The time is 11:30 p.m., less than half an hour before that, Delta Math, English paper, and AP Classroom questions are due. It has been dark outside for six hours, and the only light comes from the glow of the Chromebook screen. Eyes strain from the harsh glow, and yawns start to fill the room. Many students feel this is becoming a daily occurrence as they fall deeper into the winter months.  

As the hours of light in the day lessen and the workloads become heavier, students become familiar with what is known as the “seasonal slump.” In South Carolina, a study of high school students determined that 61.3% of students notice a personal mood and energy drop from November to February, and of this percentage, 34.6% feel lazy and stressed. This goes to show that the majority of students are experiencing the mental side effects of cold weather, shorter days, and academic stress. 

Senior athlete and executive board president Samantha Ferretti says the change in weather affects her mindset the hardest.  She mentions that “When it gets darker earlier, it makes me less productive and more tired at night.” Balancing swim, keeping the school in line, applying to college, coaching recreational cheer, volunteering, and keeping her grades high all at once, she says, is indescribably draining. Ferretti has to “divide the day and dedicate specific hours to certain tasks,” and is finding herself sacrificing the activities she enjoys doing. 

Teachers have noticed this lack of energy in the classroom and seek a solution to revive their students’ moods. Biology teacher Nicholas Gebhardt says, “There’s definitely a drop-off of energy after Daylight Saving Time ends. Kids are more tired in class, they’re putting their heads down, and their body language is slow, even unresponsive at times.” Gebhardt is pointing out the fact that less sunlight is bringing forward these effects, and these problems cannot be ignored. 

He highly suggests students increase their time outside in the fresh air, as well as hours exercising, to activate the brain when sunlight is limited. For those who struggle with seasonal depression, he recommends investing in a light box to turn on 30 minutes before school to help feel more awake and alert. If none of these are in the students’ interest, they should “try talking to other people because everyone is dealing with some sort of anxiety or distraction; some just hide it better than others.” 

School counselors have also caught onto this pattern. Counselor Marlene Goudreau says, “ I noticed more anxiety, more fatigue, more tardiness to school, and I noticed students having a harder time focusing and keeping themselves organized.” To help, she offers a simple solution: making a schedule. Many students are just as busy, if not more hectic, outside of school, so having a designated time slot to do homework will “force you to zero in on your homework, lock in, and get it done.” This will prevent procrastination from kicking in, as well as assignments from piling up. 

It’s important to keep in mind that small habits can have a big effect on in-school performance. For instance, quick walks can redirect focus, light therapy can regulate the circadian rhythm, and enough sleep each night can improve mood. If done consistently, students can beat the winter fatigue and improve how they feel throughout the long, cold months. 

Students are not alone and have many people they can turn to, such as their counselor, school nurse, social worker, or even a school psychologist. Students are their priority, whether they feel stressed, overwhelmed, or need someone to guide them in the right direction. The mood change in students is not a result of being lazy, but caused by the struggles in energy and motivation these hard months bring, and students must remember that. 

In the same way that athletes learn to manage school with sports and how teachers learn to tailor their lessons to their students’ needs, students can learn to change, too. By creating a solid schedule, having professionals to turn to, and realizing everyone is in the same boat, winter won’t feel like such a drag anymore. Instead, it becomes a learning curve that requires a little extra effort to overcome and build resilience.