Healthline Wellness Wire

In a Nutshell

I refuse to let winter get on top of me. In fact, I positively enjoy it, at least until it outstays its welcome around the end of February. But up until then, I revel in the opportunity to hunker down with a pile of books, a new hobby, and seasonal food and drink. Those long evenings are a great time to plan ahead, take stock, and adjust my priorities. While the summer is more about exploring the outside world, the winter is about restocking my mental larder. Read on to learn how to make the most of the season.

•	Maintaining muscle strength protects the brain as we age

•	The health risks of irregular sleep patterns

•	How to get vitamin D from sunlight and when you might need to supplement

Let’s own this winter,
Tim Snaith
Newsletter Editor, Healthline

Written by Tim Snaith
December 20, 2024 • 4 min read

what’s got us buzzing

Consider me Team Winter

I am secretly thrilled by early sunsets and long, cold nights. Not because I love darkness, but because winter evenings offer something increasingly precious: permission to slow down and take stock. However, I accept that many people I know do NOT feel the same way: Seasonal depression, also known as seasonal affective disorder (SAD), affects around 5% of people in the United States.

The science behind seasonal shifts in mood is still being established. Research published in 2022 identified how our brains respond to light — not just in our visual system but in regions controlling mood and cognition. Scientists exposed people to different light levels while scanning their brains and found that 26 different areas in the brain responded. Think of these regions as your brain’s network of solar panels, but instead of generating energy, they use light to help regulate your emotions and mental clarity.

Working with these brain-light connections instead of resisting them may be beneficial. This winter, exposing myself to as much unfiltered daylight as possible and changing my evening habits have worked for me. Here’s how: