Beating the winter blues
Entering winter can be tough – the days are short and cold, energy levels are waning, and the children are already unbelievably snotty from the first cold that’s doing the rounds.
Make the most of winter
But an article in the Guardian by psychologist Kari Leibowitz gives a little ray of sunshine to any potential winter melancholy. It sets something of a challenge – how to embrace winter with a positive mindset. She says that if you can do that, you’ll have a significantly better time of it than entering into this phase with a sense of impending gloom.
How to beat the winter blues
Leibowitz claims we should live more like the people in Tromsø, a Norwegian city situated 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. In Tromsø, from mid-November to mid-January, the sun never rises above the horizon line. And yet, the people living there positively embrace the long winter months and all the opportunities the season brings.
Think Like a Norwegian
With that in mind, rather than viewing winter as boring and limiting, we can focus on the positives. Changes in the weather and landscape, the ‘cosiness’ of the winter months, and all the other things that make winter special. In that way, we can determine how happy and content we will be over the winter months.
So to beat those winter blues, set a challenge to list all the positive things that are great about winter then use that list to build a positive mindset for the months ahead.
What to love about winter
Our list includes;
- The prospect of wild, exciting weather
- That feeling once you’ve been out in the wind and rain, had a shower, dried off and finally get a cup of tea
- Really bright stars and crisp, cold nights
- Beautiful, frosty mornings
- Faster flowing rivers for rafting
- Fairy lights and Christmas decorations
- Christmas carols
- Wrapping up warm (kids and adults!) and going out in wild weather
- Feeding the birds (and being able to see them as the trees are without their leaves)
- Mulled wine
- Time to slow down
- Hot chocolate and rum
- Roast potatoes and crumpets (not together)
- Lighting the fire
- Snowdays!
- Hearing the Tawny Owls
- Sitting on the sofa and relishing the prospect of not having to go out anywhere
- Power cuts and ‘camping’ in the sitting room by the fire
- Bonfires in the garden
- Snowdrops, crocuses and daffodils
Outdoor Adventures in Winter
As you head out on your winter family adventures, make sure you have our Outdoor Adventure Guides to give you inspiration and ideas for awesome winter family activities.