Le Journal

It’s cold out. The days are shorter and you are more tired than usual. If you are feeling extra sleepy and fatigued during the winter months, you are not alone. One of the reasons that winter tiredness or winter fatigue occurs is because of the seasonal shifts that affects our circadian rhythm: when it’s dark out your body produces more of the sleep-inducing hormone, known as melatonin, which in turn, leads to tiredness. Why am I more tired than usual during the winter months? Dr. J. Ryan Fuller, clinical psychologist and executive coach at New York Behavioral Health, said that there are a variety of reasons that on their own, or combined, can cause low energy, particularly during the winter months. “A lot of it has to do with during the winter months and this hemisphere, obviously there are shorter days, so people get less sunlight exposure,” Fuller said. “That can impact things like vitamin D — people can become deficient. It also can be disruptive of circadian rhythms, which can throw off our sleep, and that can affect our mood and lead to lower energy. With the cold weather, people have a tendency to be outdoors less […] and in addition to that, they tend to be less physically active and we know that physical activity oftentimes is something that boosts our mood and energy levels. And so as that comes down, that can have an impact, as well.” According to Fuller, who has a weight loss specialty, our habits, particularly during the holidays can impact our moods. “What we see a lot of times is during the winter months, there’s a lot of holiday parties and celebrations and things like that,” Fuller said. “With the holidays, people have a tendency to overeat, and there tends to be this cycle where we overeat, we gain some weight, we then beat up on ourselves for gaining the weight, we feel worse and then we overeat to compensate. That cycle leads to more weight gain and sometimes lower moods.” What is seasonal affective disorder (SAD)? Although low energy levels tend to have an effect on people, it is important to keep track of your symptoms because they can actually be tied to another diagnosis: seasonal affective disorder, also known as SAD. How do you know if your mood changes are tied to this disorder? According to Fuller, it has to do with the length of time you experience symptoms and a pattern in their appearance. “If the changes in mood are really tied to the seasons, and that can occur at least two years in a row, that’s going to typically be diagnosed as as a major depressive disorder with seasonal affective disorder as a specifier,” Fuller said, adding “really we’re looking at mood symptoms that are depressive in nature that are coming at that specific time of the year or some pattern on an ongoing basis.” Fuller said that changes you should be on the lookout for are your energy level, changes in appetite, changes in weight, sleep, libido, thoughts, and if this manifests in a way that it interferes with your life. If you are experiencing any of these changes, Fuller recommends seeing a professional who can evaluate you. “They can really assess pretty quickly whether or not it’s actually a clinical disorder like major depressive disorder or seasonal affective disorder, Fuller said. “The good news is that both those disorders are highly treatable with scientifically supported therapies.” Tips to deal with low energy levels in the winter months There are quite a few things you can do to beat low energy during the cold, dark winter months. According to Fuller, if one was diagnosed with SAD, the following are also some tips that may help you combat those symptoms. “I think [these] are sort of simple things, if we’re talking about something that’s just winter fatigue and subclinical, we can do,” Fuller said. “Likewise, if it was clinical in nature, [these]…

Dangerous cold has settled across the country, as more extreme, record-setting winter temperatures are forecast to blanket the United States this weekend. As of Tuesday morning, 43 million people are under cold weather alerts from the Upper Midwest to the central Appalachians and into the Northeast. Even those in central Florida are under cold weather alerts. Wind chills are as cold as 10 to 20 degrees Fahrenheit below zero across the Upper Midwest and the Great Lakes, 5 to 10 degrees below zero in the interior Northeast and the Ohio Valley, and in the single digits along the Interstate 95 corridor, including Washington and New York City. Across the country, high temperatures Tuesday are 15 to 25 degrees below average. The chill will continue into Wednesday. In the Philadelphia area, several schools opened late Tuesday because of freezing temperatures. While the current cold blast isn’t a record-setting one, an even colder outbreak of arctic air is coming later this week and into the weekend. This one could feature wind chills as cold as 40 to 50 degrees below zero across the northern Plains and the Upper Midwest, with record cold temperatures possible as far south as Texas. Cold weather arrives in New York on Sunday. Still snowy in some places On Tuesday morning, 15 million people remained under winter weather alerts across the Great Lakes region. In Michigan, whiteout conditions led to a 100-car pileup near Grand Rapids with a number of injuries after multiple tractor-trailers spun off the road. Cars were also forced off the road and shoved into embankments. Weather 11 hours ago How to prepare for the winter storm that is set to hit half of the U.S. this weekend Lifestyle 14 hours ago What is house burping? Why some homeowners are letting in air — even in winter There are two areas of snow to watch: The first is lake-effect snow that continues across the typical snow belt areas. The second is a clipper diving through the Upper Midwest. Snowfall totals will generally be light, with cities such as Minneapolis, Madison and Chicago picking up less than 1 inch of snow. The one exception is the Tug Hill Plateau of New York, which could receive an additional 2 to 4 feet of snow through Wednesday. More snow is set to blanket parts of the country this weekend. An expansive winter storm is shaping up to impact millions from the central Plains to the East Coast on Friday through Sunday. This storm is forecast to produce widespread heavy snow, sleet and freezing rain, which could cause widespread power outages and life-threatening travel conditions. Details remain uncertain about where the rain, snow and ice swaths will fall, but confidence continues to grow in high-impact, disruptive amounts of accumulating snow, crippling ice and prolonged cold. Early forecasts predict snowstorms developing across the Rockies and central Plains on Friday, with a wintry mix, as ice breaks out across northern Texas and southern Arkansas. By Saturday, that will turn into snow for the central Plains, the Mississippi and the Tennessee valleys and into North Carolina. A wintry mix and ice are possible from central Texas into the Southeast and South Carolina. Sunday will be snowy across the Midwest, the Ohio Valley and the mid-Atlantic, possibly moving into the Northeast. The wintry mix and ice could continue across the Carolinas and into the Southeast. Erin McLaughlin contributed.

What to KnowAt this time, we can’t confidently pinpoint exactly where the heaviest snow will fall, but that picture will become clearer Thursday into Friday.The Northeast will get hit hardest Sunday afternoon and evening, with residual light snow Monday. Expect travel to remain very difficult Monday morning. Anticipate school, business, and government office closures as well. The Northeast will get hit hardest Sunday afternoon and evening, with residual light snow Monday. Be prepared for travel to remain very difficult Monday morning and expect school, business, and government office closures on Monday, too. A major winter storm will pummel much of the United States this weekend, starting in Texas and the Great Plains and finishing along the East Coast.  Here are five things the tri-state Area should know about the storm. More coverage Weather 11 hours ago How to prepare for the winter storm that is set to hit half of the U.S. this weekend Storm Team 4 17 hours ago How much snow will we get? Confidence grows in high-impact winter storm forecast Sunday is the impact day for the East Coast. The storm will develop over Texas on Saturday, but the East Coast won’t feel a direct impact until Sunday.  That’s when snow, sleet, freezing rain, and rain will impact everyone from New England to the Southeast. In the Northeast, the biggest impact is likely to be from the New York City metro area to the south. Travel trouble starts Saturday. Weather on the East Coast will be quiet Saturday, but air travel will likely be a mess.  Snow and ice could grind airports to a halt in the middle of the country.  Hubs like Dallas/Fort Worth, St. Louis, Memphis, Nashville, Cincinnati, and possibly Atlanta will be impacted, and the ripple effect will cause delays and cancellations across the country. Snow totals will be impressive for some. Once the storm makes it to the East Coast on Sunday, it will be a prolific snow-maker in certain regions – very possibly including the tri-state. Snow totals will depend on the track of the storm and the precipitation type.  Some areas will see all snow.  That’s where over a foot of snow will be easy to get. Other places may see a mix of snow, sleet and freezing rain, which will significantly limit snow totals. At this time, we can’t confidently pinpoint exactly where the heaviest snow will fall, but that picture will become clearer Thursday into Friday. Ice could make travel treacherous South of the heavy snow area, we expect a band of sleet and freezing rain to set up, which will make travel a nightmare Sunday night into Monday morning.  As with the snow, it’s too early to call exactly where that band of ice will develop, but at this point, the I-95 corridor through South Jersey, the Delmarva Peninsula Washington D.C., Virginia and North Carolina are places to avoid Sunday and Monday. Further down the coast, we expect all rain due to warmer temperatures. Expect Monday to be a mess The Northeast will get hit hardest Sunday afternoon and evening, with residual light snow Monday.  Be prepared for travel to remain very difficult Monday morning and expect school, business, and government office closures on Monday, too. 

President Donald Trump on Wednesday said that he would not impose tariffs on eight European countries that were set to go into effect on Feb. 1 unless those countries allowed the United States to take control of Greenland. On Saturday, Trump said he would hit Denmark, the U.K. and other countries involved in NATO exercises with a 10% tariff starting next month. “Based upon a very productive meeting that I have had with the Secretary General of NATO, Mark Rutte, we have formed the framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland and, in fact, the entire Arctic Region,” Trump wrote on Truth Social. “Based upon this understanding, I will not be imposing the Tariffs that were scheduled to go into effect on February 1st,” he added. Trump had said if those countries did not comply with his demands by June, the tariff would rise to 25%. Trump’s comments over the weekend roiled global markets. Stocks soared to the highs of the day on Trump’s announcement that the tariffs were off.

A new global trade study reveals US tariffs are mostly paid by American buyers, not foreign exporters, despite repeated official claims