WEBVTT - Learn to love winter

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<v Speaker 1>Welcome to Before Breakfast, a production of I Heart Radio.

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<v Speaker 1>Good Morning. This is Laura. Welcome to the Before Breakfast podcast.

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<v Speaker 1>Today's tip is to stop complaining about winter weather and

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<v Speaker 1>to boost your happiness by learning to enjoy this season.

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<v Speaker 1>We're coming into winter, at least for those of you

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<v Speaker 1>listening in the northern Hemisphere, and as the leaves fall

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<v Speaker 1>off the trees and the days get darker and colder,

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<v Speaker 1>it's easy to give in too gloom. Complaining about freezing

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<v Speaker 1>temperatures and sleet and snow could basically be its own

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<v Speaker 1>winter Olympic sport. Of course, people in my part of

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<v Speaker 1>North America don't have nearly as intense winters as people

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<v Speaker 1>far to the north, in northern Alaska, for instance. In Scandinavia,

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<v Speaker 1>the sun sets in November and does not rise until January.

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<v Speaker 1>It sounds impossibly bleak to me, but a few years

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<v Speaker 1>ago I wrote about some research on people who lived

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<v Speaker 1>in these far northern places. They did not suffer from

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<v Speaker 1>outsized rates of the winter blues. Instead, people who chose

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<v Speaker 1>to live in these places also chose to have a

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<v Speaker 1>different mindset about winter. They celebrated coziness with candles and fires,

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<v Speaker 1>warm blankets, thick sweaters and festive beverages. They embraced activities

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<v Speaker 1>such as skiing or snowshoeing that can only be done

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<v Speaker 1>in winter. They held festivals to experience winter as a

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<v Speaker 1>social occasion. If you think about it, whoever decided to

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<v Speaker 1>place Christmas around the winter solstice was onto something smart

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<v Speaker 1>rather than more in the dark. People have fun with

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<v Speaker 1>their families. People in northern climates made sure to get

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<v Speaker 1>outside during the middle of the day, when even polar

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<v Speaker 1>night features a little of what looks like dawn and

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<v Speaker 1>dusk on the horizon. As the saying goes, there's no

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<v Speaker 1>bad weather, only bad clothing. Now, I'll admit that I

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<v Speaker 1>find this idea challenging, but since writing that article, which

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<v Speaker 1>was called the Norwegian Secret to Enjoying a Long Winter,

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<v Speaker 1>I've tried to take some of my discoveries to heart.

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<v Speaker 1>I'm naturally cheap, but I decided to buy really good

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<v Speaker 1>winter running gear. In my polar tech pants, windproof and

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<v Speaker 1>water resistant jacket, mittens and such, I can run outside

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<v Speaker 1>on a few more days than I would and I

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<v Speaker 1>almost always feel better running outside than I do on

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<v Speaker 1>the treadmill. I bought a long coat and high waterproof

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<v Speaker 1>insulated boots, which means I barely notice tramping through slush

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<v Speaker 1>and snow with this equipment to protect me. I set

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<v Speaker 1>a goal last year to get outside for at least

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<v Speaker 1>twenty minutes a day. Some days that happened in zero

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<v Speaker 1>degree temperatures, but I can count the days I missed

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<v Speaker 1>on one hand. I also made a winter fun list

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<v Speaker 1>to give myself things to look forward to. Now I

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<v Speaker 1>will admit that some of this winter fun involved a ski.

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<v Speaker 1>Being winter, I went to California and I went to Florida,

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<v Speaker 1>and I enjoyed both trips a lot. There's nothing quite

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<v Speaker 1>like running on the beach when you know the folks

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<v Speaker 1>back home are dealing with a polar vortex. But in general,

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<v Speaker 1>I do think it's possible to love winter, and part

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<v Speaker 1>of that is just telling yourself that you will love winter.

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<v Speaker 1>When someone complains about the snow, say something positive. Take

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<v Speaker 1>a look at the intricate icicles, or the fragile glow

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<v Speaker 1>of the sunset colors against bare trees. Beauty is all

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<v Speaker 1>around if we care to see it. It might be

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<v Speaker 1>a more demanding beauty than that of a June rose garden,

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<v Speaker 1>but it is beauty all the same. Do you love winter.

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<v Speaker 1>You can let me know at Before Breakfast podcast at

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<v Speaker 1>I heart media dot com. In the meantime, this is Laura.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks for listening and here's to making the most of

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<v Speaker 1>our time. Yeah. Hey, everybody, I'd love to hear from you.

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<v Speaker 1>You can send me your tips, your questions, or anything else.

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<v Speaker 1>Just connect with me on Twitter, Facebook and Instagram at

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast pod. That's B the number four, then Breakfast

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<v Speaker 1>p o D. You can also shoot me an email

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<v Speaker 1>at Before Breakfast podcast at I heeart media dot com.

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<v Speaker 1>That Before Breakfast is spelled out with all the letters.

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<v Speaker 1>Thanks so much, I look forward to staying in touch.

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<v Speaker 1>Before Breakfast is a production of I Heart Radio. For

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