{"id":14221,"date":"2026-09-21T15:39:14","date_gmt":"2026-09-21T13:39:14","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.company-move.de\/?p=14221"},"modified":"2026-09-21T15:47:55","modified_gmt":"2026-09-21T13:47:55","slug":"herbstmuedigkeit-im-buero-beitrag","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.company-move.de\/en\/herbstmuedigkeit-im-buero-beitrag\/","title":{"rendered":"Herbstm\u00fcdigkeit im B\u00fcro [Beitrag]"},"content":{"rendered":"
\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Limp, exhausted, constantly catching colds? Why autumn is becoming an underestimated stress test for your team<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

The days are getting shorter and meetings feel longer: when the light is lacking outside, energy inside often drops. The first colleagues are coughing again, concentration in meetings is waning, and by the end of the week everyone feels a little more exhausted than they did in the summer. What many dismiss as an inevitable \u201eautumn slump\u201c is actually an understandable bodily reaction to less light, fluctuating temperatures, and an immune system in a state of emergency. The good news: this is precisely where simple measures can counteract the trend \u2013 before the wave of colds drives up the rate of sick leave.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\u201eWe now know that humans who are no longer 'outside' during the day in the original sense actually live in biological darkness.\"\t\t\t<\/p>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\u2014 Dr. med. Dieter Kunz, Head of the Clinic for Sleep and Chronomedicine, Charit\u00e9 Berlin<\/cite>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/blockquote>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

The Fall Effect in Numbers<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

That autumn and winter drive up the rate of sick leave is not a subjective impression, but rather proven by data. According to an evaluation by DAK-Gesundheit, days absent due to respiratory diseases rose by 13 percent in the first half of 2025 compared to the same period last year, triggered primarily by the wave of colds at the beginning of the year. 2<\/sup>. Respiratory diseases accounted for the largest share of total sick leave at 22.4 percent\u2014ahead of mental and musculoskeletal disorders. 2<\/sup>. A clear pattern also emerges when viewed over the course of the year: The annual waves of colds regularly lead to an increase in absenteeism during the fall and winter months, with the absenteeism rate during this period having been noticeably higher since 2022 than it was previously 3<\/sup>. On average, every employee in Germany was on sick leave for about 22 days in 2024. 3<\/sup> \u2013 a figure that is likely to become apparent again in many teams in the coming weeks.<\/p>\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t

\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

What light and vitamin D do to the immune system<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tBehind seasonal exhaustion lies a biologically well-explainable mechanism. Vitamin D is produced 80 to 90 percent through UV-B radiation in the skin \u2013 and precisely this radiation is lacking in the dark months: north of roughly the latitude of Cologne, the sun's altitude from October to March is no longer sufficient to enable significant endogenous vitamin D production. Only a small fraction of the requirement can be met through diet. This is relevant because vitamin D plays an important role in the normal function of the immune system. Just how severe the deficiency actually is among the population is shown by the German DEGS1 survey: in the months from November to April, 25 percent of those examined showed a severe vitamin D deficiency, and in the months of February and March it was even over 50 percent. 4<\/sup>. This deficiency coincides, of all times, with a period when the immune system is already under greater strain due to cold weather, dry indoor air from heating systems, and more time spent indoors.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Nutrition and Exercise as Tools for Improving the Workday<\/h3>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t<\/path><\/svg>\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\tWhile the sun\u2019s position cannot be influenced, companies do have some leeway when it comes to two other factors: nutrition and exercise. A balanced, nutrient-rich diet supports the body\u2019s immune system even when the body\u2019s own vitamin D production is on hold. Regular exercise, in turn, boosts circulation, promotes blood flow, and has been shown to lift mood\u2014a doubly important effect when there\u2019s a lack of natural light. Especially in the daily office routine, where many people spend most of the day indoors and sitting, small, recurring incentives are often more effective than one-time initiatives: a short break for movement between two meetings, a thoughtfully planned meal in the cafeteria, or a group walk during the lunch break. Those who intentionally incorporate these activities now in the fall will not only reduce the risk of colds among team members but also boost concentration and energy levels throughout the entire season.\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t

Get Your Team Ready for the Cold Season: Our Solutions for Your Business<\/h2>\t\t\t\t<\/div>\n\t\t\t\t
\n\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t\t

Get Your Team Ready for the Cold Season: Our Solutions for Your Business<\/p>

Company Move supports you with targeted offers to get your team through the dark season:<\/p>