Winter has a talent for sneaking up on us. One minute we’re all enjoying warm summer evenings and then, with a sudden, frigid snap of the fingers, temperatures plunge and come 6pm it’s like the middle of the night. It can feel as if we are going to work in the dark and coming home in the dark; and to our sunlight-starved brains it might seem like a nightmarish-Groundhog Day lasting for eternity.

All over-exaggeration aside, we might be inclined to see this as a bad thing; that there is nothing to look forward to about the weeks surrounding, and during, winter. Even for those swept up in the anticipation and excitement of Christmas, the first frosty weeks of the next year can seem bleak and dreary. But, actually, not only is there a lot to be excited about, adopting a positive attitude towards it can be hugely beneficial.

How To Solve a Problem Like Winter

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a condition attributed to the shorter days of winter (and, thus, shorter hours of direct sunlight) that is typified by a general feeling of lethargy and an overall lower level of happiness. There are ways to combat this, such as the use of prescribed medications and therapy such as Cognitive Behavioural Therapy, alongside the principles of healthy living and various treatments such as bright light therapy.

Yet, in a study of the citizens of Tromsø, a small town nestled deep within the Arctic Circle, another element stood out: mindset. Those who adopted an appreciation of the change in season were shown to be far less susceptible to the potential downsides of a ‘polar winter’.

It’s all a case of...

...Looking on the bright side

In the UK, in the midst of winter, we enjoy a low of 8 hours of daylight each day during December and January. In contrast, Tromsø has about 3. That’s blink-and-you’ll-miss-it short.

So how do communities such as these ready themselves for the annual sunlight fast? How do they cultivate the high levels of resilience to not only see them through the season, but to do so with enthusiasm and high spirits?

The answer? It would appear that they approach it like they would the height of summer: understanding the personal joys that can be had during this time.

So ask yourself: Winter, what is it good for?

One way of helping to find your own path through the darkness of winter is to really consider some of the qualities of it that you can fall in love with. Things like:

Winter sports

If you enjoy ice hockey, ice skating… in fact, any sport with ice in the title, or if you are partial to skiing and snowboarding tournaments, settle in for a few months of sporting heaven.

Being cosy

It’s hard not to be excited by the simple, humble prospect of cosiness. It can be so comforting and beneficial that many cultures have specific words just for the sensation that cosiness provides, for example, it's hygge in Danish, lagom in Swedish and Còsagach in Scottish.

Lighting a few candles, cranking up the heating, warming up some cocoa and snuggling into a corner with a book and blanket and those well-worn bunny slippers…. What’s not to love?

Christmas

Big Red comes clambering over our rooftops but once a year, bringing with him all manner of joy and celebration. If we have the priviledge of children in our life, Christmas might just be the embodiment of happiness and togetherness. If nothing else about the colder months can spark joy, December 25th is surely is the exception to the rule. 

Rich, comforting foods like soup

Often we’ll find the purest of pleasures in the simplest of measures. A steaming bowl of pumpkin soup (perhaps you’ve further enjoyed the season by picking your own) with a few slices of fresh and crusty bread for dipping does wonders for the soul. It’s nourishing for the body too, so win-win!

Mulled wine

At no other time in the year is it remotely acceptable to drink mulled wine, so, for a couple of months we are practically duty bound to enjoy it.

Crisp blankets of snow (and the ensuing snowball fights)

For those of us who like a bit of hiking, is there anything quite like the spectacle of looking out across a landscape blanketed in crisp, powdery snow? For the young at heart, rare and special is the gift of a good snowball fight.

Winter clothes!

It’s funny, isn’t it? We wait all winter to be able to jump into our bikinis, only to spend half the summer with the thought of pulling back on nice, thick wintry socks and wrapping ourselves snuggly into hand-knitted jumpers lurking at the back of our brains. Well, now’s that moment we’ve been waiting for.

Hazy summer skies giving way to crisp vistas

It can be easy to forget that, despite the glory of hot summer days and the sun shining down through cloudless skies, our view of the world is observably more obscured by smog and hanging particles during June to August than during the cold seasons. This winter, pay attention to how much further out to the horizon you can see (on those rare, sunny days, obviously).

Physical health benefits of the cold

Of course, more than being just a game of the mind, the colder months also carry with them a plethora of physical benefits, no matter how else you feel about them.

We don’t need to be Wim Hof - a Dutch extreme athlete noted for his ability to withstand freezing temperatures - to reap the health benefits of the cold. Research consistently shows that cold exposure (anything from a quick cold shower blast or a brisk walk in the frosty air, through to cold water swimming and ice baths) provides a wealth of benefits for our bodies.

It can help you think more clearly

Research suggests that there is less focus and less drive to engage with cognitive tasks in the summer/warmer seasons, due to the greater use of glucose that the body requires. Take the opportunity as these cooler months role in to put your thinking caps on - is there a project you want to smash that has been alluding you for ages? Perhaps you would like to start something new? Maybe there is a reason that resolutions are set in winter, that wasn't originally linked with New Years?

It can help you burn just a few more calories

Given that our internal thermostat is regulated to a toasty 37 degrees C, the body has to work a little harder to keep warm, thereby using more calories to do so. This doesn’t mean six-packs for everyone just because it got a bit chilly outside though. Still, knowing that our metabolism has stepped up a gear will either prove motivational to us when it comes to exercise or motivational to us when it comes to that second helping of christmas dinner…

It can help increase the amount of brown fat in the body

The fat in our body comes, broadly speaking, in 2 varieties: white and brown. If we are to be even more broad: white is bad, brown is better. Brown fat is the fat cells brimming with mitochondria that burn energy and produces heat in the body which, ironically, helps keep us healthy. Exposing your body to cool and even cold temperatures may help recruit more brown fat cells.

Fewer allergies

In the colder months, the pollen count is significantly reduced as local vegetation is no longer flowering. This presents a particularly enjoyable reprieve for those with environment-related allergies.

It can help reduce inflammation

Have you ever sprained an ankle or injured yourself during sports and been told to quickly put an ice bag on the impacted tissue? Lower temperatures help to reduce swelling and colder weather is, effectively, similar to icing your entire body.

Lower temperatures facilitate better sleep

Have you noticed this already? Your body naturally lowers temperature during your sleep cycle. Obviously, during the warmer months, the time taken to achieve a lower temperature takes much longer than during the colder ones and the quicker the body is able to achieve that optimal temperature, the quicker it is able to descend into a deep sleep. Whilst you may feel like hibernating, the sleep you do get in winter can be more restful and restorative than during the summertime. 

It gives our immune system a boost

One of the more remarkable consequences of the cold, in general, is how it triggers our immune systems to ramp things up. This means that whilst we might be more likely to get a cold during the winter months, the body is actually better placed to combat it than it would be during the summer!

It helps improve the appearance of our skin

The cold also has an unexpected benefit for our skin in that its blood vessels are less likely to get red and puffy due to constriction. What’s more, the cold also reduces the need for the skin to produce as much oil as it does when warmer which, in turn, helps to keep your skin clearer.

A little winter suggestion:

Invest in a patio heater or a fire pit - just because it’s cold outside, baby, doesn’t mean it has to be. By increasing your level of control over the environment outside your home will give you just a little more freedom and will help you feel less stir-crazy if you are spending even more time behind the same four walls.

Embracing the cold

With all of that in mind, those colder months really do have qualities worth getting excited about. Whether we want to be all scientific and place value in the physical benefits or simply embrace those humble pleasures unique to the season, feeling happier about winter is absolutely in our best interest. And, if we feel happier, we will also feel more motivated to be active or to just get out and do things. 

If you have an underlying medical condition, a MedicAlert membership provides peace of mind all year round, whatever the weather. So, whether you are indoors or out, you can feel protected knowing that we’ll be there to speak for you just in case you need us.

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