As winter sets in, many Americans struggle with feelings of lethargy, isolation, and melancholy. According to a recent poll, nearly half of Americans experience a dip in their mood during this time, while 5 percent suffer from seasonal affective disorder (SAD). So, how can we train ourselves to enjoy the season?
For psychologist Kari Leibowitz, who has written about "the wintertime mindset," embracing winter is all about shifting one's perspective. Growing up on the Jersey Shore, she used to despise winter, but her work in studying human flourishing and well-being led her to explore this concept further. She eventually moved to northern Norway for a year to research how people cope with the darkness and cold.
Leibowitz discovered that Norwegians have a unique relationship with winter. Instead of viewing it as a time to endure, they focus on its opportunities. They prioritize coziness, slowing down, and rest during the coldest months. The winter light is seen as special and magical, and people revel in its beauty.
In contrast, Americans often isolate themselves during winter, viewing it as a time to hibernate indoors. Leibowitz believes this can lead to feelings of burnout and depression. She argues that we're fighting our natural need for rest and rejuvenation, which is essential for overall well-being.
So, how can we adopt a more Nordic approach to winter? One simple ritual is to incorporate soft, warm lighting into your home. Candles and lamps can create a cozy atmosphere, making the darkness feel less overwhelming. By embracing this element of winter, you can transform it from a burden to an opportunity for relaxation and self-care.
In Leibowitz's words, "If you want to enjoy winter more, light a candle and then all your problems will go away, you'll be happy." While this isn't a magic solution, it highlights the importance of intentionally embracing the season. By shifting our perspective and prioritizing rest and coziness, we can find joy in the darkness and make winter a more enjoyable time of year.
For psychologist Kari Leibowitz, who has written about "the wintertime mindset," embracing winter is all about shifting one's perspective. Growing up on the Jersey Shore, she used to despise winter, but her work in studying human flourishing and well-being led her to explore this concept further. She eventually moved to northern Norway for a year to research how people cope with the darkness and cold.
Leibowitz discovered that Norwegians have a unique relationship with winter. Instead of viewing it as a time to endure, they focus on its opportunities. They prioritize coziness, slowing down, and rest during the coldest months. The winter light is seen as special and magical, and people revel in its beauty.
In contrast, Americans often isolate themselves during winter, viewing it as a time to hibernate indoors. Leibowitz believes this can lead to feelings of burnout and depression. She argues that we're fighting our natural need for rest and rejuvenation, which is essential for overall well-being.
So, how can we adopt a more Nordic approach to winter? One simple ritual is to incorporate soft, warm lighting into your home. Candles and lamps can create a cozy atmosphere, making the darkness feel less overwhelming. By embracing this element of winter, you can transform it from a burden to an opportunity for relaxation and self-care.
In Leibowitz's words, "If you want to enjoy winter more, light a candle and then all your problems will go away, you'll be happy." While this isn't a magic solution, it highlights the importance of intentionally embracing the season. By shifting our perspective and prioritizing rest and coziness, we can find joy in the darkness and make winter a more enjoyable time of year.
I think the key to enjoying winter is all about mindset! We need to shift from seeing it as a time to hide away indoors to embracing its cozy vibes 
. It's not about fighting our natural need for rest, but about making self-care a priority 
. Soft lighting can totally change the mood of a room and make it feel less dark and gloomy 
. I mean, who needs a magic solution when all you need is a good candle to brighten up your day? 
It's all about perspective and making winter work for us, not against us 
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I feel like people are so caught up in trying to power through winter that they forget it's supposed to be a time for self-care 
. Those Norwegians know how to make the most of it! But we Americans are always trying to push through and get stuff done 
. I'm like, can't we just chill out for a bit? 
Lighting some candles and cozying up with a good book sounds like the perfect antidote to winter blues 
... I mean, have you seen those Nordic winters? So harsh, yet so beautiful 
, but Norwegians actually see it as an excuse to slow down and enjoy the coziness 
.
... it's all about shifting our perspective and finding joy in the little things. And, let's be real, who doesn't love a good excuse to curl up with a warm cuppa and a good book? 
️ It's time for us to give winter some love 
.
... like, dont get me wrong, some ppl might feel the blues when its dark and cold outside but i think we overreact like we're all gonna die or somethin lol... just coz we cant go to the beach whenever we wanna doesnt mean we gotta be all miserable. idk maybe americans just have too much pressure on them to be constantly productive and stuff? i mean, what if we took a page out of those norwegians book and made some time for rest and relaxation? like, lightin candles and stuf... sounds pretty chill to me 
but like, have you ever tried just cozying up with some warm tea and soft lighting? It's actually really nice! I remember this one time I spent a snowy weekend at my friend's cabin in the woods and we just chilled out by the fireplace all day. The darkness outside felt so cozy in there 
. I mean, who needs to be cooped up indoors when you can get out and enjoy the crisp air? I think we're all missing out on the beauty of winter because we're too busy being productive. We need to slow down and appreciate the little things – like a warm cup of coffee or a good book by the fireplace 
it's hard not to get caught up in the idea that wintertime is just a season of hibernation. But what if we flipped that script? What if instead of feeling like we're just getting by, we started to look at winter as an excuse to slow down and indulge in some much-needed me-time 
But I guess Kari Leibowitz has a point about us Americans being all about isolation during winter. It's like we forget that rest and relaxation are important for our mental health. Maybe instead of forcing ourselves to be all happy and sunny, we should just learn to chill out (literally) and enjoy the quiet. 
. We can do this by prioritizing rest, coziness, and self-care 
. By embracing the soft light, we can find joy in winter and make it a more enjoyable time of year 
And what's with the whole 'all your problems will go away' thing? That sounds like a total cop-out 
. I mean, sure, cozy vibes and soft lighting are nice, but let's be real, winter is still cold and dark... sometimes you just need to bundle up and deal with it 
how norwegians turn winters into something magical 
they prioritize cozy vibes & slowing down instead of just hibernating indoors 
its like theyre saying let's make the most of it instead of letting it bring us down 
and using soft lighting in our homes is such a great idea 
. It's all about finding the silver lining, you know? We're so conditioned to believe that hibernating indoors during winter is the only option, but what if we try coziness and relaxation instead? Like, have you ever lit a candle and felt like everything's gonna be okay?