16/11/2025
💚🌱
Why your body feels ‘off’ in autumn and winter.
Interoception in autumn and winter can become so much more challenging — and many neurodivergent people feel this long before they have the words for it.
As the seasons shift, the body suddenly has to interpret a whole new set of signals.
Colder air. Less daylight. Heavier clothes. Different routines. More demands on energy and the interoceptive system — the part of the brain that helps us understand our internal signals — can get overwhelmed or confused.
This is when you or your child might find yourselves thinking:
“Am I hungry… or just cold?”
“Am I tired… or is it just darker earlier?”
“Do I need a drink… or a blanket?”
“Why does my body feel weird and I don’t know why?”
For those with interoception differences, this time of year can bring:
• Misjudging layers — constantly too hot or too cold.
• Internal restlessness that looks like irritability.
• Struggling to notice thirst or hunger until it’s extreme.
• Feeling “unsettled” or “not quite right” without a clear reason.
• Finding it harder to begin tasks because the body doesn’t feel regulated.
• Sudden tiredness that hits harder because of shorter days and sensory load.
And because most people don’t talk about interoception at all — let alone how seasons affect it — many end up blaming themselves:
For being “moody.”
For being “unmotivated.”
For “overreacting.”
For “not coping” with the cold or darkness like everyone else seems to.
But none of this is a character flaw; it’s a seasonal shift in sensory demand.
Autumn and winter require gentleness.
More warmth.
More pauses.
More checking in:
“Have I eaten?”
“Am I overwhelmed?”
“Do I need light?”
“Do I need stillness?”
“Do I need movement?”
Bodies talk — sometimes in whispers, sometimes by screaming at us to show us where uncomfortable — and at this time of year those signals can be harder to interpret.
If interoception feels muddled right now, that’s understandable because your body isn’t being difficult; it’s adjusting.
Offer warmth without questioning it.
Offer food before you’re starving.
Offer rest before you’re drained.
Offer light where you can.
A softer, slower rhythm is not just allowed — it’s often what the body needs most as winter settles in.
Hiw are you feeling at this time of year?
Have you noticed changes with your child or young person?
Emma
The Autistic SENCo
♾️
Photo: Hubbie and me on the back of our narrowboat in the pouring rain.
