Secrets to Enjoying the Cold Months
It’s that time of year again; the days are getting shorter, darker, and colder. For millions of Americans, this is the dreaded time of year where Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) settles in. The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) outlines the most common symptoms as:
Oversleeping (hypersomnia)
Overeating, particularly with a craving for carbohydrates
Weight gain
Social withdrawal (feeling like “hibernating”)
Did you laugh out loud reading these, because you resonate with many of them? I sure did. As someone who experiences generalized anxiety and depression disorder, the cold, dark months have long been dreaded for me.
However, I have found a nifty little secret I want to share with you, dear reader, that has drastically transformed my relationship with these upcoming months.
The secret was revealed to me by my mom, when she introduced me to the book, “The Little Book of Hygge” by Meik Wiking, CEO of the Happiness Research Institute, Copenhagen. Hygge (pronounced HOO-GA) is, as Wiking describes, “loosely translates as a sense of comfort, togetherness, and well-being.” It is embedded in the Danish culture, and is believed to be the reason that despite the cold, grey climate of Denmark, the Danes are consistently ranked the Happiest Country in the World. In this book, Wiking breaks down the key components of hygge, how to implement them, and highlights some of the research findings on happiness.
I highly encourage you to get yourself a copy of this book- whether that’s via the Amazon link above, or preferably, your favorite local bookstore.
Here, I will highlight a few of the components of hygge that I have found particularly helpful in bettering my relationship with Winter.
1. Candles. Such a simple thing that can bring a sense of coziness to any space. Unlike many Americans, though, Danes prefer non-scented candles. However, if you are one of the millions of Americans who love their scented candles, fear not. You go right ahead and indulge yourself. My tip would be to seek out non-toxic scents as much as possible.
For myself, I love primarily using non-scented candles, and burn either one scented, or palo santo if I am in the mood for it. I also have found great joy in making lighting candles a bit of a ritual. In the morning, I like to light the ones on my coffee table while enjoying a warm cup of joe. In my home office, I light the one next to my desk before I sit down to work. And, in the evenings, I like making a hot cup of tea, turning off all the electric light sources, and light all the candles I have out. Basically, I love using candles as a ritual in transitioning to a different headspace.
2. Baking. While the Danes love their cakes, I much prefer baking cookies. Baking is not only a wonderful way to warm up the home, fill it with drool-worthy aroma, and delightful tastiness. One of the best aspects of baking is being able to share the goodies with others.
For myself, I’m fortunate to live in an apartment with friendly neighbors I can share the treats with. What if you don’t have convenient neighbors to share with? Call or text a friend to see if you can stop by to make a sweet little delivery!
3. Stay connected. As listed above in SAD symptoms, it can be all too easy to ease into self-isolating. One of the keys to living a happy, hygge life, is to spend time connecting with close friends and loved ones. Try to create little rituals or regular get-togethers to stay connected. Whether it’s weekly game nights, movie nights, lunch dates, etc. Reach out to friends nearby and commit to a consistent time to meet.
One of my favorite rituals has been morning coffee and FaceTime dates with my mom. We started these shortly after COVID lockdowns started. It has remained a favorite way to stay connected with my mom, and is something to look forward to every morning. And I am definitely one who struggles to leave the warmth and comfort of my bed even more in the cold months.
Another favorite way to gather for me is to invite a friend over for breakfast and coffee. It’s another great motivator for getting out of bed, and a delightful way to start the day.
4. Practice gratitude. Yes, you’re hearing it again here, folks. Mindfulness.. Gratitude.. These terms are everywhere you look when it comes to wellness. There’s a reason for that- it is key and simple to implement. Not necessarily easy, but it is simple and accessible to everyone, and it is powerful.
I want to emphasize that practicing gratitude does NOT mean ignoring or belittling feelings of disappointment, sadness, anger, etc. It is important to honor and FEEL the feels AND also recognise gratitude. Eventually shifting the focus toward the latter.
For example, most of my best friends live out of state. Two of them I get to see about once, maybe twice, a year. One I haven’t seen in person in nearly 3 years. Let me tell you, I miss them all deeply, and I often feel sadness and frustration about not being able to physically see and hug them on a much more regular basis. These feelings are VALID and it’s important I acknowledge them and allow myself to feel them.
At the same time, I feel SO. FREAKING. GRATEFUL that I have such AMAZING friends in my life. And I am so, deeply grateful and amazed that even though I have been physically distanced from them for years, we still make time to stay connected via phone calls and video chats on a fairly regular basis. When we do finally get to see each other and hug again, it is such a shared joy and excitement, and immediately feels right and normal- like they’ve always been physically here instead of Cali or the East Coast.
Allow yourself to feel frustrations, sadness, loneliness, etc. But don’t dwell there for too long. Allow yourself to hold space for those emotions as well as gratitude where you can. Gently shift your focus toward gratitude.
I hope you find these tips helpful for you, dear reader. Sending you much light and love. I am grateful to have you here.
