your break. If you work from home, take calls while walking. The key is getting your eyes exposed to daylight, no sunglasses if you can safely avoid them, because that’s what triggers the hormonal response.
Use Weekends to Top Up Your Daylight. Weekend daylight becomes even more important in winter. Try to plan at least one outdoor session, run, walk, hike, or even a wander through the park, or by the sea if you happen to live close. parkrun is also a great option for several reasons:
- It gets you outside early
- It gives you a simple, structured routine
- You’re surrounded by people
- You get gentle accountability
- You can reward yourself with post-parkrun coffee afterwards with friends
Keep Moving, Even When It’s Hard
You may not feel like getting up and going for a run. but almost everyone feels better once they’ve gone. Movement boosts endorphins. Running or walking increases dopamine, giving you that “lift” you often miss in winter. You don’t have to chase pace or distance right now. Winter can be a time for easy miles, gentle sessions, and relaxed consistency. A slow run still counts. A short run counts. A walk counts. Movement supports your mental health, even if the session feels small.
Other Tools for Managing Seasonal Affective Disorder
Light Therapy
A lot of people use special lamps, often called SAD lamps or lightboxes, that imitate natural sunlight. These are designed for morning use and can help reset your circadian rhythm. A typical session is around 20 to 30 minutes while you drink coffee, eat breakfast, or check your emails.
Vitamin D
In many countries, people are advised to supplement vitamin D during winter because levels naturally drop when sunlight is limited. Vitamin D supports mood, bone health, immune function, and serotonin activity. Always follow local guidelines on dosage.
Time in Nature
Nature is incredibly stabilising. Even brief exposure can shift your stress levels and improve your mood. Trees, fresh air, open sky, water, all of these have a calming effect on the nervous system. If you can’t get to a forest or nature trail, even your local park helps.
Take a Trip A short trip to a Sunnier Climate
A short trip to a sunnier climate can help too. You do not need an expensive holiday or hot temperatures. Even a few days with blue skies and brighter daylight can lift your mood and give you a break from looking at grey skies. There are often affordable winter deals if you look around, and a change of scenery is sometimes exactly what you need.
Meditation or Mindfulness
A few quiet minutes each day can help you manage winter stress. Mindfulness doesn’t need to be complicated. Sitting still, breathing slowly, or paying attention to your surroundings for a moment can help your mind settle.
The Most Important Message is That You Are Not Alone
If you’re struggling during this time of year, there’s nothing “wrong” with you. Seasonal Affective Disorder is real. It has physical causes, emotional effects, and seasonal patterns. Many people experience it, and many hide it because they think they should be able to “tough it out.”
Talking to someone, family, friends, a running partner, or a healthcare professional, can help more than you might expect. When you say it out loud, the pressure eases.
Winter can be challenging, but you have tools that work. Get as much light as you can. Move your body. Spend time outdoors when possible. Keep running. Look after your energy. And remember that this season will pass, just as it does every year.
You’re doing better than you think, even on the hard days.
If you are looking for guidance and a place to feel supported, Achieve Running Club is here for you. Members get clear training plans either for specific goals or just for maintenance, mindset boosts, and a friendly community that listens and helps you stay motivated. That accountability helps keep you on track physically and mentally. You will get people who understand you, challenges to keep you focused and a listening ear when you need it.❤️
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