The days are getting shorter, temperatures are dropping, and your body is starting to change. Autumn brings seasonal changes that happen almost without us noticing, but they can affect health, energy, mood, and even your skin.
Experts point out four prominent changes to watch for during this cool transition season—changes that will accompany many of us until the end of winter.
1. Skin becomes drier and more sensitive
The skin is the largest organ in the body, and it protects us from heat, light, injuries, and infections. When the weather cools and the air becomes drier, the skin feels it too.
The reason is simple: Cold air contains less moisture than warm air, which causes moisture loss from the skin and dryness that worsens over time. If left untreated, the skin may lose elasticity, leading to wrinkles and a feeling of irritation.
What to do?
Use moisturizer daily
Drink plenty of water
Wear warm layers to protect the skin
2. Feeling more tired? It’s not just in your head
During winter, the body produces more melatonin—the hormone that makes us sleepy. Why? Fewer hours of sunlight. According to the Cleveland Clinic, “In winter, there is less sunlight during the day and darkness lasts longer, causing the body to produce more melatonin.”
Solution: Vitamin D supplements (of course, after consulting with a doctor).
3. Hard (and painful) to get out of bed
The drop in temperature also affects muscles and joints, as muscles tend to contract when cold, and blood flow to the limbs weakens—leading to stiffness and joint pain.
What is recommended?
Gentle physical activity, even a short walk or light stretching, can improve flexibility and warm up the body.
4. Seasonal low mood
The cold and gray months can cause a drop in mood and may even lead to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD).
Early darkness signals the body to produce melatonin (the hormone that encourages sleep) earlier, and as mentioned, we become tired earlier. But that’s not all. The increased production of melatonin sometimes comes at the expense of another neurotransmitter—serotonin—which is associated, among other things, with mood regulation and improvement.
Although this disorder is mainly common in colder, northern countries, it is estimated that even here in relatively warm Israel, about 100,000 people suffer from it.