Do you have icy cold winters where you live? Forty-one percent of Americans say their mood gets worse during the winter. That’s according to the American Psychiatric Association. So health psychologist psychologist an expert in mental and emotional issues (noun) Kari Leibowitz was a little nervous when she moved from the United States to Tromsø, Norway (see “A Trip to Tromsø”). It snows there almost daily for eight months of the year.
Leibowitz moved in 2014. She was surprised to learn that her new neighbors loved the cold months. She wrote a book about the experience. The book offers ways to thrive during the winter.
“We can start shaping our own mindset [about winter] intentionally,” Leibowitz told TIME. Here are a few ways you can do just that.
Winter Bucket List
You might feel bored spending time inside. Leibowitz suggests making a winter bucket list. This is a list of goals for the season. Think about things you can’t do in the summer. Maybe you’d like to try ice-skating. Or maybe you’d rather build a snowman. You could even host a snowball fight.
Make sure to include your favorite indoor activities, too. These might include baking and playing video games. Or you could read a good book. During the summer, you might be busy with other things. “Winter can be a time when you can reclaim and enjoy those slower hobbies, and things you don’t normally do,” Leibowitz says.
Stay Positive
It’s okay if winter isn’t your thing. You can still look for ways to enjoy the season. Try to get outside for 15 minutes each day, Leibowitz suggests. It can be something simple, like taking a winter walk with your family. “If you can spend extra time outdoors, that’s going to counteract counteract to work against; to cancel out (verb) the feeling of the winter blues,” she says. It might look cold and wet outside. But winter often looks a lot harsher than it is.
Finally, Leibowitz wants people to look for the beautiful things about winter, like fresh snow. Noticing the beauty of the season can make a big difference.
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