Everytime winter starts to roll around my energy levels seem to drop. (i.e. I get tired easier) Is this common? If so what causes this? And more importantly; what can I do to counter-act this?
IANAD, but is there any chance you suffer from seasonal affective disorder, if only mildly?
Without even reading the link I can guess what it suggests. Increase the light in your home. Try to brighten the house first thing in the morning, as soon as you wake up. Decorate a little differently, hang some brightly colored pictures or drapes. If you can find cheap bright flowers still for sale (like daisies), keep a bunch on the coffee table. In colder months they should last well over a week before starting to wilt.
I even went to the extreem of painting my living room walls a light (but bright) peach color.
I hate the winter blahs.
This happens to me too. I swear my ancestors were bears or some other animal that hibernates during the winter months. My house is bright. My office is bright. It still doesn’t help. My energy isn’t the highest at the best of times, but when it gets cold all I want to do is snuggle in bed. Course, this would also be more exciting with a snuggle partner other than my cat.
Do more exercise.
Some things to try: Exercise (more). Get what sunlight you can, especially in the morning, even filtered through clouds. If getting sunlight is hard, get a full-spectrum lamp and spend some time in front of that. Add more fruits and vegetables to your diet and guard against the tendency to pile on the fat and the junk food at this time of year.
Hobbies can be good, too. I know a number of Norwegian women, of all ages, who swear by knitting as a cure for the autumn blahs.