The Norwegian Secret to Enjoying Winter
Dear Reader,
My Facebook feed is increasingly populated with lamentations about the season’s weather, including…
Here, Grumpy Cat takes her place among winter-hating writers and philosophers of the ages:
“Spring, summer, and fall fill us with hope; winter alone reminds us of the human condition.”
— Mignon McLaughlin.
“Laughter is the sun that drives winter from the human face.”
— Victor Hugo
“In the depth of winter, I finally learned that there was in me an invincible summer.”
— Albert Camus
The concept that among seasons, only summer is laudable — call it summer chauvinism — is a common prejudice, but destructive just the same. Why write off a quarter of one’s life?
So — as we head into its depths — here are some insights on how to enjoy winter. These come from Norway, where the residents know a thing or two about the psychic toll cold and darkness can exact upon those who lack the right attitude.
The Norwegians have a delightful term — koselig –– that means a sense of coziness, safety, and community. It has been interpreted as “the Christmas spirit minus the stress.”
Each winter, Norwegians actively cultivate koselig via specific activities, including:
- Lighting candles
- Having a fire in the fireplace or woodstove each night
- Drinking warm beverages
- Gathering as a group under warm blankets.
And here’s some heartening research by Stanford Ph.D. student Kari Leibowitz. She spent August 2014 to June 2015 in Tromso, and recently wrote about the experience in The Atlantic.
With a population of about 70,000, Tromso’s location in far northern Norway makes it the northernmost large city in the world.
McLaughlin, Hugo, Camus, and G. Cat would quickly despair in Tromso, as the sun does not even peek over the horizon from mid-November until late January.
Yet seasonal depression rates in Tromso are remarkably low.
Leibowitz found out why by interviewing residents. She found that “In Tromso, the prevailing sentiment is that winter is something to be enjoyed, not something to be endured.”
Her fundamental discovery: The locals regard going outside, as often as possible, to be absolutely crucial. In Tromso, there’s a widespread, fervent belief that winter is the most beautiful season, and one must go outside often to take it in.
The locals frequently remark upon the softness of the winter light, choosing to interpret the fact that the sun doesn’t shine directly upon them as a pleasant variation in seasonal light, not a depressing absence of sunlight.
The frigid temperatures dissuade no one from outdoor excursions, she observed, pointing out a popular saying in Tromso: There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.
If anything, Tromso residents engage in more vigorous outdoor activity in winter than in summer. This aligns perfectly with research (1) on seasonal affective disorder, which ranks exercise as the best therapy for keeping winter depression at bay.
Bottom line: There’s a profound philosophical truth here. No season is intrinsically depressing. As the Stoic philosopher Epictetus put it, “Man is disturbed not by things, but by the views he takes of them.” Studying the way far-northern cultures have learned to respond to long, frigid winters can give all of us valuable clues to how to happily navigate the coldest months and shortest days — not to mention life itself.
And if all of that is too heavy and philosophical for you, here’s the simplest takeaway: To boost your mood, every day this winter, head outside for a long walk.
Brad Lemley
Editor, Natural Health Solutions
Citations
- The Norwegian Town Where the Sun Doesn’t Rise. Accessed November 22, 2015.
- Roecklein KA, Rohan KJ. Seasonal affective disorder: an overview and update. Psychiatry (Edgmont). 2005
