While we have been warm weather up until a few days ago, I know that many people are already starting to complain about the winter. I recently read an interest article about research done in Norway where people handle extremely long winters and where we actually see less seasonal depression than expected. From some of the impromptu observations made by researchers, it turns out there are a few things you can do that can help make winter more bearable.
- Perception is important. If you look at winter as something negative, you are more likely to be depressed. Instead of complaining about the snow and cold, think about what are things that you can do only in winter.
- Winter is a great time to make yourself comfortable. While for many people that may mean a good book and a warm drink next to a fire, comfort doesn’t mean isolating yourself. It is important to remain connected to other people. There are many winter events going on in the surrounding communities. Check out what is available.
- Find the beauty around you that you don’t get to see at other times of the year. In the fall we may think of colorful leaves on the trees as a perfect picture. However, in the winter a perfect picture may be a fresh coat of snow around the trees in your back yard.
Here are links to two articles about this topic: