Seedlings are breaking through the dense earth cover, animals are awakening from hibernation, crawling out of their burrows: the smell of spring is everywhere! And all we want to do is crawl back into bed. There you have it: springtime fatigue!
Winter goodbye.
Warm winds sweep through the streets, meadows, and forests. The asphalt warms up, morning dew glistens in the first rays of the early morning sun. Shoots break through the dense earth cover; animals awaken from hibernation and crawl out of their burrows: the scent of spring is everywhere!
Vivid, colourful life begins – as it does every year. Spring means a renaissance of nature. Humans, too, change as thing shift into the warm season. This change is perceived by the fact that we feel tired, weary, and listless. Such reactions point to the well-known phenomenon of springtime fatigue, which is by no means just superstition or imagination. Scientifically verifiable symptoms occur in many people, especially after winter, like a kind of depressive mood. The circulation shuts down, our body tries to get used to lighter as well as to the change in weather. Often this leads to a feeling of dejection, so that we would prefer just to crawl back into bed.
Welcome spring!
One consolation is the fact that we are not alone. When spring is just around the corner, most people in our latitudes experience weakness, nervousness, irritability, or exhaustion, as the organism needs about a month to ramp up and adapt to the warmer temperatures. It is therefore perfectly legitimate for us to need a little more rest than usual. After all, in winter it got dark earlier, we went to bed at a different time and the days were shorter. Humans do not hibernate, but like animals we too switch to a kind of resting state to conserve energy. It is therefore an effort for our bodies to power up again, which is why for a short time we may feel weak and light-headed. Solid food, lack of vitamins and minerals and sinking blood pressure due to dilated blood vessels can all contribute to this.
Fill up on sunshine.
Serotonin, a messenger substance produced naturally in the body, is formed under the influence of light. If there is a lack of light in winter, the serotonin level also drops, and we feel less happy. So, we rejoice even more when the sun shines on our faces again, because it brings back the positive mood that most people long for. It is advisable to get out in the fresh air as much as possible, do sports, walk in the countryside, eat fruit and vegetables to get plenty of the sunshine vitamin D. The lighter we get, the higher the hormone production that is responsible for our energy levels. Sunshine also lowers the level of melatonin – the sleep hormone that has been dominant in winter. It is also helpful to follow the solar clock – getting up early and going to bed in good time supports the natural biological rhythm. After all, what could be more beneficial than being woken up from beautiful dreams in a cosy little bed, in harmony with nature, with gentle rays of light shining in? Goodbye spring fatigue!