How Early Mornings Can Defeat Seasonal Depression
Riya Kumari | Nov 19, 2024, 11:59 IST
The season of perpetual darkness, icy mornings, and the cruel joke that is "the early bird gets the worm." Let’s be real: in the winter, the only thing that feels right about 5 AM is the sound of your alarm going off... and then immediately silencing it, rolling over, and falling into a warm, soul-crushing slumber. Getting out of bed while the world is still asleep, while the blankets are whispering sweet nothings, could be your secret weapon against the grip of winter’s depressive hold.
The days are shorter, the sun’s playing hide-and-seek with you like a petty little game of "let's see how long we can keep you in the dark," and the cold is out here just killing your soul, one gust of wind at a time. If you’re feeling like you want to hibernate until spring — and I mean, who wouldn’t? I’m here to tell you that waking up early could actually help.
1. More Light = Less Dark Gloom
I know, I know — it's pitch-black at 5 AM. You’re basically waking up in the middle of a horror movie. But by getting up earlier, you’re giving yourself more actual daylight to work with. And yes, that little ball of warmth we call the sun does more than just light up your Instagram feed. It has this magical property called serotonin — you know, the "feel-good" hormone. Your body thrives on it, and guess what? The more sunlight you get in the morning, the better your mood will be. It’s not a myth. It’s science. So if you can drag your half-dead self out of bed early, you’re giving yourself a better shot at seeing that beautiful, life-affirming orb in the sky before it dips behind a cloud of doom.
Actionable Point: Get outside for at least 10 minutes the moment you wake up. Even if it's just standing on your balcony like some kind of outdoor hermit. The sunlight is worth more than your 10 minutes of warm, cozy sleep. I promise.
2. The Morning Hours Are a Power Play
There’s a reason why successful people — the ones who act like they have it all together, even though we all know they’re just as confused as you are — talk about waking up early. Early mornings are about taking back control of your day before it’s hijacked by whatever chaos is lurking around the corner. And trust me, if you’re dealing with the winter blues, you want to feel in control. It’s easy to get sucked into a depressive spiral when the darkness arrives early and you’ve spent half the day trying to convince yourself that "getting out of bed is overrated." But when you wake up early, you’re telling your brain, "I’m the boss of this day, not the weather or the doom and gloom."
Actionable Point: When you wake up at 5 AM, you have time — real time. Time to meditate, stretch, read, or do something intentional before the world shoves its responsibilities down your throat. You're taking your day back. And that small, simple victory? It’ll feel like you just won a battle.
3. Less Time for Negative Thoughts
Listen, winter gives you way too much time to overthink. The darkness wraps around you like a weighted blanket, and before you know it, your brain is holding a TED Talk on why everything in your life is falling apart. But here’s the thing — the earlier you wake up, the less time you have to stew in those negative, self-destructive thoughts. It’s like skipping a level of the video game and going straight to the boss fight.
Actionable Point: If you start your day with something active (whether it’s yoga, a workout, or even just a walk), you’re giving your brain less time to spiral. The energy you create in those first few hours sets the tone for the rest of your day. You’re actively choosing to avoid self-pity.
4. Your Brain Loves Routine (Even if You Don’t)
Let’s talk about routines for a second. I know, you’re not here for some "make your bed every morning" pep talk — but your brain loves routine. Especially when everything around you feels like it’s stuck in a perpetual loop of gray skies and endless clouds. Your brain craves stability, structure, and the ability to predict what’s going to happen next. When you wake up early, you’re setting the stage for a day that feels less chaotic. It’s like putting on a pair of mental training wheels. You’re building a framework to get through the day without falling into an emotional pothole every 10 minutes.
Actionable Point: Try building a morning routine around things that are predictable and soothing. Even if it’s just a cup of coffee, a few minutes of stretching, or a short to-do list.
5. The "I Did Something Hard" Effect
Waking up at 5 AM in winter is hard. Your body is telling you to stay under the covers, your bed is whispering sweet lies about comfort, and the outside world is a cold wasteland of bleakness. But guess what? Doing hard things, even if they seem small, is like injecting a little bit of confidence into your veins. The act of waking up early gives you this subtle, quiet boost of self-esteem. You did something that felt impossible, and that makes you feel like you can take on the world. Even if the world is just your laundry pile.
Actionable Point: Every time you wake up early, congratulate yourself. Like, really congratulate yourself. You’ve just conquered the hardest part of your day, and the rest of it has no choice but to follow suit.
6. No More "I’ll Do It Tomorrow" Mentality
Seasonal depression has this sneaky way of convincing you that everything can wait. You’ll “do it tomorrow,” you’ll “try again tomorrow,” and before you know it, tomorrow never comes. But when you wake up at 5 AM, you’ve basically just cut off that excuse before it even has a chance to rear its ugly head. You’re taking the idea of “doing it tomorrow” and tossing it in the trash. By getting up early, you’re proactively tackling your day, and you’ll actually accomplish things instead of pushing them off indefinitely.
Actionable Point: Set one simple goal every morning. It could be as simple as making your bed, reading for 10 minutes, or even writing down three things you're grateful for. Once you get something small done, it creates momentum. And momentum? That’s a killer weapon against depression.
It’s about fighting back against the darkness — not just outside, but inside your head. The earlier you wake up, the more light, routine, and productive energy you can inject into your day. And if that’s not a reason to stop hitting snooze and start winning the battle against seasonal depression, then I don’t know what is.
1. More Light = Less Dark Gloom
Sunrise
Actionable Point: Get outside for at least 10 minutes the moment you wake up. Even if it's just standing on your balcony like some kind of outdoor hermit. The sunlight is worth more than your 10 minutes of warm, cozy sleep. I promise.
2. The Morning Hours Are a Power Play
Reading
There’s a reason why successful people — the ones who act like they have it all together, even though we all know they’re just as confused as you are — talk about waking up early. Early mornings are about taking back control of your day before it’s hijacked by whatever chaos is lurking around the corner. And trust me, if you’re dealing with the winter blues, you want to feel in control. It’s easy to get sucked into a depressive spiral when the darkness arrives early and you’ve spent half the day trying to convince yourself that "getting out of bed is overrated." But when you wake up early, you’re telling your brain, "I’m the boss of this day, not the weather or the doom and gloom."
Actionable Point: When you wake up at 5 AM, you have time — real time. Time to meditate, stretch, read, or do something intentional before the world shoves its responsibilities down your throat. You're taking your day back. And that small, simple victory? It’ll feel like you just won a battle.
3. Less Time for Negative Thoughts
Meditate
Listen, winter gives you way too much time to overthink. The darkness wraps around you like a weighted blanket, and before you know it, your brain is holding a TED Talk on why everything in your life is falling apart. But here’s the thing — the earlier you wake up, the less time you have to stew in those negative, self-destructive thoughts. It’s like skipping a level of the video game and going straight to the boss fight.
Actionable Point: If you start your day with something active (whether it’s yoga, a workout, or even just a walk), you’re giving your brain less time to spiral. The energy you create in those first few hours sets the tone for the rest of your day. You’re actively choosing to avoid self-pity.
4. Your Brain Loves Routine (Even if You Don’t)
To do list
Let’s talk about routines for a second. I know, you’re not here for some "make your bed every morning" pep talk — but your brain loves routine. Especially when everything around you feels like it’s stuck in a perpetual loop of gray skies and endless clouds. Your brain craves stability, structure, and the ability to predict what’s going to happen next. When you wake up early, you’re setting the stage for a day that feels less chaotic. It’s like putting on a pair of mental training wheels. You’re building a framework to get through the day without falling into an emotional pothole every 10 minutes.
Actionable Point: Try building a morning routine around things that are predictable and soothing. Even if it’s just a cup of coffee, a few minutes of stretching, or a short to-do list.
5. The "I Did Something Hard" Effect
Morning Walk
Waking up at 5 AM in winter is hard. Your body is telling you to stay under the covers, your bed is whispering sweet lies about comfort, and the outside world is a cold wasteland of bleakness. But guess what? Doing hard things, even if they seem small, is like injecting a little bit of confidence into your veins. The act of waking up early gives you this subtle, quiet boost of self-esteem. You did something that felt impossible, and that makes you feel like you can take on the world. Even if the world is just your laundry pile.
Actionable Point: Every time you wake up early, congratulate yourself. Like, really congratulate yourself. You’ve just conquered the hardest part of your day, and the rest of it has no choice but to follow suit.
6. No More "I’ll Do It Tomorrow" Mentality
Morning Routine
Seasonal depression has this sneaky way of convincing you that everything can wait. You’ll “do it tomorrow,” you’ll “try again tomorrow,” and before you know it, tomorrow never comes. But when you wake up at 5 AM, you’ve basically just cut off that excuse before it even has a chance to rear its ugly head. You’re taking the idea of “doing it tomorrow” and tossing it in the trash. By getting up early, you’re proactively tackling your day, and you’ll actually accomplish things instead of pushing them off indefinitely.
Actionable Point: Set one simple goal every morning. It could be as simple as making your bed, reading for 10 minutes, or even writing down three things you're grateful for. Once you get something small done, it creates momentum. And momentum? That’s a killer weapon against depression.
It’s about fighting back against the darkness — not just outside, but inside your head. The earlier you wake up, the more light, routine, and productive energy you can inject into your day. And if that’s not a reason to stop hitting snooze and start winning the battle against seasonal depression, then I don’t know what is.