How to Thrive this Winter.
View from our house after the first snow fall.
We had the most delightful Autumn and were spoiled with warm days, golden sun and neon-coloured leaves. And then, out of nowhere and a little too soon for my liking, it’s Winter. I live in Canada and am grateful for our four distinct seasons, with a range of temperatures from -30+C in the Winter to 30+C in the Summer. We can’t deny how the seasons ultimately impact our energy level, emotional state and how we spend our time.
I have learned to embrace and love Winter and find it rare to find kindred winter-loving spirits. If the thought of Winter makes you think “Yuck” or “No Thanks,” I encourage you to make the best of it and find ways to enjoy its beautiful offerings.
Can you see the possibility of a mind shift for the next few months?
Many of the tips below are repeats from a blog I wrote this time last year and feel that they are worth sharing again.
Winter Thriving Tips
Prepare for the Winter
A little prep time can prevent incidents from becoming full-blown emergencies. Here are some reminders:
Home
Check the furnace and change the filter if needed.
Weather permitted, clean gutters and make sure downspouts are working.
Make sure the dryer vent is clear.
Seal and caulk areas around vents and exhaust pipes to prevent rodents.
Cover windows with plastic if air leaks from them. Source
Car
Get a tune-up, including an oil change.
Install your snow tires.
Prepare for emergencies and ensure your car has the following: extra windshield wiper fluid, salt, shovel, blanket, bottled water and protein bars.
Is your CAS or AAA membership up to date? If you don’t have one, consider it.
Clothing
Pack up your summer clothing.
Look over your winter clothing. Does any of it need mending?
Ensure that you have high-quality winter gear; a long coat covering your hips, warm boots with deep treads, and numerous pairs of mitts/gloves, scarves and hats. This may seem obvious, but it warrants mentioning how often I see people shivering because they are poorly dressed. Winter is not a time for vanity. Being warm is more important than how you look!
I have excellent Winter outerwear that keeps me toasty and boots with deep treads-yet I still have had several slips. I now take a walking stick with me on my hikes and have a pair of ice traction cleats.
Change Your Attitude
Did you know that most of the happiest countries in the world endure long, cold winters and, at times, have no daylight for at least a month? We certainly have these conditions in Northern Canada, but we didn’t make the Global Citizen’s annual list.
According to them, these are the 10 Happiest Counties in the world in 2022:
1. Finland
2. Iceland
3. Denmark
4. Switzerland
5. Netherlands
6. Sweden
7. Germany
8. Norway
9. New Zealand
10. Austria
These counties, including New Zealand, embrace Winter by participating in outdoor activities like skiing, skating and tobogganing. They are doing something right, and I believe their collective cultural approach to life includes accepting and embracing Winter. Of course, many Canadians participate in outdoor adventures, but I hear more complaints about Winter than I do about plans for activities.
Hygge (pronounced Hoo-gah) is a defining characteristic of Danish culture. The concept includes coziness, creating a warm and happy atmosphere while enjoying the simple things in life, no matter the time of year or temperature outside.
It also embodies wellness by slowing down, relaxing with others, and embracing life's simple and small pleasures. Allowing these concepts to become a part of your life will make everyday life more pleasant and the cold months bearable.
Kari Leibowitz, an American psychology student who spent a year living in Tromsø, Norway, was intrigued by their resilience. She read studies, performed surveys and discovered that the residents experienced lower rates of Winter depression than elsewhere in the world. She also noticed that people had a positive attitude toward Winter and talked about it excitedly.
She states, “ They were really looking forward to the snow because people there love to ski, and how it was such a beautiful time of year.” and “They were seeing this time of year as full of opportunity.” She also found that the people who were more satisfied with their lives also had a positive attitude toward Winter. Source
Optimize Your Space
Just because it is cold and dark outside doesn’t mean it has to be that way inside.
If you are working from home, spruce up your working space by decluttering and organizing your work area, surround yourself with plants, pictures of loved ones, uplifting artwork and maybe some SAD lights to boost your mood.
Nothing will lower your mood quicker than a messy and disorganized home. So get busy organizing before the busy holiday season takes over.
Consider using candles in the evening to create a lovely ambience, and if your budget allows it, purchase a bright boutique of flowers every few weeks. Or bring nature indoors by creating a forest boutique.
Forest Boutique
Made from a variety of branches from spruce, cedar and pine trees, and berries for a splash of colour.
Your Mood & Overall Health
The impact of Winter is felt physically and psychologically, which can severely impact your body and mood. It’s, therefore, essential that your self-care remain a priority.
Vitamin D
Vitamin D is lowest in the Winter, which can cause vitamin D deficiency and infections. Vitamin D is made in our skin following sunlight exposure and is also found in oily fish (mackerel, tuna and sardines), mushrooms, fortified dairy, and non-dairy substitutes, which is essential for good health. Humans need vitamin D to keep healthy and to fight infections. The irony is that in Winter, when people need vitamin D the most, most of us are not getting enough. You should increase your Vitamin D supplements to 600 IU per day.
Not only is vitamin D critical for healthy bones, but it also plays an essential role in maintaining health in the GI tract, which can prevent inflammatory bowel diseases. Source
Mood
Pay attention to your emotional welling being during the Winter months. Colder months mean less sunlight, which can trigger conditions like Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a mental illness that may cause constant fatigue, change in appetite, irritability, hopelessness and oversleeping.
According to the Canadian Mental Health Association, SAD impacts two to three percent of Canadians, but another 15 percent will experience a milder form.
It’s essential to monitor how much you isolate. Of course, it’s normal to be spending more time indoors, which can lead to more alone time, which can be quite lovely. Still, if you are alone most of the time and not making any effort to get together with friends and family, then it might be time to speak to a close friend, family member or your family doctor about your experience. It can become a vicious cycle-you don’t feel like going outside because you feel bad and it’s too cold, but going outside will improve your mood.
Maintain a Healthy Diet
A few days of overindulging in food and alcohol and being a couch potato is expected, especially during the holiday season. Moderation is your best friend, so keep it close by.
On a hike with Ben and our sweet girl Peggy.
Get Outside Every Single Day
This is tough if you are sensitive to or not a fan of the cold. However, if you dress appropriately, the movement of your body will increase your core temperature, and you will quickly feel warm. Just ensure your feet, hands and face are protected.
If this seems impossible for you, keep it simple. Take a 15-20 minute walk around your block, walk to a favourite café, get a coffee or tea, and read the paper.
Find a walking buddy or hiking group. Get a dog, or volunteer to walk a friend’s dog. On cold mornings I would rather stay in my pj's until noon, but my pooch Peggy requires an early morning walk. I NEVER feel like going, but once I’m dressed and moving, I’m grateful for the morning stillness and feel energized for the rest of the day.
If morning walks are not possible for you during the week, then at least get outside during your lunch hour when the sun is at its peak, and you can reap its benefits.
Are there any other winter activities that you would enjoy? Dust off your skates and go for a whirl on an outdoor rink. Hiking, snowshoeing, or cross-country skiing through the woods is delightful.
I used to enjoy downhill skiing and tobogganing, and I haven’t participated for years and have no intention of trying them again because I have to protect my noggin. I’ve even found cross-country skiing too challenging, so my winter activities include hikes, snowshoeing and skating.
Try New Indoor Activities
Continue binge-watching your favourite shows, but instead of mindlessly binge-watching daily, something we did too much of during the lockdowns, schedule watching time with intention. We usually only watch our shows on Friday nights; that way, we have something to look forward to. Anticipation is a beautiful thing.
Dust off some old board games or bust out some new ones. Maybe work on a jigsaw puzzle or learn how to knit. My daughter Elsa and her partner Ross visited us for Thanksgiving, and we played Monopoly for the first time in decades. We had the best time, and I didn’t realize what a ruthless real estate tycoon Elsa is as it was impossible to make a deal with her, which is why she quickly destroyed us and won the game.
Read. Read. Read. I’ve had a copy of Barack Obama’s book “A Promised Land” for a year and will finally read it this holiday season, all 700+ pages of it.
On windy, dreary days, stay indoors and focus on things that need to get done around your home. Do you have some purging to do?
Reach out to friends and family even if you are always initiating. We need our connections more than ever.
We’ve had a couple of hard Christmas’s, and I hope you will gather with your loved ones this year.
Bring an attitude of Hygge to your life for the next few months.
After the Winter Solstice on December 21st, daylight increases by a few minutes each day. This is something to look forward to.
Let me know in the comments below how you survive Winter and what your plans are for the holidays.
Be well.
Anita
DISCLAIMER; The information provided on County Yoga Loft’s website blog is for general health care informational purposes only. All information on the site is provided in good faith. However, it should not replace consultation or advice from physicians and other healthcare practitioners. The use or reliance of any information on this site is solely at your own risk.
