A Northerner’s Way to Survive the Dark Days – 10 Tips to Beat Winter Fatigue, Colds and the Winter Blues
This article contains affiliate links to products that I use myself or can recommend.
You can read about my affiliate policy here.
Surviving the dark winter days with more energy—and a brighter mood—is possible. As a born-and-bred Northerner, I’m sharing my 10 best tips for staying healthy and cheerful through the long, grey months: from harnessing light and vitamin D to embracing exercise, nourishing food, and the Danish art of hygge.
My top 10 tips for Making the Most of Short Days and Long Nights
The winter of 2023/2024 was extreme here in Denmark—not because of the cold, but because of the darkness. Starting in November, a thick blanket of cloud settled over the country and barely lifted until the end of March 2024. We had just a handful of sunny days in January, but otherwise, the sun rarely made an appearance.
With only a few hours of daylight in midwinter, and those hours hidden behind a relentless grey sky, the days felt endlessly long and dark. By March 2024, I was exhausted, my energy sapped, and my mood at an all-time low. I came down with cold after cold, and flu seemed ever-present. If you felt the same, you’re not alone.
Now, as another dark season approaches, we can’t control the weather or the turning of the seasons—but we can change how we face the winter.
The winter of 2024/2025 also brought rain and gloom, though it wasn’t quite as harsh as the year before—at least as I remember it.
Having learned from that challenging winter, I decided to take deliberate steps. The result? I made it through to March 2025 with steadier spirits, more energy, and better health than in years past.
We’ve Forgotten How to Live with Nature’s Rhythms
As autumn takes over and the days shorten, we feel it not just in the weather but in our bodies. Just as trees draw sap back from their leaves to store energy for winter, we too feel a natural urge to turn inward. It’s nature’s rhythm—and we are part of it, even if modern life makes us forget.
The modern world expects us to keep up the same pace all year round, and that’s why the darkness can feel like a heavy burden. Our energy drops, our mood dips, and spending all our time indoors with less vitamin D puts extra pressure on the immune system.
That’s why it helps to approach winter consciously—not just as something to endure, but as a season to experience with balance, presence, and perhaps even renewed strength.
When we take care of ourselves through the dark months—body, mind, and spirit—winter becomes not only bearable but a time for rest, reflection, and hygge.
As someone who has lived my whole life in the North, prone to winter gloom, I’ve found these 10 strategies help me move through the season with much more ease.
1. Reset Your Body Clock Every Morning
Begin your day by seeking out natural light. As soon as daylight reaches your eyes—even on a cloudy morning—your brain receives a powerful signal: melatonin, the sleep hormone, is suppressed while cortisol rises, helping you feel alert, energized, and in a better mood.
Natural light acts as your body’s master clock, syncing your internal rhythms with the world outside. This alignment is essential for good sleep, balanced hormones, and overall wellbeing. In contrast, artificial light can disrupt these cycles, leaving you feeling groggy and out of sync. Just a few minutes of real morning light can noticeably lift your energy and reset your system.
If you live in an apartment, open an east-facing window first thing and let the daylight touch your eyes and skin. This tiny habit can make a surprisingly big difference in how you feel throughout the day—and how well you sleep at night.
Remember, it doesn’t have to be sunny. Even on the dullest days, outdoor light is far more potent and beneficial for your body and mind than any indoor lamp.
2. Get Outside Every Day
Even a short walk in daylight works wonders. Last winter, I noticed that a daily walk – especially an hour or two before sunset – lifted my spirits and gave me steadier energy throughout the day. It was one of the main reasons I felt so much better by the time March came around.
I check my weather app each morning to see when the sun will set, and plan my day so I can get out in time. It doesn’t have to be a long walk: just getting light on your skin and in your eyes, with a bit of movement and fresh air, makes a big difference.
It’s a simple way to combine daylight, exercise and a mental reset – and it helps me face winter with more resilience.
3. Support Your Body with Cod Liver Oil and Vitamin D
In winter the sun sits too low in the sky for us to produce enough vitamin D in our skin. The lack shows up in our immune system, energy levels and mood.
Cod liver oil is a classic solution: it’s rich in vitamin D, vitamin A and omega-3, all of which strengthen the brain, body and immune system. A spoonful a day can make a huge difference. I take a teaspoon of Nordic Naturals Arctic Cod Liver Oil with dinner.
To be fully covered, I also add D-Pearls during the winter months. It’s a small dose, but more than enough when I’m also taking cod liver oil.
Nordic Naturals is known for its high purity and sustainability (IFOS 5/5, also available as capsules).
I prefer vitamin D supplements that are dissolved in olive oil (or coconut oil) rather than sunflower or other seed oils. Vitamin D is fat-soluble, so the type of oil it’s carried in makes a difference. Olive oil is stable, heart-friendly, and helps the body absorb vitamin D efficiently.
By contrast, many cheaper supplements use seed oils like sunflower oil, which are high in omega-6 and prone to oxidation. That can create an imbalance in the body if you’re already getting plenty of omega-6 from your diet. Olive oil not only avoids that problem, but also brings its own anti-inflammatory benefits.
4. Green energy: chlorophyll and CoQ10
Chlorophyll – the green pigment in plants – and CoQ10 – the body’s own “energy enzyme” – work together to boost cellular energy. Getting chlorophyll from green vegetables (or supplements) helps the body activate CoQ10, which means better energy, stronger resilience and improved wellbeing.
I combine Organic Chlorella (chlorophyll) with BioActive Ubiquinol 50 mg (the active form of CoQ10). It’s a simple habit that really helps me in the dark winter months, when light is scarce and energy tends to dip.
5. Create the right conditions for sleep
Your body recovers best when you sleep well. Wind down before bed, avoid blue light from screens, and keep your bedroom dark, cool and free from electronics. Try to go to bed at roughly the same time each night.
6. Move your body in the fresh air
Exercise does wonders in winter: it gives you a natural high, boosts energy and keeps you warm. Outdoors, you get the extra benefit of fresh air, which oxygenates the body, strengthens the immune system and helps fend off viruses.
It doesn’t have to be intense – a brisk walk, bike ride or some simple exercises in the park are enough. Just make sure to warm up muscles and joints properly to avoid injuries in the cold.
And don’t forget to air your home too – indoor air quality tends to get worse in winter with radiators on full blast.
7. Red light for energy and healing
Light affects more than just our eyes – we absorb it, and it reaches the energy factories in our cells (the mitochondria). Red and near-infrared light can help the body heal, lift mood and boost energy. You’ll find it in sunlight (even on cloudy days), in firelight, or from red-light lamps and infrared saunas.
8. Eat nourishing winter food
Traditional Scandinavian diets were rich in fish – a vital source of vitamin D and omega-3. Try to eat fish or seafood a couple of times a week. Cut back on heavy, carb-laden meals that leave you sluggish, and go for more protein (meat and fish) and vegetables for steady energy.
9. Meditate on the third eye (Ajna Chakra)
A tool from yoga: the point between the eyebrows is linked to the pineal gland – the body’s internal clock. A short meditation on this spot can bring calm, balance your circadian rhythm and sharpen inner focus.
Find a quiet place, close your eyes, focus your attention on the area between your brows and breathe deeply for a few minutes.
10. Embrace hygge
In Scandinavia we have a long tradition of making the dark months cosy. We’ve always survived winter by coming together – lighting candles, sharing meals, playing games, or simply enjoying each other’s company in a warm home.
Hygge is more than a mood – it’s a social vitamin. When we spend time with people we love, our spirits rise, loneliness fades, and winter feels that bit lighter.
Invite someone round for supper, host a games night, or make your home a little warmer and calmer. Togetherness brings energy, joy and connection – some of the best medicine we have for the winter season.
Summary: My 10 Tips for Surviving Winter
Reset your body clock – get morning light to align with nature’s rhythm.
Get outside every day – plan a walk in daylight, ideally before sunset.
Cod liver oil & vitamin D – a spoonful of oil + a small vitamin D supplement support energy and immunity.
Green energy: chlorophyll & CoQ10 – eat greens or take supplements to support cellular energy.
Prioritise sleep – good habits and restful nights boost mood and health.
Exercise outdoors – fresh air and movement lift energy, mood and immunity.
Red light for energy & healing – get it from sun, fire or red-light devices.
Eat nourishing food – fish, protein and vegetables instead of heavy carbs.
Meditate on the third eye – a simple yoga practice for calm and balance.
Embrace hygge – share food, light candles and enjoy each other’s company.
My Personal Winter Supplements
Nordic Naturals Arctic Cod Liver Oil – omega-3, vitamins A & D
D-Pearls 20 µg – extra vitamin D in winter
Organic Chlorella – natural chlorophyll and green power
Ubiquinol 50 mg (CoQ10) – active energy for the cells