It’s natural - why it’s okay to feel sluggish during winter
If you’ve been struggling to keep up with expectations this winter, I have a perspective that’s helpful this time of year. And it may inspire you to watch some David Attenborough documentaries. I’m all for it!
The biophilia hypothesis brings us back to our evolutionary history. It proposes that, since we evolved in and among nature, we are inextricably connected to and moved by the natural environment. Therefore, humans are happiest and healthiest when in sync with natural cycles.
In the modern world, we are increasingly separated from our natural environment, and, just like animals at the zoo, can develop both anxiety and depression from this disconnection.
The disconnect may be even more pronounced for us in winter, when all of nature slows down. In the colder months, trees go dormant. Bears hibernate, birds fly south, penguins huddle together for warmth and shelter, and foxes cut down on their activity, conserving energy for what is strictly necessary. The woods are quiet and life is fixed on survival.
As for us, researchers found that some human brain activity falls to its lowest levels in winter, maintaining output while maximizing efficiency in a sort of ‘eco mode’, as described by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences.
Yet so many of us feel guilty or shameful for our shift in energy when it’s cold out. Ignoring environmental cues, we try to keep pace with every other day of the year. But believing that winter shouldn’t affect our bodies, brains, or behaviors just doesn’t make sense from a biophilic perspective. Do we somehow believe we’ve transcended nature? Are we not afforded the same accommodations as our wild counterparts?
Maybe you’re the type to want extra sleep and relaxation, or you might prefer to get close with your best buds. You could seek a getaway to warmer lands, or perhaps you narrow down your priorities and focus on a small number of ultra-important (to you) goals. All of these are great examples of living in sync with the flow of the season.
I know that society is far from recognizing and supporting a cyclical and seasonal flow of life, but consider the ways that you can make allowances for yourself in your schedule. My suggestion for you is that you take note of how you feel right now, and either mark your calendar or write a letter for November 2022, reminding yourself that you’re a natural being and next winter, you’re going to start treating yourself as such. You can even include this article as a nudge in the right direction!
For anyone curious, definitely check out the referenced study by the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, showing annual rhythmicity in cerebral activity is cognitive-process-specific! It points to potential further connections on how earlier humans needed to solve different problems at different times of the year (ahem, natural cycles). How interesting!!!
