Dreading Winter? Happiness Columnist Jennifer Moss On Embracing The Colder Months

Introduction

Feeling the winter blues early this year? For many Canadians, winter is one of the most depressing seasons of the year, as the days are seen to be shorter, and the nights are longer. In this article written for CBC, Jennifer Moss provides you with effective strategies on how to help shift your mindset to prepare for the upcoming winter season.

Winter blues, or otherwise scientifically known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is another form of depression that is usually noticed more during the fall or beginning of winter when we notice the change in day and nighttime. As it may not seem like a big deal, many people have reported to say that winter not only makes them feel depressed but also overly exhausted, anxious, or worse. 

Keep reading to learn more about the different types of techniques that you can use this year to help you avoid the winter blue and teach you to enjoy the life experience instead.

Here's The Hard Truth About Winter:  It's Non-Negotiable!

For some people, the word "winter" brings an image of fluffy snowflakes, children playing, tobogganing and hot chocolate.

For others, winter means exhaustion, anxiety and the desire for it all to just be over.

The winter blues are very real.

The Canadian Psychological Association says two to three per cent of Canadians will experience a serious case of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) at some point in their lifetime while up to 15 per cent may have mild symptoms. SAD is a type of depression and the symptoms can be serious.

The rest of the population may feel a general malaise about winter (only one in 10 people say winter is their favourite season) which may be worse this year after so many months in lockdown. 

One reason people may feel down in winter is there are more dark days and that equal less vitamin D, which helps to regulate moods. Studies have shown a link between low levels of vitamin D and higher levels of depression and anxiety. Around 32 per cent of Canadians have insufficient vitamin D levels. So that lack of natural access to vitamin D through sun exposure plays a role in our grumpy moods. 

Not everyone engages in winter activities that make the season more tolerable — some would even say fun. If you are really into skiing, you're living for the winter. That changes how enthusiastic you'll feel about the season. 

People sometimes don't buy, have or wear the right clothes for the season and then they feel miserable in the cold. I can admit my hypocrisy here. I used to throw on a light coat and some shoes and then complain about how cold I am and how much I hate winter.

But since getting a dog, I am all about bundling up. I now have a really warm pair of boots and I admittedly feel better about winter. Plus, the dog gets me outside — another reason why people feel unhappy in the winter. Too much time inside can make us feel cooped up. 

Get In A Winter Mindset

Here's the hard truth about winter: It's non-negotiable. So, instead of thinking about it as a four-month inconvenience, we need to see it as part of the annual rotation in our life experience. 

Kari Leibowitz, a doctoral candidate in psychology at Stanford University in California, conducted research on health psychology in Norway and concluded that mindset was the key to enjoying winter. Her conclusions are complimentary to other research on mindset.

Studies have found that some may see hard situations in a positive light, as a challenge that offers an opportunity to learn. Others may have a more pessimistic outlook and focus on the threatening aspects. Stress by itself, is a fairly neutral condition. It's how people react to stress that results in positive or negative experiences and outcomes.

However, the way we react to winter — positively or negatively — has a pretty dramatic impact on our wellbeing. 

Leibowitz wanted to know the answer to this in her research, so she and her colleagues developed the "Wintertime Mindset Scale." It asked participants about their opinions on several positive and negative statements. Some examples include: "I love the coziness of the winter months" and "Winter is a limiting time of the year."

The results were clear. Leibowitz found that having a positive wintertime mindset was associated with greater life satisfaction. Participants who agreed more with the positive statements reflected signs of better mental well-being during the dark winter.

5 Strategies To Help Change Your Mindset

OK, we may not fall totally in love with winter, but we can definitely make it better. Here are five strategies that should help: 

Look for the "why." As you know, I often talk about benefit findings — one of the three strategies to be a more resilient person, according to researcher Dr. Lucy Hone. And that means figuring out what we're gaining in the difficult moments. First, we need to understand winter's benefits.

We may forget this sometimes, but there is actually a purpose for winter. According to writer, Kentin Wait, "the deep-freeze kills disease-carrying insects, interrupts the migration of invasive species, and slows the growth of nuisance vegetation. Ice buildup along lake shorelines even helps reduce soil erosion and protect wetland areas. Nature is pretty spectacular if we're focusing on it."

Hang out with winter enthusiasts. Happiness is contagious and if we want to beat the cold weather woes, don't look for the like-minded. Instead, seek out those folks who flourish in winter. They'll coax you out of your winter-hating shell. 

Bring in the light. Really — try to increase natural light as much as possible: Though it's a commodity during winter months, natural light is an essential mood lifter. Keep curtains and blinds open during the day, repaint dark or drab walls, clear clutter away from windows, and flood your space with as much natural light as possible.

Get really cozy. Instead of fighting winter, do what the Norwegians do: Shift your thinking and give in to the spirit of the season. 

On the next cold winter night, wrap yourself in a down comforter, enjoy a steaming mug of cider, and binge-watch a TV series or lose yourself to a good book in those giant fuzzy socks.

And finally, remember, spring (as it always does) will come. And anyone who lives in a northern climate will claim that they love spring. My last column emphasized the benefits of future forward thinking, particularly during times of uncertainty.

Humans are hardwired for future-mindedness. But we shouldn't pine for spring, or count down the days, but remind yourself that we are a country of seasons and it is one of the best parts of being northerners. It makes us resilient and emotionally flexible and more connected to nature.

And if winter doesn't do anything else than give us the mad skills to wear shorts when it's only 9 C outside in March, we are still winning. 

Conclusion

Scientists have proven many techniques that can help Canadians with their winter blues and provide treatments available for individuals struggling with depression and anxiety. Another successful technique that has been known to help the winter blues is simply by reaching out to someone for help, whether that be a friend. family member, or anyone that you are comfortable enough to be vulnerable with if need be. To prepare for the winter, it's important to shift your mindset to tell yourself that winter gives you another opportunity to enjoy different aspects of what life has to offer.