Understanding What May Be Affecting Your Energy
As the days get shorter and the weather gets cooler, you may notice that your energy feels a little different.
Maybe getting out of bed feels harder than it did a few months ago. You find yourself feeling tired earlier in the day, struggling to stay focused in the afternoon, or simply feeling like you have less energy for the things you normally enjoy.
Changes in energy are common, and there isn’t always one simple explanation.
Sleep, stress, nutrition, physical activity, exposure to daylight, hormonal changes, and overall health can all influence how energized we feel. For women, different stages of life — including menstruation, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and perimenopause — can bring additional changes.
Sometimes feeling tired may simply reflect a busy period of life or a change in routine. Other times, persistent fatigue can be a reason to look a little more closely at what your body may be telling you.
Why Can Energy Change With the Seasons?
Our bodies respond to changes in light throughout the year.
Daylight plays an important role in regulating the circadianrhythm, the internal clock that helps control our sleep and wake cycles. As daylight hours decrease in the fall and winter, changes in light exposure can affect when we feel awake, alert, and ready for sleep.
Seasonal changes can also affect our routines.
Colder weather may mean spending less time outdoors or being less physically active. Work and family schedules may become busier as the holidays approach. We may go outside less often during daylight hours or find that our usual sleep routines begin to shift.
Individually, these changes may seem small. Together, they can influence how we feel throughout the day.
Sleep and Energy Are Closely Connected
It is normal to occasionally feel tired after a late night, a busy week, or a period of disrupted sleep.
But sleep quality matters just as much as the number of hours spent in bed.
Stress, changing schedules, nighttime waking, caring for children, hormonal changes, and other factors can all affect how restorative sleep feels.
Some people may technically be getting enough hours of sleep but still wake feeling tired or notice that their energy drops significantly during the day.
Creating more consistent sleep habits may help support energy. This can include keeping a regular bedtime and wake time, limiting caffeine later in the day, reducing screen use before bed, and creating a calmer evening routine.
If sleep difficulties are persistent or you regularly wake feeling unrefreshed despite getting adequate sleep, it may be helpful to discuss this with a healthcare provider.
Stress Can Be Tiring Too
Fatigue is not always physical.
Work, parenting, caregiving, relationships, finances, and the mental load of managing everyday responsibilities can all require significant emotional energy.
During particularly busy or stressful periods, you may notice changes in concentration, patience, sleep, motivation, or energy.
Sometimes there is no obvious moment when stress becomes “too much.” It can build gradually until feeling tired or overwhelmed starts to feel normal.
Finding ways to manage stress may look different for everyone. Movement, yoga, spending time outdoors, psychotherapy, mindfulness practices, social connection, or simply creating more space for rest can all be supportive.
Recognizing that stress may be contributing to fatigue can also be an important first step.
Hormonal Changes Can Affect Energy
Hormones can influence sleep, mood, body temperature, and energy levels throughout different stages of life.
Some women notice changes in energy at different points in their menstrual cycle. Pregnancy and the postpartum period can bring significant physical and hormonal changes, along with changes in sleep and daily routines.
Perimenopause can also affect energy.
During perimenopause, fluctuating estrogen and progesterone levels may contribute to sleep disturbances, night sweats, mood changes, and changes in concentration. These symptoms can sometimes leave individuals feeling more tired or less like themselves.
Hormonal changes do not affect everyone in the same way. If changes in energy are happening alongside menstrual changes, hot flashes, night sweats, mood changes, or other new symptoms, it may be worth discussing them with a healthcare provider.
Nutrition Can Play a Role
Our bodies need consistent nourishment to support everyday energy.
Skipping meals, eating irregularly, or not getting enough protein, carbohydrates, healthy fats, vitamins, and minerals can sometimes contribute to feeling tired or having difficulty maintaining energy throughout the day.
Iron is particularly important to consider for women who menstruate.
Iron deficiency can contribute to fatigue, weakness, difficulty concentrating, and reduced exercise tolerance. Individuals who experience heavy menstrual bleeding may be at greater risk of low iron levels.
Other nutritional factors may also influence energy, which is why persistent fatigue should not automatically be attributed to being busy or not sleeping enough.
If you are concerned about nutritional deficiencies, speak with a healthcare professional before beginning supplements or making significant changes based on symptoms alone.
Movement Can Support Energy
When you already feel tired, exercise may be one of the last things you feel like doing.
However, regular physical activity can support sleep, mood, cardiovascular health, muscle strength, and overall well-being.
Movement does not have to mean an intense workout.
Walking, yoga, strength training, mobility work, or other forms of activity you enjoy can all be valuable. The amount and intensity that feel appropriate may also change depending on your health, stage of life, sleep, and stress levels.
The goal is not necessarily to push through fatigue.
Instead, movement can be one part of supporting your body while also paying attention to when you may genuinely need more recovery.
Sometimes Rest Is Part of the Answer
It can be easy to view tiredness as something that needs to be overcome.
But feeling tired does not always mean something is wrong.
There are times when your body may simply need more rest. A particularly demanding period at work, disrupted sleep, caring for family, recovering from illness, or adjusting to a new stage of life can all increase the need for recovery.
Rest does not need to be earned, and it does not always need to be productive.
Sometimes going to bed earlier, taking a quieter evening, reducing commitments, or allowing yourself time to recover may be exactly what your body needs.
The important question is whether rest helps.
If fatigue continues despite adequate sleep and recovery, or if your energy has changed significantly without an obvious explanation, it may be worth looking further.
When Should You Pay More Attention to Fatigue?
Everyone experiences tiredness from time to time.
Persistent fatigue, however, can sometimes be associated with an underlying health concern.
Consider speaking with a healthcare provider if fatigue:
- Persists for several weeks
- Is getting progressively worse
- Interferes with work, exercise, relationships, or daily activities
- Does not improve with adequate sleep and rest
- Is accompanied by significant changes in mood
- Occurs alongside unexplained weight changes, dizziness, shortness of breath, or other new symptoms
- Feels noticeably different from your usual energy levels
A healthcare provider can help determine whether additional assessment or testing may be appropriate.
Start With a Check-In
If your energy has felt different lately, you do not necessarily need to overhaul your entire routine.
Start by noticing what has changed.
How have you been sleeping?
Are you spending less time outdoors?
Has your activity level changed?
Are you eating regularly?
Has your menstrual cycle changed?
Are you experiencing new symptoms?
Has life simply been asking more of you lately?
Looking at the bigger picture can sometimes make it easier to understand what may be contributing to how you feel.
Supporting Your Energy Through the Changing Season
Seasonal changes can be a useful reminder to check in with how we are feeling.
For some people, shorter days may mean adjusting sleep routines, getting outside more often during daylight hours, or finding ways to stay active through the colder months.
For others, changes in energy may be connected to stress, nutrition, hormonal changes, or something that deserves further attention.
There is no single routine that will make everyone feel their best.
Paying attention to changes in your body, creating space for rest and movement, and seeking support when something does not feel right can all be part of caring for your overall well-being.
At PUSH, our approach to women’s wellness recognizes that health can look different at every stage of life. Whether you are looking for support with movement, pelvic health, mental well-being, recovery, or simply finding ways to feel better in your body, our team is here to help you find care that fits your needs.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why do I feel more tired in the fall and winter?
Shorter daylight hours can affect the body’s circadian rhythm and sleep-wake cycle. Changes in activity, time spent outdoors, sleep, stress, and daily routines during the colder months may also contribute to changes in energy.
Can hormones make you feel tired?
Yes. Hormonal changes throughout the menstrual cycle, pregnancy, postpartum recovery, and perimenopause can affect sleep, mood, and energy. If fatigue is persistent or occurs alongside other new symptoms, consider discussing these changes with a healthcare provider.
Can low iron cause fatigue?
Iron deficiency can contribute to fatigue and other symptoms and may be particularly relevant for people who menstruate, especially those who experience heavy periods. A healthcare provider can determine whether testing is appropriate.
When should I see someone about fatigue?
Consider speaking with a healthcare provider if fatigue persists, becomes more severe, does not improve with adequate sleep and rest, interferes with daily activities, or occurs alongside other unexplained symptoms.
