The bitter cold and short days of winter can take a toll on your mood, and even lead to something more serious known as Seasonal Affective Disorder. To beat back the winter blues and keep in high spirits, a simple shift in mindset is all you need.
Kari Lebowitz, a PhD candidate at Stanford University, has been studying the effects of winter on folks in northern Norway where, from November to January, the sun never truly rises. Leibowitz couldn’t figure out why people there didn’t become depressed due to their environment, but their answer was quite simple: “Why would we?” In Norway, the winter is something special to be enjoyed, not simply endured. Leibowitz found that partaking in winter-only activities, enjoying the cosiness of staying indoors during a cold winter night and finding a way to truly appreciate the beauty the winter season brings can really help those who feel down in the dumps. Last but not least, Leibowitz recommends that you refuse to participate in the “Misery Olympics”. Yes, it’s cold, the days are short and it takes longer to travel somewhere, but the less you complain about it all, the better you’ll probably feel. Of course, if you think you’re truly depressed, get some light and don’t hesitate to see a professional.
The Norwegian Secret to Enjoying a Long Winter [Fast Company]
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3 responses to “Beat The Winter Blues With A Norwegian Shift In Mindset”
I don’t drive so winter is a pain in the arse for me. The thought of the hot chocolate and marshmallows is what keeps me going. It also helps to remember sweating my arse off during 35 degree summer…..thoughts of 5 degree winters keeps me going in 35 degree summers…..so its all works out good in the end.
I love winter, though when I say winter I mean snow etc rather than Sydney “winter”. One thing I actually miss is the trees losing their leaves, in Sydney and Australia in general the trees just sort of stay the same. There are some of course that do shed, but they are the minority.
I used to live in Scandinavia and I told an acquaintance not to believe its always warm in Australia, it gets down to 10 degrees in Sydney. “Really -10 in Sydney?” To which I replied not to be stupid, +10 of course. Sometimes its cold in Sydney because you get caught out, but in a really cold place you don’t leave home without a coat, gloves, a scarf, a hat, so cold is not so bad. It’s the darkness that gets people depressed.