Baby, It’s Cold Outside
Words of Wisdom from the Scandinavians
We’re in the dark, cold days of winter here in Vermont, and while the cover photos of travel magazines show bright, smiling faces of couples, friends or families making snowmen and then drinking hot chocolate in front of a blazing fire, the reality can be tougher. On the low side, we see icy forecasts, bitter cold, or worse for me, the grey days where I look through my window only to see a blanket of grey sky and dirty, icy snow for days on end. How to manage this seasonal challenge? I have taken a few ideas out of the Scandinavian playbook-- Friluftsliv from the Norwegians and Hygge from the Danes, as well as words of wisdom I’ve adopted from living in Vermont. Join me in this reflection.
Interesting Nugget: How Friluftsliv and Hygge Can Take You Through the Winter
The word Hygge (pronounced hue-guh) has been making the social media rounds in recent years. It means “cozy, warm atmosphere” and the Danes have mastered it with comfortable, beautiful furniture, Nordic sweaters, Danish pastry, and did you know they lead the world in the most candles burned per capita? That’s because they’re making their homes cozy and pleasant against the darkness and harsh winter. When we first considered moving up to Vermont, a friend living here said, “Definitely try to buy a home with a wood burning stove. If you’re going to do Vermont, you want to enjoy it.’ We followed that advice, and every evening in the winter we’ve got a fire going in the living room, with family members stopping in to get the best spot right in front of the fire. (When the kids were little, we had to draw an imaginary line in front of the stove so they could both enjoy it equally).
The challenge for me is with too much hygge, I can feel like I’m in a coma, filled with too much cheese and baked goods, all wrapped in a fuzzy blanket. This is where the next word comes in.
Friluftsliv- (pronounced free-loofts-liv). This is my new word and I say it so often my husband got me my own personalized winter hat with it embroidered on the front. It roughly translates to “open air living” and is a bit of a philosophy of how to live.
While studies show that lack of daylight in many high-altitude places can cause winter blues and Seasonal Affective Disorder, health psychologist Kari Leibowitz did research in northern Norway to learn how people coped with long, polar nights. She designed the “wintertime mindset scale,” with questions that range from:
There are many things to enjoy about the winter
I love the coziness of the winter months
Winter brings many wonderful seasonal changes.
to
Winter is boring
Winter is a limiting time of year
There are many things to dislike about winter.
Not surprisingly, those who scored higher on the wintertime mindset scale had higher levels of positive emotions and life satisfaction. Cultivating a positive wintertime mindset can help us see winter as a challenge or opportunity versus a hardship.
There is something about appreciating what each season brings. I love sweating in our woodfired sauna and then rolling around in freshly fallen snow, and taking advantage of the short ice-skating windows when it’s cold with no snow on the lakes. And I realize I can’t experience the joy of having a warm cup of hot chocolate with rosy cheeks from the cold if I don’t first go outside.
This all brings me to another refrain I hear in Vermont, “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad gear.” It’s an important mindset shift that has served me well. Inevitably, while it might take some effort to get outside, once I’m in the elements I am typically happy I got out. It wakes me up and leaves me invigorated. Having good, warm boots helps!
There are rewards in feeling the contrasts of winter. Maybe there is something to learn from those Vermont ads after all. A day of snow shoeing or even walking the dog, followed by a cozy evening at home, snuggled up with a cup of tea helps me to appreciate the delights winter offers. What about you? What are the delights you appreciate? Please drop me a note!
Great Link
Visiting the coldest city in the world. Just to give a little perspective. (16:44)
Reflection Exercise: Moving from Theory to Action
To support you in appreciating winter:
1. How might I cultivate more FRILUFTSLIV experiences?
Is there any small way I can get outside more? Is there any gear that would have me better able to handle the weather? Who might join me? How can I look at cold temperatures as a challenge rather than suffering?
2. How might I cultivate more HYGGE experiences?
What might make my home more cozy and inviting to appreciate the quiet that this time of year offers? Do I want to get a few candles to light the darkness? What are the treats to luxuriate in? Who are the people I want to spend time with?
3. How might I cultivate a more positive WINTERTIME MINDSET?
What are some ways that I can appreciate some of the wonders of winter? How might I look at wintry weather as a way of connecting with the world around me? What opportunities does this season uniquely offer?
Quarterly Quote
We cannot stop the winter or the summer from coming. We cannot stop the spring or the fall or make them other than they are. They are gifts from the universe that we cannot refuse. But we can choose what we will contribute to life when each arrives.
– Gary Zukhav
Book Review
The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World’s Happiest Country
by Helen Russell
I love this book! So much so, that I’ve read it twice. The author, a journalist, leaves her home in the UK to live in rural Denmark for a year with her husband who was transferred to work at the Lego headquarters. (Really!) She takes a journalistic approach to uncovering what makes the Danes so happy in spite of living in a place with long, dark winters. It’s a well-written, entertaining travel essay that provides useful concepts to apply to one’s own life.