Care2causes/Emily Zak: Can Gratitude Cure the Winter Blues?

Care2 Causes | Can Gratitude Cure the Winter Blues?
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Can Gratitude Cure the Winter Blues?
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    By: Emily Zak
    January 25, 2018

    About Emily
    Follow Emily at @EmilyEZak

When the days are short and darkness comes early, it can be easy to feel down — and even depressed. But in a small town in Norway where the sun doesn’t rise over the mountains for two months, people are surprisingly upbeat.

Researcher Cari Leibowitz found that Tromsø residents view winter positively, as a cozy time of year to bundle up beside a fire, drink hot beverages and ski down mountains.

As Leibowitz argued on The Conversation, this mindset may play a role in keeping the winter blues at bay. Residents in this region tend to have lower rates of seasonal depression relative to the amount of sunlight they see.
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“And taking the time to bundle up and get outside even in the worst weather can help you feel like winter isn’t limiting your opportunities for recreation,” Leibowitz wrote. “Norwegians have a saying that ‘there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing,’ which typifies their ingrained belief that being active is part of a happy life – and, especially, a happy winter.”

According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, winter depression affects as much as 6 percent of the U.S. population. Ten to 20 percent more have a mild seasonal affective disorder.

But it can be risky to speak about mood disorders and depression as if they’re controllable. After all, that viewpoint contributes to mental illness stigma. Folks are too often told to “get over” their deep feelings of sadness and emptiness, and if they can’t, they can feel ostracized.

However, for individuals able to take action, seeing winter in a different light probably doesn’t hurt. And neither does exercise and sun exposure.

If SAD-like symptoms are disrupting your life — making you withdraw from social events or dramatically shifting your sleeping and eating habits – check in with your doctor.

Photo Credit: Thinkstock
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16 comments
Linda W
Linda W26 minutes ago

Thank you
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Jonathan H
Jonathan H3 hours ago

Noted
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Sherry Kohn
Sherry K3 hours ago

Many thanks to you !
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Danuta W
Danuta W6 hours ago

Thanks for sharing
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ANA MARIJA R
ANA MARIJA R6 hours ago

Yes, Gratitude Can cure the winter blues :) Thank you!
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Danii P
Danii P7 hours ago

Thanks
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Lenore K
Lenore K12 hours ago

ok
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Peggy B
Peggy B13 hours ago

TYFS
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JoAnn Paris
JoAnn Paris13 hours ago

Thank you for this very interesting article.
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Lesa D
Lesa D14 hours ago

i never have the winter blues...

thank you Emily...
SEND
view all 16 comments
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Disclaimer: The views expressed above are solely those of the author and may not reflect those of Care2, Inc., its employees or advertisers.
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