4 Tips for Beating Fall Fatigue

Updated on October 27, 2026

Summary: 4 Tips for Beating Fall Fatigue

Lynn Goneau, a naturopath at La Boîte à Grains, discusses fall fatigue, which can manifest as a lack of energy, decreased motivation, mood swings, and difficulty concentrating. To better navigate this time of year as the days grow shorter, she suggests four habits: making the most of daylight, exercising regularly, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, and prioritizing a nourishing, seasonal diet. She also highlights medicinal herbal teas from Clef des Champs.

One-Paragraph Summary

In this segment on 104.7FM, Lynn Goneau, a naturopath at La Boîte à Grains, discusses fall fatigue, which can manifest as a lack of energy, decreased motivation, mood swings, and difficulty concentrating. To better navigate this time of year as the days grow shorter, she suggests four habits: making the most of daylight, exercising regularly, maintaining a consistent sleep schedule, and prioritizing a nourishing, seasonal diet. She also suggests Clef des Champs herbal teas as a possible complement, while reminding listeners to check with a pharmacist to ensure the herbs are appropriate for their individual situation.

1. Understanding Fall Fatigue

Less daylight, the time change, and shifts in daily routines can disrupt sleep patterns and contribute to feelings of fatigue. This fatigue can also affect motivation, mood, and concentration.

2. Make the Most of the Light and Stay Active

Lynn recommends going outside every day, even when the sky is gray, and incorporating short walks of 15 to 30 minutes. A break outdoors allows you to combine exposure to natural light with physical activity.

3. Prioritize sleep and nutrition

Maintaining regular bedtimes and wake-up times, aiming for seven to nine hours of sleep, and reducing screen time before bed are among the recommended steps. When it comes to diet, squash, root vegetables, cabbage, and apples can be used to prepare nourishing and comforting meals.

4. Discover Medicinal Plants

Lynn introduces the ÉnergiThé blend as well as astragalus, stinging nettle, and green oats from Clef des Champs. She specifically suggests drinking herbal tea instead of coffee in the late afternoon and reminds readers of the importance of checking precautions and potential interactions, particularly during pregnancy or when taking medications or dealing with high blood pressure.

About the Author

Lynn Goneau, Certified Naturopath

Specializes in:

• Digestive Health
• Hormonal Health
• Stress and Fatigue
• Memory and Concentration
• Weight management

Frédéric Bisson, radio host on 104.7 FM

Host at the Cogeco network’s 104.7 FM radio station. Frédéric Bisson has been hosting the show *L’Outaouais Maintenant* from 3:00 p.m. to 5:00 p.m. every weekday since February 27, 2023.

Transcript

Frédéric Bisson - Host, 104.7 FM:

This weekend is the time change. And by the time we wrap up this show, it’ll be getting dark out. We’re feeling a little tired—it’s a drag, it’s tough. Are we dreaming, or is this normal today with Lynn Goneau here in the studio—she’s a naturopath in La Boite à Grains— we’re actually talking about fall fatigue. Hello, Lynn.

Lynn Goneau—Naturopath from La Boite à Grains:

Hello, Fred.

Frédéric Bisson - Host, 104.7FM:

No, I’m not dreaming—not at all. You drag yourself out of bed, then you drag yourself through the whole day, right?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath at La Boite à Grains:

That’s right—fall fatigue doesn’t always feel like normal fatigue, but it can manifest as a lack of energy, a lack of motivation, mood swings, or even trouble concentrating. You find yourself rereading the same email three times, or opening the fridge without knowing why, or you just don’t feel like doing anything other than watching TV. And you have to understand that the days are getting shorter, that’s for sure. As you mentioned with the time change, your internal clock gets thrown off by the time change. Obviously, when does this happen? It’s often when you’re getting back into your routine after vacation—that’s simply when you might find yourself running on empty. The good news is that you can adjust your routine, your lifestyle, and your diet to get through the winter season.

Frédéric Bisson—Host, 104.7FM:

And today, you’re sharing four steps that can make a difference—and maybe even turn things around completely.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath at La Boite à Grains:

Absolutely. The very first one is finding daylight—it’s a bit like finding Waldo, the guy hiding among all those drawings—because the days are getting shorter, so we spend as much time as possible with our internal clock, which doesn’t quite add up to 24 hours. It’s a little longer, and without light to reset it, it drifts like a watch that’s running slow. And even when it’s gray outside, there’s much more light than in your well-lit office. Have a coffee outside. It’ll help your body produce the hormones you need for much deeper, more restorative sleep. Second, stay active. That’s important. Just short walks—15 or 30 minutes here and there. It seems counterintuitive when you’re feeling drained, but movement gives you energy, so take a short walk.

It’s better than your third cup of coffee, let’s say. Or if you don’t have time, well, take your lunch break. Even just 15 minutes outside with your sandwich is the best approach. Just a leisurely stroll—no need to run. You can take it really slow. Third, prioritize your sleep. Aim for seven to nine hours a night with a consistent routine. That’s super important. Go to bed and wake up at roughly the same time every day. That’s really important for resetting your body’s internal clock so your hormones function properly—which helps you sleep better—and, of course, turn off your screens about an hour before bed.

Frédéric Bisson - Host, 104.7FM:

That’s not always easy to do.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath at La Boite à Grains:

Yes, definitely. And that blue light keeps you awake. It’ll keep you awake during the night. You might fall asleep, but you’ll wake up during the night. That’s for sure. And some shows that always end with a little cliffhanger—well, you can wait until tomorrow. It’s also important to eat seasonal foods. So let’s talk about squash, carrots, and cabbage—apples and fall give us everything we need for nourishing, comforting meals. Like a little squash dish or a root vegetable stew. Warm apple compote with cinnamon. It’s really, really delicious. Yeah. It’s great fuel and a little hug all at once, because in winter, we really, really need that.

Frédéric Bisson - Host, 104.7FM:

Cinnamon—no doubt about it. Absolutely. Well, there are also options like medicinal herbs.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath at La Boite à Grains:

Yes. And to give ourselves a little boost, we’re turning to plants these days—specifically those from the company Clef des Champs. It’s a traditional Quebec herbal shop founded in 1978. It really stands out for the selection and quality of its herbal teas and medicinal plant extracts, which are certified organic and easy to find in La Boite à Grains. Here are my four herbal tea recommendations for the season. One of them is called ÉnergiThé. It’s a blend of oats, nettle, peppermint, and hibiscus—it’s really refreshing. So it gives you a little boost of energy, and you know, you can drink it hot or cold—a cold herbal tea in November, for example.

It’s just a matter of how you drink it. But if you want to drink it cold, it’s really not complicated to make. You take a small tea bag, put it in a jar that goes straight into the fridge, let it steep overnight, and it’s ready to drink the very next day—I even use it to make delicious blends. Well, astragalus is known to be a tonic and to support the immune system. There’s nettle, which is a nourishing plant rich in minerals and vitamins, and then there’s green oats. Green oats are a nourishing tonic for the nervous system.

Sometimes you can even have it at the end of the day. Actually, my personal trick is to replace your 4 p.m. coffee with a herbal tea like this. You won’t feel jittery—and for me, it’s also a great way to replenish minerals in the morning, since we know that when we wake up, we’re often more dehydrated, which can explain morning fatigue and brain fog. So this helps me feel more balanced before having coffee. Sometimes, just delaying it a little longer helps avoid making your dehydration worse and prevents that false energy boost from stimulating your nervous system instead of nourishing your cells. Just a quick reminder: herbal remedies aren’t for everyone—they’re not suitable for everyone, especially if you’re pregnant, have high blood pressure, or are taking medication. Be sure to check with your pharmacist. 

Frédéric Bisson - Host, 104.7FM:

Okay. If we want to schedule a consultation to discuss health, what do we do?

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath at La Boite à Grains:

It’s easy to reach me—my office is located at La Boite à Grains on Gréber Street in Gatineau—so just go to the La Boîte à Grains website. My contact information is there. Just send me a quick email to schedule a time. And while we’re at it, we can talk about your health.

Frédéric Bisson - Host, 104.7FM:

Thanks. Have a great week. Bye bye.

Lynn Goneau - Naturopath at La Boite à Grains:

Bye. Bye.