How do you feel about the clocks changing? What does it mean to you to be moving towards winter, with less time to soak up the daylight?
Scientists believe that our 'winter mindset,' which is a collection of thoughts, beliefs and expectations that we hold about winter may hold a clue to the impact that winter has on wellbeing.When we see winter as a threat, and a time that we detest, we hold a negative wintertime mindset. This makes you see winter through a perspective of doom and gloom, meaning you are more likely to fuse with the negatives, which has an impact on your mood.
In Nordic countries, they tend to hold a positive winter mindset, they look forward to the wintertime and perhaps this is one of the reasons why they don’t seem to be impacted to the same degree by the winter blues. When you intentionally savour winter experiences such as connecting with your friends by a bonfire or catching the last of the sunlight on a frosty afternoon, this acts as a mood booster, by amplifying the positives within this experience.