Why do I need to know Frühlingsmüdigkeit?
Because as spring gets fully underway, you may need to reach for this German word to describe a strange condition that sometimes crops up around this time of year.
What does it mean?
This German word combines the word for spring (der Frühling - said like this) and tiredness (die Müdigkeit - said like this) and refers to what is sometimes called “springtime lethargy” or “spring fatigue” in English.
Symptoms of Frühlingsmüdigkeit (also known as Frühjahrsmüdigkeit) include everything from general tiredness to mood swings and irritability, or even headaches and problems sleeping. In other words, it's kind of the flip side to the childish glee we usually feel once spring rolls around.
What are the causes?
This is still disputed territory but a hormone imbalance (or hormone rebalancing) may play a role. According to this theory, spring fatigue is a war of hormones as the body switches from the winter production of the ‘sleep’ hormone melatonin to the daylight-inspired production of the ‘happiness’ hormone serotonin.
Read also: 10 ways to celebrate springtime in Germany
Some also say it's a symptom of getting out and about and doing more as soon as the weather gets better, following your long Winterschaf (hibernation). Others point to the fact that rising temperatures makes the body work harder, so you feel that bit more sluggish around this time of year.
None of this is helped by the changing of the clocks. When the evenings get longer, people stay up later and the alarm clock seems to ring that much earlier every morning.
Is there a cure?
If you feel like you've been hit by a case of spring fatigue, both Swiss health insurance Swica and German insurance TK recommend getting plenty of light, doing exercise outdoors, eating light, healthy meals and going to bed early enough to get a good night’s sleep.
The good news is Frühlingsmüdigkeit doesn't tend to last too long - and you have the pleasant sunny evenings and cheery spring flowers around to get you through it.
READ ALSO: Nine expressions that perfectly sum up spring in Germany
Use it like this:
Die Arbeit fällt mir so schwer momentan. Es ist wohl die Frühlingsmüdigkeit!
I'm finding work so hard at the moment. It's probably spring fatigue!
Leidest du unter Frühlingsmüdigkeit? Du scheinst, ein bisschen antriebslos zu sein.
Are you suffering from spring fatigue? You seem a little listless.
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