Winter Wellbeing for Teams: How to Sustain Energy During Shorter, Darker Days
Did you get home from work in darkness today? For me, November really heralds the start of getting cosy in the evenings – and hibernation begins to seem like an attractive prospect!
As daylight hours slip away and the temperature drops, my motivation and energy seem to head in the same direction. At work, even the most motivated of teams can feel their energy dip.
Winter can quietly drain our collective momentum – but with the right mindset, it can be a season for rebalance, reflection, and renewed resilience.
Critically, leaders play a crucial role in helping teams stay balanced and connected. By implementing (and modelling!) intentional wellbeing practices, you can help to energise your teams for sharper focus through the winter months.
It’s not just in your head: here’s the reality of seasonal impacts
Shorter days are known to affect our circadian rhythms, and this in turn has an impact on mood, energy, and focus.
When daylight hours decrease, our bodies naturally interpret this as a cue to slow down. The reduced light exposure also triggers increased production of melatonin - the hormone that promotes sleepiness - which can make us feel more tired than usual.
Reduced exposure to sunlight can also lead to lower levels of serotonin, a mood-regulating hormone. All of these factors combine to create a perfect storm of fatigue, a decrease in productivity and a dip in motivation.
As leaders, it’s important to have realistic expectations and recognise that it’s normal for energy levels to fluctuate. If you normalise conversations around “winter slowdown”, you will remove stigma. Try starting team meetings with a brief check-in or wellbeing pulse - it helps people feel seen.
Harness Light & Nature Exposure
There are some super simple ways that you can harness the power of light and nature, and break the grip that winter has on your mood.
Encourage morning light breaks: Suggest walking calls or meetings (make sure these happen before noon to sync circadian rhythms). I recently saw Joe Wicks, the Body Coach, introducing his Insta followers to “walkie talkies” – and I love this idea!
Create light-rich spaces: Position desks near windows or use daylight lamps in communal areas.
‘Nature moments’: Even indoor plants, window views, or nature-themed screensavers can lift mood.
Breathwork & Micro-Breaks
A micro-break culture encourages teams to build regular “resets” into their day. As an example, try a “50:10 rhythm” which is 50 minutes of focus, followed by 10 minutes of recharge. It’s important that this 10-minute recharge is used to stand, stretch, breathe, or step outside - not scroll!
For a culture shift to be effective, it’s critical that you model this behaviour by taking your own breaks visibly; after all, culture starts from the top.
Breathwork breaks are another great tool to banish the winter energy slump; try 2–3 minute resets such as box breathing or longer exhalations to calm stress and re-energise.
Build Simple Team Rituals into Your Day
By embedding some simple habits, you can keep your team focused on bolstering energy levels and enhancing mood and motivation.
What about weekly reflection prompts, for example, ask your team, “What’s one thing that lifted your energy this week?” Try some morning warm-ups: 5-minute team stretches or “gratitude rounds” before diving into work.
You could even introduce some seasonal wellbeing challenges. How about “A Daily Dose of Daylight”? Encourage collective action and inspiration, and ask your team to send in photos of their daily outdoor moment.
“Winter is a season of recovery and preparation.” [i]
Remember, your role as a leader isn’t to keep everyone maxed out at 100% - in fact, you definitely don’t want to be trying to achieve this!
As a leader, you need to work to create conditions where self-awareness, connection with nature, and rest are normalised. By recognising the impact of the changing seasons on mood, motivation and energy, we can take steps to mitigate any negative effects.
[i] Paul Theroux