How to Enjoy Winter

Nobody does wind and rain like County Kerry. Even in the summer.

Yes, my home county in Southwest Ireland may be incredibly beautiful, but we pay a price for that beauty in the form of challenging weather, particularly in winter.

But we cope with it. Some of us even enjoy winter.

Enjoy the winter? Are you bananas?

In Ireland, meteorological winter is December – February while the traditional Celtic calendar marks it as November – January. In reality, winter weather can be experienced anytime between September and May.

So, when winter is that long, you need a plan. Here’s my strategy on how to enjoy winter.

Before I elaborate, let’s talk briefly about Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that occurs in a seasonal pattern, most commonly in autumn and winter. If you have any of the following symptoms (from HSE website), please consult your doctor:

a persistent low mood
a loss of pleasure or interest in normal everyday activities
feeling irritable
feelings of despair, guilt and worthlessness
suicidal thoughts
low self-esteem
tearfulness
feeling stressed or anxious
a reduced sex drive
becoming less sociable

PHYSICAL STRATEGIES

Get light

Numerous studies have shown that daylight is an important regulator of serotonin, melatonin and the body’s internal clock. Serotonin is the body’s happy hormone while melatonin helps with sleep. A lack of sleep negatively affects the immune system and causes weight gain.

In Ireland, we can get up to 18 hours of daylight in the summer, while in winter daylight may only last 7-8 hours. That’s a significant difference in time. And with daylight regulating so many body functions, getting outdoors or getting the window seat is paramount.

Get Outdoors

In her book The Nature Fix, Florence Williams details how connecting with nature has a positive effect on our wellbeing, citing various eco-therapy programmes and academic studies within the environmental neuroscience and environmental psychology fields.

Shinrin-yoku (forest bathing) is the Japanese practice of mindfully walking in a forest. It developed in the 1980s as an antidote to the pressures of excessive office work. Komorebi is the Japanese concept of sunlight filtering through trees which is said to instil a sense of calmness.

Hyompora is the sense of serene connectedness experienced while listening to flowing water.

Biophilia: Bring the Outdoors Indoors

Biophilia translates as a love of living things. The term relates to the incorporation of sustainable natural design features that connect people with the natural environment. Numerous studies in the field of environmental psychology have shown the benefits of biophilic design on mental health.

The simple act of having house plants in your living and working areas is a great way of incorporating biophilic design into your life. This article outlines how biophilia is the new trend in interior design that happens to improve your health as well.  

Exercise 

If inclement weather is preventing you from getting your exercise outdoors, do exercises indoors in whatever way you wish. Whether it’s joining a gym, dancing, playing indoor sports such as badminton etc or doing classes such as yoga, the benefits of physical activity are numerous.

If you are thinking of joining a gym, here are my two main tips:

(a) Find a gym where you’re comfortable with the atmosphere

(b) get advice from the gym instructor on how to use the equipment and/or what equipment is best suited to your needs.

I’ve tried the services of a personal trainer twice. On each occasion, they put together a tailor-made plan for me and it worked wonders.

Eat Healthy

That’s easier said than done but it’s important to eat well during the winter months. And by well, I mean plenty of vegetables, fruit, lean proteins and complex carbohydrates. The British Heart Foundation has excellent resources on healthy eating in winter.

Ask your pharmacist for recommendations on supplements that could be of help to get you through the winter.

Finally, it’s pretty typical for people living in northern latitudes to eat more and gain weight in the winter. So don’t self-blame. Be compassionate towards yourself.  

Stay Warm

Cold weather can affect your body’s ability to fight off viruses and infections. Here’s a great post from the UK’s NHS site on the importance of keeping your body warm and how to do so.

I find myself drinking more hot drinks in winter than in other seasons. Soups, chowders and stews are my winter staples. And I wouldn’t dream of having a hot toddy or an Irish coffee in any season outside of winter.

Travel

Well, this is a travel blog, so travel will be one of the solutions to the problem of coping with winter! The inability to cope with inclement weather is one of the signs you need a holiday.

In my benefits of travelling post, I list improved health as one of the outcomes of travel. I always ensure to get at least one week of non-stop sunshine prior to the winter period. That means travelling abroad in the summer as one week of non-stop sunshine in Ireland is not guaranteed.

I rarely travel during the winter months, but many people value the benefits of travelling to warmer/sunnier climates during that time. Saying that, my travels to Lanzarote and Israel and the West Bank were done during the winter months and were quite transformative.

Unable to travel during the winter? Pass away the dark evenings by planning your summer holidays or engaging in some armchair travel.

PSYCHOLOGICAL STRATEGIES

Shift Expectations

The weather is worse and you’ve less energy. So, accept your winter limitations. Move down a gear. Embrace the change of pace that winter forces upon us. Give yourself credit for what you’ve achieved rather than what you’ve yet to achieve.

Accept that you may not have the energy or inclination to stay out socialising until all hours. Set that expectation with others to avoid disappointment or arguments.

Change perspective

Change the way you look at winter. Look at the dark as a blank canvas for light, particularly candles and Christmas lights.

Embrace the differing colours that nature reveals in winter. Accept that our northern latitude leads to longer days in the summer and that our winter is the trade-off. 

It’s the little things…

Focus on adding pleasure to everyday life in small, meaningful ways. Whether it’s a 10-minute walk during your lunch break or doing the crossword in the daily newspaper, find that little distraction that gives much delight.  

Reflect & Plan

Use the winter as a time to reflect on the year and/or plan for the following year, including planning holidays as mentioned above. Winter can be a great time to clear out unused items, so don’t wait until the Spring to do a spring clean.

Winter can also be a good time to stop and self-reflect, do a mental spring clean, so to speak. Have certain types of thinking served you well? How are you feeling physically? A certain level of self-awareness is required for this introspection. Mindfulness can help with this task. 

Practice Hygge

Use the winter as an opportunity to live like a Dane by embracing the concept of hygge. I learned about hygge when researching my trip to Denmark and it transformed the way I approach the winter season for the better.

Hygge has no direct translation but is often considered akin to cosiness. Meik Wiking has written extensively on Danish life, so his work comes recommended.

Helen Russell in her book The Year of Living Danishly outlines how the Danes have summer and winter hobbies. Books, audio books, and boxsets are a large part of my winter leisure time. And I do most of my blog writing and research during periods of inclement weather.

Practice Other International Customs

While the Danes have living with the seasons down to a fine art, other international customs will be helpful when coping with the winter, although most can be practiced on a year-round basis.

Friluftsliv: The Norwegian philosophy of celebrating life outdoors regardless of the season. The phrase was coined by playwright Henrik Ibsen who described the physical and mental benefits of spending time outdoors.

Koselig: The Norwegian version of cosiness, except the outdoor-loving Norwegians can experience koselig both indoors and outdoors. Koselig is the shared cosiness of being wrapped up warm and in good company. It’s about finding the joy in moments and places that may not normally lend themselves to pleasure (e.g. a sub-zero walk in the woods).

Fika: The sacrosanct Swedish custom of making time to meet up with people to have coffee and a pastry. It’s a time-out to socialise and take your mind off worries.

Gluggavedur: This Icelandic word translates as window-weather and is the concept of finding contentment by observing the inclement outdoor weather from the cosiness of the indoors.

Kaizen: This is a Japanese business philosophy that translates as continuous improvement. However, it can be applied on a personal level by taking small, incremental steps to realise more substantial change over time.

Niksen: This is the Dutch concept of taking time out to do nothing or do something without purpose that promotes relaxation. The rest of the world calls this chilling out.

Interestingly, in Ireland we have no winter coping customs, other than drinking hot toddies. However, we have the custom of the Biddy which celebrates the end of winter and the start of the fertile spring period.

Inspire…Educate…Entertain

My blogging philosophy is to inspire, educate and entertain. But I apply the philosophy to everyday life as well, particularly during the winter.

I’ve done a number of winter night classes, and they’ve been brilliant. From education courses such as business studies and Spanish to life skills such as first aid, night classes are a fun and useful way to spend an evening.

Don’t underestimate the amount of talent in your local area. Check out the local entertainment listings for events such as amateur drama, historical talks, storytelling, stand-up comedy etc. Local fundraising events such as bingo, table quizzes, and fashion shows are also a great night’s entertainment.