Last Updated: 16 November 2025

The first week of the end of Daylight Savings is always rough. You wake up and it’s dark. You get home from work, and it’s dark. Even the short winter days will feel gray and dull, thanks to the perpetually low-lying layer of clouds that blankets the city from November to February. The sun literally doesn’t shine through. 

As someone who didn’t grow up so far north of the equator, my first winter in Geneva was a real struggle. I felt tired and groggy all the time, and definitely didn’t feel like doing anything. Getting out of bed felt like an impossible task each day, because it looked like the dead of night outside. The lack of sunlight messes with our melatonin (the sleep hormone) and serotonin (the mood hormone), which is exactly what’s responsible for our low energy and slightly depressive state. 

If you’re also from a warm country that doesn’t have proper winters, here is some advice to take before the seasonal depression hits.

The Low Effort, High-Impact Hacks

1. Vitamin D Supplements – This is the official Swiss prescription, no joke. My MD prescribed me vitamin D supplements (which was covered by insurance), and told me most people living here simply can’t get enough vitamin D naturally.  If you have an appointment with your MD, it’s absolutely worth asking for a prescription. If not, every pharmacy will sell Vitamin D supplements.
   
   
   
   📖 Good to Know: Many people look to melatonin to help with winter sleep issues, but in Switzerland, melatonin supplements aren’t sold over the counter. You need to get a prescription for it because there are side-effects associated with it, which is why there’s such strict control. It’s not something you can just grab off the shelf like Vitamin D. It’s not illegal to have, if you do bring it in small quantities for personal use. 
   
2. Light Therapy Lamp – Light therapy lamps are basically really bright artificial lights that help trick your body into producing more happy hormones and less sleep hormones. Experts recommend lamps with a light intensity of at least 10,000 lux. You can put these lamps on your office desks and expose yourself for 30mins+ of light therapy each day as your work. If you have severe winter depression, some Swiss health insurance companies will sometimes cover the cost of these lights with a prescription – worth adding this to the list of things to talk to your MD about if you’re experiencing seasonal depression and checking your insurance policy. Light therapy lamps price ranges from CHF 40 and up. 

Hacks That Require Some Effort

1. Maintain a Consistent Sleep Schedule – We keep a strict bedtime for our kids, but as adults, we are much less likely to have a consistent sleep time. Having a strict sleep schedule helps your body to naturally “know” when to wake up, no matter how dark it is outside. This consistency is crucial for regulating those moody hormones.
   
2. Some form of exercise – As a chronic lazy person, it pains me to give this advice.  Getting myself out to exercise is insanely difficult, but even more infuriating knowing that I feel so damn happy after my workout. The post-exercise endorphins are so real, and really help during the winter. This can be as simple as going outdoors for a 20-minute walk (even if it’s gloomy) or some light yoga at home following YouTube. It’s annoying that this advice always works, but it does.
   
   
   
   🔥 Hot tip: The city of Geneva is offering free winter sports classes from 26 October 2025 – 22 March 2026. There are a range of classes, from pilates, gym poussettes, parent-child circuit training, total sculpt, hiit full body, and much more. You can check out their full program here. Classes are free but require mandatory registrations in advance, which open up on a week by week basis. A perfect way to get some exercise during the long winter months! 
   
3. Get the hell out, and (ideally) find some sun – When I first moved to Geneva, I didn’t understand why everyone was obsessed with skiing every weekend. While yes, most people are slightly obsessed with skiing, another major factor was everyone was escaping to the mountains to get sun. Since Geneva is perpetually clocked with gray clouds during the winter season, blocking any chance of sun shining through, you have to literally get above the clouds. Even if you don’t ski, drive or take the train 45 minutes up a nearby mountain (like the Salève) to just sit on a sunny terrace or an easy walk outside will improve your mood.
   
   👉 If you’re looking to try skiing this season, check out our guide for where to rent skis!
   
   👉 If you’re looking for some easy walks around the city, check out our easy walks guide!
   
4. Low effort, high-reward social plans – Not only am I lazy, but I am quite an introvert by nature. I love rotting at home with my cats, and spending hours in front of the TV. Especially when the weather is terrible, the urge to cancel and just stay in is strong. But we humans are social creatures after all, and we need to be around others. Seeing friends and family is an incredible dopamine hit. I would suggest easy, low-effort social plans, like having a soup night or check out one of the many museums in the city. The key isn’t the doing, it’s the being in the same space and having some social interaction.
   
5. Book your next trip (ideally to somewhere warm) – Even if it’s just a weekend trip somewhere nearby, just getting out of the city can help get out of a mental funk. Bonus points if you can actually go somewhere warm! Having a holiday booked on the calendar can be a massive lifeline to pull you through the worst of February.

I hope this guide helps first-time expats be prepared for the upcoming winter months! You’re not alone in the dark, and remember that spring is always on the way.

What is your non-negotiable winter survival hack in Geneva?