Do You Get the Winter Blues?

Oh, winter…that time of year when the sun makes itself scarce and frigid temperatures seem to breach through countless layers of clothing, seeping straight into the bones. Everything is gray, from the leafless trees to the sky that the sun seems to have forsaken.

Okay, that’s a little melodramatic, I’ll admit. But a lot of people experience winter with a similar sense of “blah.” It’s the season that seems to drag on forever, especially if you don’t enjoy it. In these dark months, our circadian rhythm often gets out of whack, and many people seem to find themselves trudging through their daily activities with little motivation.

If you identify with any of that, chances are you know exactly what I’m talking about when I refer to the “winter blues.”

What’s fascinating is that not everyone is impacted by winter in the same way. We all know that person who seems perfectly happy with the shorter days and gleefully rejoices during every snowfall. The winter blues are definitely not universal.

The Link between Personality and the Winter Blues

When we asked the 16Personalities community, “Do you usually experience ‘winter blues’ with regard to your overall mood?” in the “Seasons: Winter” survey, the answers were quite revealing.

Honestly, my immediate assumption was that Extraverts would be the types most likely to feel those winter doldrums. The cold weather and shorter days make socializing a bit more of a logistical challenge, after all, and people tend to hunker down in the comfort of their homes – especially after the hullabaloo of the holiday season.

Once I took a look at the data, however, I was surprised to learn that the Feeling and Turbulent personality traits are actually slightly more influential. Extraversion is certainly not a factor to be ignored, but it’s not as black-and-white as I had originally imagined.

Not sure what your personality traits are? Take our free personality test today and find out.

The Thinking and Feeling Traits

The influence of the Feeling trait is best illustrated by the difference in agreement between Diplomats, who all have it, and Analysts, who are all Thinking types.

As you can see in this chart, Analysts are among the least likely personalities to experience the winter blues. It’s important to remember that there are also personality types with the Thinking trait in other Roles as well. Among Sentinels and Explorers, Logistician (ISTJ) and Virtuoso (ISTP) personality types are similarly resistant.

Their tendency for rationality is undoubtedly an asset when it comes to overcoming the challenges presented by the pitfalls of winter. This allows Thinking types to more fully embrace the season for all it has to offer – or, at least, to breeze through the emotional reactions that those challenges may set off.

Looking back at that chart to now consider the Feeling trait, you’ll notice that Diplomats are the types most vulnerable to seasonal melancholy. They are not the only Feeling personalities, though, and it’s worth noting that Sentinels and Explorers with the Feeling trait, such as Consuls (ESFJs) and Adventurers (ISFPs), are also more susceptible to the winter blues.

Feeling types follow their hearts and emotions, sometimes without even realizing it. This tendency can easily lead to snowballing negativity when unconsciously dealing with the realities of winter. The disappointment that a Feeling type may experience because they rarely manage to get in a walk before dark can quickly roll into generalized irritability. Frustrations can start to pile up: the sun only seems to shine while they are at work, they feel tired all the time, and – to top things off – it takes a ridiculous amount of effort to dress for the weather.

The Influence of Strategy

Our data shows that the personality types most immune to the winter blues – Virtuosos, Architects (INTJs), and Logicians (INTPs) – all happen to be Introverts. They also happen to be the types most likely to say they look forward to winter weather. In general, it seems that Introverted personality types are more inclined to genuinely enjoy the longer nights and shorter days of the season.

But the survey results also show us that there are plenty of Extraverts who manage to avoid the emotional struggle of winter.

This is largely due to the underlying factor of whether a person has Assertive or Turbulent tendencies. This combination of traits – Introverted/Extraverted and Assertive/Turbulent – plays an important role in how someone responds to and interacts with the world around them on a social and emotional level. We refer to this as someone’s Strategy.

Take a look at the following chart, which shows the results for the same “winter blues” question. This time, agreement is divided according to Strategy.

As you can see, the Turbulent Strategies – Social Engagement (Extraverted, Turbulent types) and Constant Improvement (Introverted, Turbulent Types) – are more likely to experience the winter blues, compared to the Assertive Strategies – People Mastery (Extraverted, Assertive types) and Confident Individualism (Introverted, Assertive types). This makes perfect sense, considering that the Turbulent trait is a strong indicator of someone’s tendency to experience stress and the feeling that their emotions may get the best of them.

The Truth about Winter Blues: No Personality Type Is Immune

It’s really important to take a moment to reflect on the fact that nearly 50% of all respondents – representing every personality type – admit that the winter blues are something they usually have to deal with during the cold months.

So if you clicked on this article, there’s a good chance that you have had to deal with feeling glum, uninspired, and maybe even a little depressed during these dark days of winter.

Because of this, I think it makes sense to set personality theory aside for a moment and share some basic advice for getting through these difficult days.

How to Get Through the Winter Blues

Use a Sun Lamp

If it’s an option, get yourself a sun lamp or light therapy box. These full-spectrum lights mimic natural sunlight, helping maintain your circadian rhythm and alleviating many symptoms of the winter blues.

Go Outside

Cold temperatures and gray skies are not very inspiring, but it is a good idea to spend more time outside than what it takes to walk from your house to your car. Go for walks even if it’s dark out – just make sure to take precautions for safety. You can also take up ice skating, winter hiking, or something along those lines. The idea is to bundle up, get outside, and move your body.

Stay Connected

Don’t let winter come between you and your social life. Reach out to family and friends if you’re feeling lonely. If you need more extensive socialization, consider joining a club, gym, or social group. Be intentional about staying connected.

Stay Warm

Even if you have to keep the heat down to save money on your energy bill, you can sip on hot beverages, wear cozy socks and sweaters, and eat lots of nourishing hot foods. It’s harder to stave off the winter blues if you’re constantly cold.

Set Some Goals

A fun way to stay motivated and inspired during the winter is to set some goals for yourself. Maybe you’ll want to work your way through a special reading list, learn a new hobby, or challenge yourself to reach some kind of personal-best milestone as the winter months tick by.

Note: Sometimes the winter blues can worsen to the point that it becomes seasonal affective disorder. If you feel like your symptoms go beyond “blah” and are actually creating disruptions in your day-to-day living, please talk to a mental health professional or your doctor.

Some Final Thoughts

Even though there is not much that you can do about winter, the winter blues do not have to be inevitable. Understanding how your personality traits influence the way that you handle these gloomy months is a great place to start if you want to proactively avoid seasonal lows. From there, you can try out different strategies for getting through winter and find the ones that inspire you most.

Remember, the winter blues are not about lacking mental strength or willpower – they can happen to anybody. Knowing how to keep them in perspective and deal with them in a healthy manner is key. And no matter what, keep in mind that spring will eventually arrive, and the sun will shine again.