The days are getting noticeably longer, the first buds are appearing on the trees and spring is on its way. Yet many people feel remarkably tired precisely in March. Your concentration falters, your energy is low and you have the feeling that your body is not quite keeping up with the new season. That is no coincidence. At the end of winter, the body is in fact in a transitional phase. Winter has left its mark. And just like nature, your body too needs time to shift back from rest to activity.
This is why you are so tired in March
In nature, winter is a period of slowing down. Plants draw their energy back into their roots, animals sleep more and ecosystems run at a lower pace. The human body responds in a similar way to the short, dark days. Our biological rhythm is in fact strongly influenced by light. Less daylight means that the brain produces more melatonin, the hormone that stimulates sleep and recovery. At the same time, the production of serotonin, a neurotransmitter involved in energy, mood and motivation, often declines.
Energy-saving mode
According to chronobiologist Till Roenneberg, professor at the Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität in Munich, light plays a crucial role in how our body functions. "Our internal clock is synchronised daily by daylight," he says. "In winter we receive fewer light cues, which can shift the rhythm of sleep, hormones and energy." The result is that many people end up in a kind of energy-saving mode during the winter. We often sleep a little more, move less and our metabolism slows slightly. Now that spring is approaching, the body has to shift gears again.
The winter battery is empty
At the end of winter, many reserves are temporarily depleted. Less sunlight, for example, often means lower vitamin D levels. In addition, people generally move less in winter and often eat heavier food. According to endocrinologist Dr. Rangan Chatterjee, this can contribute to the typical spring dip. "After months of little light and less movement, the body often feels tired," he says. "The system has to readjust to longer days and more activity." The immune system can also be more sensitive during this period. Your body has worked hard all winter to keep viruses and infections at bay. That continuous activity demands energy. The result: right when spring begins, the body paradoxically feels most exhausted.
The body looks for a new rhythm
In many Eastern traditions, this transition is described as the movement from yin to yang. Winter symbolises yin: rest, stillness and turning inward. Spring represents yang: movement, growth and expansion. After months of yin, the body cannot simply switch over to full activity all at once. Just like nature, it needs time to awaken gradually. You see this outside as well. In March, nature does not immediately burst into life. First small signals appear: crocuses, buds, slightly softer light. Growth gets going slowly. The same applies to your energy.
Why your body is not yet 'switched on'
Your brain and hormones need time to readjust to the changing light. Your biological clock – which regulates, among other things, the sleep cycle, body temperature and hormone production – has to adapt to the longer days. Researchers at Harvard Medical School describe this process as a seasonal reset of the circadian rhythm. That transition can be accompanied by fatigue, concentration problems and a slight dip in motivation. So it is not strange that you feel tired precisely in March. Your body is simply caught between two seasons.
From winter rest to spring energy
Fortunately, there are ways to help your body with this transition from yin to yang.
Seek out morning light
Daylight in the morning helps the biological clock reset more quickly. Try to spend at least twenty minutes outside every day, preferably early in the day.
Move a little more, gently
You do not have to exercise intensively straight away. Walking, yoga or light strength training help the body activate gradually.
Eat lighter and fresher
Where the body often craves warm and hearty food in winter, in spring it can respond well to lighter meals with plenty of vegetables, herbs and protein.
Restore your sleep rhythm
Try to go to bed and get up around the same time. Consistency helps stabilise your internal clock.
Accept the transition
Perhaps most important of all: do not expect your energy to come back at full strength right away. Just like nature, your body too needs an in-between phase.
Spring begins on the inside
March is really a month of unfolding. Not yet of full bloom. Nature shows that growth begins with small signals: a little more light, a little more movement, a slow awakening from winter. When you allow that same transition within yourself, fatigue changes from a problem into a process. Your body is simply starting to move again. Give it time.