Start January strong: a daylight habit to protect energy, mood, and sleep

January 1st always comes with a little spark. People come back to work with “fresh start” energy new goals, good intentions, and that “this is the year” mindset. It is a powerful moment to support sustainable performance, not just short-term motivation.

But as workloads ramp up, routines tighten, and daylight stays limited, many people experience a slump. For organizations, that looks like lower engagement in meetings, more sick days, and teams that feel “flat,” even when work is busy.​

This is a perfect time for HR and people leaders to get ahead of it with one of the simplest, most doable wellbeing supports you can encourage:

Get outside for daylight on purpose most days.

Why this matters now

Seasonal changes in daylight affect mood, energy, and sleep for many Canadians. The Canadian Psychological Association notes that approximately 15% of Canadians will report at least a mild case of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in their lifetime, while 2–3% will report more serious cases. Others experience “winter blues” a milder pattern that may not meet diagnostic criteria but still nudges people toward lower energy and mood.

Canadian Mental Health Association describes how these seasonal mood changes are linked to changes in sunlight exposure, and identify light therapy as a main treatment for SAD, often alongside options like medication and psychotherapy. Everyday daylight exposure is not a clinical treatment, but it is a practical, preventive habit that can help many employees feel and function better through winter.

Even without SAD, winter often nudges people toward:

• Lower energy and motivation at work.
• Sleep timing that drifts “off,” making mornings harder.
• More stress reactivity and emotional fatigue.
• More cravings and less movement, because everyone is indoors more.​

Rather than waiting for fatigue to show up in mid–late January, this is a strategic moment to help people build a protective routine while motivation is high.

Daylight: a high-leverage habit

Light is a powerful signal for the body clock (circadian rhythm), which influences sleep timing, alertness, and mood. When that rhythm is anchored by consistent light exposure, people tend to find it easier to fall asleep, wake up, and feel steady through the day.

One concrete point HR leaders can share: outdoor light is dramatically brighter than indoor light. The UBC Hospital Mood Disorders Centre notes that:

• Typical indoor light is usually under 400 lux.
• A cloudy day outdoors is around 3,000 lux.
• A sunny day can be 50,000 lux or more.

That means a short step outside can make a real difference—even when it is overcast. Viewing daylight through windows helps, but it is not equivalent to being outside in open daylight.

What this looks like at work:

• Employees feel a bit more alert in morning meetings.
• Fewer people describe feeling “wired but tired” at night.
• Teams experience less of a mood “dip” as winter progresses.

Daylight + movement + nutrition

The goal is not for employees to overhaul their lives. The goal is to help them build small habits that protect energy and resilience as work ramps up.

Focus area	Simple action	Why it helps
Daylight	5–15 minutes outside most days (walk, commute, or coffee outdoors).	Sends a strong signal to the circadian clock, helping stabilize sleep timing and daytime alertness.
Movement	“No-pressure” movement snack: a short walk or standing outside while on a call.	Gentle activity can boost mood and reduce stress reactivity without needing a full workout window.
Nutrition	“Protein + produce” once early in the day (breakfast or first snack).	Helps stabilize blood sugar and energy, supporting focus and reducing the mid-morning crash.

 

1) Pair daylight with a “no-pressure” movement snack

Encourage a 5–15 minute outdoor walk, or even just standing outside with a coffee or tea. It checks two boxes at once: light exposure plus gentle movement.

To make this realistic:

• Suggest “laps around the building,” a short sidewalk loop, or walking during a check-in call.
• Make clear that this is not a workout; it is a micro‑recovery tool employees can use most days.

2) Use daylight as an anchor habit

The easiest habits are attached to something that already happens. Invite employees to link daylight to:

• After school drop-off.
• After arriving at work, before opening email.
• Before the first meeting of the day.
• Right after lunch.

Attaching daylight to existing routines reduces decision fatigue and makes the habit more automatic.

3) Simple nutrition cues 

When work ramps up, people often skip meals and lean on caffeine and sugar. A few simple stabilizers:

• Aim for protein + produce once early in the day (breakfast or a first snack).
• Hydrate earlier, especially if coffee intake is high.
• Keep lunch predictable (e.g., a go‑to rotation of balanced meals) to avoid skipping or relying solely on snacks.

12 Weeks dietitian Bettina Mackenbach advises that adults take a daily supplement of 1000 IU (25 mcg) of vitamin D to support vitamin D status, alongside consuming foods that contain vitamin D. Common sources include fatty fish and fortified milks or plant beverages. People with darker skin, more covered clothing, or limited outdoor time may be at higher risk of low vitamin D and benefit from nutrition guidance or medical advice about supplementation.

What you can do this week to support employees

You do not need a big new program. A few cultures and permission “nudges” go a long way.

Make daylight breaks “legitimate” recovery

Position daylight breaks as micro‑recovery that supports sustainable productivity, not “time away from work.” Short breaks can help people reset attention, manage stress, and return more focused to tasks.

Practical ideas:

• Normalize a 5–15 minute daylight break once per day when workload allows.
• Encourage calendar blocks labeled “Daylight reset” or “Walk & think.”
• Suggest 50‑minute meetings instead of 60-minute ones in January to create natural daylight buffers.

Encourage walking and hybrid-friendly options

Daylight habits can work in office, hybrid, and remote teams:

• Suggest walking 1:1s where possible, especially for check-ins and coaching conversations.
• For remote teams, encourage “camera off + earbuds in” walking calls where safety and environment allow.
• Promote a “lunch outside” norm, even if it is only 5–10 minutes on a balcony, doorstep, or nearby bench.

Equip leaders to model the habit

Employees watch what leaders do more than what they say. A simple message for managers:

• “If you want your team to do it, model it.”
• Invite leaders to:
• Mention their own daylight breaks in team chats.
• Start meetings by asking, “Who has had a few minutes of daylight today?” (with no judgment if people have not).
• Share photos of their daylight walks in internal channels, if culturally appropriate.

CAMH’s general winter guidance includes seeking daylight: going outdoors when possible, opening curtains, and sitting near windows—even on cloudy days. Leaders can weave these into everyday reminders without making it feel clinical.

The 1‑Week “Daylight + Energy Reset” challenge

Position this as: “Start the year with a simple habit that protects energy before the slump hits.”

You can share it with employees as a one-page PDF, intranet post, or email series.

Daily checklist (7 days)

Invite employees to complete as many as they reasonably can each day:

1. AM daylight (5–15 minutes)
   ☐ Step outside during daylight (walk, commute, or coffee outdoors) once before midday.
2. Midday daylight bonus (up to 10 minutes)
   ☐ Bonus: Get outside again at lunch or between meetings.
3. One “steady energy” choice
   ☐ Eat protein + produce once today (breakfast, snack, or lunch).
4. Evening wind-down (10% better)
   ☐ Dim lights and reduce screen brightness in the last hour before bed.

Emphasize that this is about small improvements, not perfection.

Optional: a simple personal tracker

For employees who want to track how this feels, offer a very simple self-check each day:

• Energy today (1–10)
• Mood today (1–10)
• Sleep quality this morning (1–10)

Clarify for HR and employees:

• These ratings are for personal awareness.
• Any sharing of data at team level should be voluntary and aggregated (e.g., “On average, our team went from 6 to 7 in energy over the week”), to protect privacy and psychological safety.

“If-then” backups (to keep it realistic)

To keep the habit flexible:

• If it is raining → stand outside under cover for 2 minutes.
• If mornings are dark → do the “AM” step at the first daylight moment available.
• If a day is missed → restart tomorrow; no catching up required.

Encourage employees to seek additional support if low mood, low energy, or sleep problems persist for more than two weeks or significantly affect daily functioning. They can talk to their healthcare provider, use your EAP, or access community mental health resources.

If anyone is struggling or in crisis, in Canada you can call or text 9-8-8 (24/7). If immediate safety is at risk, call 911.

How 12 Weeks to Wellness can help

For HR and people leaders who want to build on this simple habit, 12 Weeks to Wellness can partner with you to make seasonal wellbeing support easy and practical.

Examples of support:

• Co-designing seasonal micro‑challenges (like this Daylight + Energy Reset) that integrate daylight, movement, and nutrition with your existing wellness strategy.
• Delivering short trainings or webinars for managers on modeling energy-protective habits and having supportive conversations with employees.
• Offering 1:1 or small group nutrition and wellness coaching to help employees turn short challenges into sustainable routines.

If you would like a ready‑to‑send email template and simple tracker your teams can use for a January Daylight + Energy Reset, reach out to explore a quick-start option for your organization.

Get access to our fun January Daylight + Steady Energy Bingo card here.

 

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References

1. https://relief.ca/relief-1/news-details/2022-01-05/seasonal-depression-emerging-from-the-darkness_15
2. https://cpa.ca/psychology-works-fact-sheet-seasonal-affective-disorder-depression-with-seasonal-pattern/
3. https://cpa.ca/2020/12/
4. https://bc.cmha.ca/documents/seasonal-affective-disorder-2/
5. https://med-fom-ubcsad.sites.olt.ubc.ca/files/2020/06/SAD-Clinician-Resource-Package-2007.pdf
6. https://meaningness.com/sad-light-led-lux
7. https://www.familiprix.com/en/articles/should-you-take-vitamin-d-supplements-this-winter
8. https://food-guide.canada.ca/en/applying-guidelines/advice-vitamin-mineral-supplementation/
9. https://cmha.ca/news/winter-blues-or-something-more-understanding-seasonal-affective-disorder-sad/
10. https://psychologistsassociation.ab.ca/wp-content/uploads/2022/04/2021-PAA-SAD-Fact-Sheet.pdf
11. https://acrossboundaries.ca/seasonal-affective-disorder-in-canada-with-a-special-lens-on-racial-dynamics/
12. https://www.cbc.ca/news/science/vitamin-d-and-you-1.900114

Author: Emma Carpenter

President and Workplace Wellness Strategist, BSC, Health Promotion