The temperature in Tromso, Norway, hovers around 20°F for eight months of the year, during which time it snows daily. Surely the wind would slap her face and unshoveled snow would sneak down her boots, wetting her socks. But she expected an emotional impact too, akin to plunging headfirst into a deep pool of the winter blues. Most distressing, she assumed, would be the polar night: a two-month stretch during which the sun doesn't rise above the horizon.
Leibowitz, a health psychologist, made the Arctic her home in order to study at the world's northernmost university. At first, she planned to dive into what was driving a surprising lack of seasonal affective disorder in Norway: Were the people there immune in some way to what she saw as an inherently depressing season? But her new neighbors kept telling her how much they were looking forward to winter. "I started feeling like, OK, it's not really enough to just focus on a lack of depression," she says. "It didn't make sense to just have this idea of why people were protected against this negative thing, and to not have a conversation about the positives."
In her new book, How to Winter, Leibowitz lets people in on the secret about how to not just tolerate frigid, dark days, but also to thrive during them. It comes down to mindset, or the beliefs and attitudes that shape how we think and behave. During her year in Tromso, Leibowitz fell in love with the winter season, and she believes we all have the ability to do the same. "We can start shaping our own mindset intentionally and deliberately," she says.
With that in mind, we asked Leibowitz and other experts to share their favorite ways to embrace the cold months ahead.
1. Change your lighting
Natural light-which you can replicate with full-spectrum light bulbsimproves emotional well-being and lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol, Totten says. Try adding more of it to spaces where you spend a lot of time, like your living room or kitchen. If you want to promote focus, you can opt for cool light, like blue or white tones, while warmer light, which ranges from yellow to orange, will help you relax.
2. Make a winter to-do list
Vermont therapist Rachel Totten challenges anyone dreading the sleepy winter months to make a bucket list full of fun goals: going snowshoeing, creating an 8-ft.-tall snowman, picki...
Leibowitz, a health psychologist, made the Arctic her home in order to study at the world's northernmost university. At first, she planned to dive into what was driving a surprising lack of seasonal affective disorder in Norway: Were the people there immune in some way to what she saw as an inherently depressing season? But her new neighbors kept telling her how much they were looking forward to winter. "I started feeling like, OK, it's not really enough to just focus on a lack of depression," she says. "It didn't make sense to just have this idea of why people were protected against this negative thing, and to not have a conversation about the positives."
In her new book, How to Winter, Leibowitz lets people in on the secret about how to not just tolerate frigid, dark days, but also to thrive during them. It comes down to mindset, or the beliefs and attitudes that shape how we think and behave. During her year in Tromso, Leibowitz fell in love with the winter season, and she believes we all have the ability to do the same. "We can start shaping our own mindset intentionally and deliberately," she says.
With that in mind, we asked Leibowitz and other experts to share their favorite ways to embrace the cold months ahead.
1. Change your lighting
Natural light-which you can replicate with full-spectrum light bulbsimproves emotional well-being and lowers levels of the stress hormone cortisol, Totten says. Try adding more of it to spaces where you spend a lot of time, like your living room or kitchen. If you want to promote focus, you can opt for cool light, like blue or white tones, while warmer light, which ranges from yellow to orange, will help you relax.
2. Make a winter to-do list
Vermont therapist Rachel Totten challenges anyone dreading the sleepy winter months to make a bucket list full of fun goals: going snowshoeing, creating an 8-ft.-tall snowman, picki...
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Time (Digital) - 1 Issue, December 09, 2024