# Winter Blues: What Daylight and Movement Really Do in November > Less light, less drive: why November weighs on your mood and which concrete times for daylight and movement actually help. November is the month when many people notice that something is missing. The alarm goes off in the dark, the working day ends in the dark and in between you mostly sit indoors. Mood flattens, drive shrinks, the sofa gets more attractive. That is not imagination and not weakness. It is the body's reaction to two things that become scarce in November: light and movement. Both can be brought back with little effort once you know when and for how long. ## Why November weighs on your mood In Zurich in mid November the sun rises at about 7:30 and sets at 16:50. That is roughly nine hours of daylight; in June it is almost 16. Add the high fog that often sits over the Swiss plateau for days. On a grey November day, 1,000 to 3,000 lux reach you outdoors; on a sunny summer day it is 50,000 to 100,000. In a lit office it is usually 300 to 500 lux. The eye reports this brightness to the internal clock in the brain. It controls when cortisol is released, when melatonin rises and when the body makes energy available. If it gets no strong light signal in the morning, the body stays in half-sleep mode. Melatonin is broken down later, alertness never really gets going and in the evening you are still not tired, because the whole rhythm has shifted. Studies link exactly this pattern to low mood in the dark months. ## Daylight: the most important dose comes in the morning The light signal works most strongly in the first one to two hours after waking. That is why a walk at 8:00 is worth more than one at 14:00, even though it is brighter at 14:00. Concrete times: - On clear days, 10 to 15 minutes outside without sunglasses is enough. - In high fog, 20 to 30 minutes. Even dull daylight is far stronger than any indoor lighting. - Before 10:00 is the best window. If you get up at 6:30 and the sun only rises at 7:30, you go out at 7:30, not earlier. - Behind a window pane only a fraction of the light arrives. The balcony counts, the office window does not. If you cannot get out, a daylight lamp with 10,000 lux works: 20 to 30 minutes in the morning, at about 30 cm distance, during breakfast or while answering mail. It does not replace the walk, but it delivers the signal. Just as important is the counterpart in the evening: from 21:00, bright ceiling lights off, warm floor lamps on. The internal clock needs not only a clear morning signal but also a clear evening signal. ## Movement: what 30 minutes really do Movement acts on mood through several routes. It increases blood flow to the brain. It releases messengers that are linked to wellbeing. And it gives the day a structure. In winter a fourth effect comes on top: whoever moves outdoors automatically collects the light. The dose that keeps turning up in research: 30 minutes of moderate movement on at least five days a week. Moderate means you can talk but not sing. A brisk walk, cycling, easy jogging, rowing or the stairs instead of the lift. What counts: - Regularity beats intensity. Five times 30 minutes do more for mood than one two-hour session on Sunday. - Outdoors beats indoors when there is a choice. The light comes for free. - Morning beats evening, because movement supports the morning cortisol rise and does not keep you awake at night. ## A daily plan for November This is what a working day covering both could look like: 1. 6:45 get up, curtains open, all lamps on. No phone in bed. 2. 7:30, as soon as it is light: 20 minutes brisk walking around the block or to the station. No sunglasses, with a hat. 3. 12:15: 15 minutes outside, even in fog. Lunch tastes better afterwards. 4. 17:30: if no movement was possible in the morning, 30 minutes of training now. It may be intense, but not after 20:00. 5. 21:00: dim the lights, screens away, air the bedroom down to 18 degrees. 6. 22:30: bedtime, the same on seven days. Whoever follows this plan for two weeks usually notices first that falling asleep gets easier. Then comes the morning when the alarm hurts less. Mood usually follows third. ## What does not help A few things feel right in November and make it worse: - Sleeping longer at the weekend. The rhythm shifts and Monday gets even harder. - More coffee after 14:00. It keeps you awake in the evening and steals deep sleep. - Scrolling on the sofa under the bright ceiling light in the evening. That is a morning signal at the wrong time. - Waiting for motivation to arrive. It does not come by itself. It comes after the walk, not before. ## When it takes more than light and movement Winter blues is a low that comes and goes with the days. If low mood persists for weeks, paralyses daily life, sleep does not improve despite everything or the joy in everything disappears, that is a matter for your family doctor. Light and movement are a foundation, not a treatment. ## Frequently asked questions **Is the light at the office window enough?** No. Window glass filters out a large part of the light and the distance to the window reduces brightness further. Right at the window maybe 1,000 lux arrive, two metres behind it still 300. Outdoors it is several thousand even in fog. Stepping out of the door cannot be replaced. **Does evening exercise also help against winter blues?** Yes, for mood it does. For sleep, an intense session after 20:00 is unfavourable, because body temperature and heart rate then stay high for too long. If you only have time in the evening, train moderately and finish at least two hours before bedtime. **What if I am already on the train at 7:30?** Then the commute becomes the light dose: get off one stop earlier and walk the last 15 minutes. Or use the lunch break; that helps too, just a little less. What matters is that real daylight reaches your eyes at some point every day.