Dark mornings, exhausted bodies, and another full calendar. If you're finding November harder than usual, there are a few reasons worth paying attention to.
The alarm goes off and it's still pitch black outside. You've hit snooze twice, the coffee isn't doing much, and you're already thinking about everything that needs to happen before the end of the year.
There's work to get through, people who need you, appointments you've been putting off, and a growing list of things you keep meaning to deal with.
By the time you get home, you're exhausted. And somehow, despite feeling tired all day, you find yourself lying awake at night.
Sound familiar?
November has always been a challenging month for many Albertans, and this year we're experiencing something new. With Alberta moving to permanent Alberta Time, our mornings will stay darker for longer.
At Nurtured Minds Wellness, we work with people navigating stress, burnout, anxiety and exhaustion every day. We know how much the demands of everyday life can affect our sleep, our mood and our capacity to cope.
So, as we head into another Alberta winter, let's look at what's happening in our bodies and what might actually help.
1. Your body needs daylight, and this year we're getting it later
One of the most useful things you can do for your sleep and energy this winter is to pay attention to when you're getting daylight.
And yes, getting outside at 10:30 in the morning still counts.
On November 1, Alberta will stop changing its clocks twice a year. We'll stay on Alberta Time year-round, meaning our evenings will have more daylight and our mornings will remain darker.
Around Edmonton and Leduc, the sun won't rise until after 9 a.m. for much of the winter. By December 21, sunrise will be around 9:48 a.m.
That's well after many of us have started work, dropped the kids at school or finished our morning commute.
Why does this matter?
Our bodies have an internal clock, known as our circadian rhythm, that helps regulate when we feel awake and when we feel sleepy.
Light is one of the strongest signals that helps keep this clock on track. Morning light tells our bodies it's time to be awake, while darkness helps prepare us for sleep.
When daylight arrives later, it can become harder for some people to feel alert in the morning, especially when work and school schedules haven't changed.
You might notice yourself hitting snooze more often, dreading the drive to work in the dark, or feeling like your brain takes half the morning to catch up.
A few things worth trying:
Get outside once daylight arrives, even if it's for 10 or 15 minutes.
Take your coffee or lunch break near a window, or outdoors when possible.
Keep your wake-up time fairly consistent throughout the week.
Make the most of daylight on weekends, especially if you spend most of your working day indoors.
If you leave for work before sunrise, you haven't missed your chance. Look for opportunities to get daylight later in the morning or during your lunch break.
These are small adjustments, and they won't solve every sleep problem. They can, however, help support the natural rhythms our bodies rely on.
2. There's a reason you're exhausted when nothing big has happened
"I don't know why I'm so tired. Nothing has really changed."
We hear versions of this in therapy, especially when people have been pushing through for months.
And often, when we start looking at what's happening in someone's life, there's quite a lot going on.
There's a deadline coming up at work, an appointment you've been meaning to make, Christmas is around the corner, and the cost of everything seems to keep climbing.
Maybe you're juggling school activities and family schedules. Maybe you're caring for an aging parent, navigating a difficult relationship, working extra shifts, or trying to keep on top of everything that comes with running a household.
Then there are the things that don't make it onto the calendar. Worrying about someone you love, remembering what needs to be done, managing relationships, anticipating problems and trying to find time for yourself somewhere in the middle of it all.
All of that takes energy.
Our nervous systems respond to the demands placed on us, including the ones we've become so used to that we barely notice them anymore.
When stress continues for long periods, we can start to notice changes in our sleep, concentration, patience and energy.
Maybe you have less tolerance for the little things. You're getting frustrated with people you love, struggling to make decisions, or finding yourself avoiding tasks that would normally feel manageable.
And sometimes, there's something much bigger underneath the exhaustion. Grief, illness, financial pressure, relationship difficulties or a difficult anniversary can make this season especially challenging.
One question we often explore in therapy is: How much energy is it taking just to keep everything going?
It's worth considering, especially if your usual ways of resting aren't leaving you feeling any more rested.
3. What if we stopped expecting the same energy from ourselves all year?
There's something interesting about the way we approach November.
Outside, the natural world is preparing for winter. The trees have dropped their leaves, growth has slowed, and animals are adapting to the colder months.
Meanwhile, our calendars are filling up.
Holiday shopping, school concerts, work deadlines, family gatherings, Black Friday sales and all the pressure that comes with trying to finish the year on a high note.
We seem to expect ourselves to maintain the same pace, regardless of the season.
At our retreat property near Wizard Lake, we spend a lot of time observing how the forest changes throughout the year. One of the things nature reminds us is that rhythms change, and our needs change with them.
There's value in paying attention to that.
What would it look like to approach winter with a little more consideration for what your body needs?
For some people, that might mean prioritizing sleep and making sure they're eating regularly. For others, it could mean spending more time outside, seeing friends, asking for help or making fewer commitments.
And if you've been running on empty for a long time, it may mean taking a closer look at what you're carrying and how much of it is actually yours to manage.
Nature can play a useful role here, too.
A large study published in Scientific Reports found that people who spent at least 120 minutes per week in nature were more likely to report good health and wellbeing. Those minutes could be accumulated across several shorter visits.
That's encouraging news for those of us who don't have hours to spare.
A walk around Telford Lake, taking the kids to a local trail, or spending part of your lunch break outdoors can all be ways of building more time in nature into an ordinary week.
You don't need to turn it into another task to accomplish.
4. Try this before adding anything else to your November calendar
Before we start looking for ways to improve our energy, it can help to understand where it's currently going.
This is something we explore with clients who are feeling overwhelmed, particularly when everything in their lives feels equally urgent.
Take a piece of paper and give yourself a few minutes with these three questions.
1. Where is my energy going right now?
Write down everything you're carrying. Work, family, responsibilities, worries, relationships and the things you've been putting off.
Include the mental work of remembering, planning and anticipating what other people need.
2. Where do I actually want my energy to go?
Look at your list and consider what matters most to you at this point in your life.
There may be things you genuinely enjoy that have been pushed aside because everything else feels more urgent.
3. What could become smaller, simpler or shared?
Look for one responsibility that could be adjusted.
Maybe someone else can take over a task. Maybe an expectation needs to change. Maybe something can wait until January.
The purpose of this exercise is to understand how you're using your energy and whether your current commitments reflect your capacity.
"I've noticed that some of my clearest thinking happens when I'm walking. Sometimes I head into the forest with something on my mind. Other times, I don't realize how much I've been carrying until I've been walking for a while. Moving my body, breathing fresh air and spending time among the trees gives me space to think and often helps me see things a little differently."
— Charlie Webb, Founder of Nurtured Minds Wellness
5. When your winter exhaustion needs more attention
Feeling tired or less motivated during the darker months is common, although persistent changes in mood and energy deserve attention.
Seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is a form of depression that follows a seasonal pattern, most often beginning in the fall or winter.
Symptoms can include:
Feeling persistently low, sad or hopeless
Sleeping much more than usual and still feeling tired
Withdrawing from people or activities you normally enjoy
Changes in appetite, including increased cravings for carbohydrates
Difficulty concentrating or managing everyday responsibilities
If you've noticed these changes lasting more than two weeks, particularly if they're affecting your daily life, it's worth speaking with your doctor or a mental health professional.
Fatigue can also have physical causes, so ongoing exhaustion is worth discussing with a healthcare provider rather than assuming it's simply the time of year.
If you're experiencing thoughts of suicide or are concerned about your immediate safety, call or text 988 in Canada for support.
Finding support through an Alberta winter
Winter can be a challenging time to navigate stress, grief, anxiety and burnout, especially when you're already carrying a lot.
At Nurtured Minds Wellness, our therapists support individuals, couples, children and families through a range of approaches, including traditional psychotherapy, somatic therapy and nature-based counselling.
We also believe that mental health care should be accessible, which is why we offer several ways to connect with support.
Our services include:
In-person therapy in Leduc, Calmar and our new Millet location.
Virtual therapy for clients across Canada, where our clinicians are authorized to practise.
Nature-based therapy at our private retreat property near Wizard Lake, including year-round outdoor sessions.
Low-Cost Therapy Program: Individual sessions for $60 with a supervised practicum therapist, with no proof of income required.
No-cost counselling: Available to eligible Leduc County households earning under $75,000 through our partnership with Leduc County FCSS.
Three-hour Therapy Intensives: Extended, individualized therapy sessions at Wizard Lake for people who would benefit from more time to explore what they're experiencing.
If November is bringing up more than you expected, or you've been feeling overwhelmed for longer than you'd like to admit, our team is here to help.
To learn more or find a therapist who feels like a good fit, visit email info@nurturedmindswellness.com.
