Winter is coming and it makes me sad

Banishing the winter blues with light therapy, hygge, and drinking in your pants

The meerkat is my spirit animal. They live in social groups, are highly communicative, often busy, and super vigilant. The upright meerkat stood atop a mound, searching left and right, is me in any public place with my kids. Where are they? 1..2..3..4..check. But most significantly, meerkats need it warm. I’ve never seen a meerkat in their natural habitat but here, in farm parks and zoos, they stretch out under heat lamps and dream of warmer climes. I need one of those lamps in my life.

The meerkat, doing its thing.

Winter makes me sad

It’s difficult to say, ‘Winter is coming’ without being somewhat Ned Stark dramatic, but honestly, I’m on board with the sentiment. At this time of year, I feel there is an ordeal ahead of me which needs to be endured. I’m steeling myself to make it through.

Several years ago I discovered that ‘winter sadness’ was a recognised thing. It’s called Seasonal Affective Disorder (aptly abbreviated to SAD). Symptoms can include low mood, low motivation or energy, feeling more tired, being less active and eating more carbs¹. It’s more common in women, and more common the further you live from the equator. Research into SAD has found a few factors associated with it²:

1. Poor regulation of serotonin, a neurotransmitter responsible for balancing mood. The protein that transports serotonin around the body is affected by sunlight. Less sunlight - more transporter protein - less serotonin - low mood.

2. Overproduction of melatonin, a hormone that causes sleepiness. This is also affected by a lack of sunlight. Less sunlight - more melatonin - feelings of sleepiness and lethargy.

3. Low levels of Vitamin D, which has a role in serotonin activity. Vitamin D production requires sunlight on the skin. Less sunlight - low Vitamin D - negative impact on serotonin activity - see point 1.

You don’t need a PhD to see the common theme here. Light therapy is often recommended for people experiencing SAD. It might sound fancy, but it simply involves exposing yourself to a bright light for 20-30 minutes a day. After learning this, I got a light therapy lamp for Christmas several years ago and attached it to the wall by my dressing table. I put it on every day whilst I’m doing my hair and makeup and get a good blast of the intense light. I’m convinced it helps.

Last year, I also paid for a comprehensive set of blood tests³. These revealed a few interesting things, including low levels of iron and Vitamin D. I now take daily supplements to help counter this. I also latched onto a statement in my results report - you are unlikely to be able to improve your levels of Vitamin D by food alone - to launch my campaign for a winter sun holiday. I genuinely felt better after that week in Fuerteventura ;-)

Lessons from Scandinavia

In a distinct contrast, we recently spent a few days in Finnish Lapland, well within the Arctic Circle. When we emerged from the plane and crossed the tarmac, the digital thermometer on the terminal building read -19*C. The BBC weather app reported sunrise at 10:42 and sunset at 13:14. Every day the window of daytime rapidly decreases and, between late December and early February, the sun doesn’t rise at all. And I think I’m sad in the UK.

To manage living in this depression-inducing winter wonderland, the Scandies have become experts in cosy. Think candles, fires, blankets, fluffy cushions, comfort foods, good company, and a hot drink; essentially the antithesis of the bleak, dark outside. The Danish call this hygge (pronounced hoo-gah, for those who haven’t seen Motherland), the Swedish call it mys (pronounced mees). The Finnish approach to surviving winter is kalsarikännit, which translates as ‘pantsdrunk’. It refers to the practice of drinking at home alone in your underpants. Apparently, it’s a popular way to unwind and relax in Finland.

Whilst we didn’t engage in kalsarikännit during our time in Lapland, I did get an insight into how the Scandies do cosy. The contrast between the outside and the inside was significant. Once inside, we were oblivious to what lay beyond the window…if in fact there were windows. I don’t recall many. Inside, it was always really warm. There were roaring fires. The interior decor was wood, leather and fur. The colours were browns, reds, oranges and dark greens. The lighting was low and warm in tone. It felt like the rooms were giving you a hug.

Santa understands hygge. In his cabin, deep in the snowy forest, there are warm earthy tones, fur covered seats, a burning fire, candles, fairy lights, and a cosy rug.

We arrived back in the UK to a cold snap. It was 3*C. Cold, but more than 20 degrees warmer than where we’d come from. Our house felt freezing, and not just because we had turned the heating down. Everything about it felt anti-hygge. A wall of glass across the back of our kitchen, hard floors throughout most of the downstairs, walls painted taupe, light grey, or chalky pastels. White cupboards in the hall, white cupboards in the kitchen, white furniture in the playroom. This isn’t an accident. I’m big on natural light and I’ve encouraged it in (see SAD treatment). But if it’s dark outside anyway, then where’s the benefit in having big windows and reflective surfaces?

Now I am feeling that, much like my wardrobe, my house needs to have a winter and a summer version. So that when I’m steeling myself for the winter months, I can set about ‘hyggeing the house’⁴ to improve my mood. I’ve added some cushions and blankets to my Christmas list to get me started. I might have a look on Amazon for a human-sized heat lamp too…

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Book recommendation

The Year of Living Danishly: Uncovering the Secrets of the World's Happiest Country⁵
By Helen Russell

Helen moved to remote Denmark when her husband was offered a job with LEGO. She experienced quite a culture shock. Her witty and insightful observations on Danish living kept me entertained and gave me some food for thought. She dedicates whole chapters to hygge and her attempts to combat SAD. A good listen on Audible.

1. There are actually published scientific papers reporting that people with SAD may increase their consumption of carbohydrates, particularly sweets, in the afternoon and evening.

2. Melrose, S., 2015. Seasonal affective disorder: an overview of assessment and treatment approaches. Depression research and treatment, 2015.

3. For those interested, after a lot of research I used Medichecks - link here. I have no affiliation to them, I just think they offer a good service.

4. Apologies to any Danish speakers for bastardising your language by anglicising it in this way. But the word hyggeing does bring me a certain joy.

5. FYI, I’m a member of the Amazon Associates program. I may make a small commission if you purchase items from Amazon through the links in this article. This helps to support my work at no additional cost to you.