MINNEAPOLIS, Minnesota — The Great Northern Festival is underway and it's a chance to celebrate Minnesota's cold winters over 10 days of events across the Twin Cities.
"You have to think winter is worth celebrating to create a festival around it. But also, it gives you something to look forward to at this time of year," said Kari Leibowitz, a health psychologist.
Leibowitz may live in California but she's become an expert on the benefits of a positive wintertime mindset.
In 2014, she moved to Tromsø, Norway as a Fulbright Scholar to research the psychology of winter. Tromsø is located 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. During the Polar Night, the sun sets at the end of November and does not rise again for two months.
"In spite of this sort of long, dark, cold winter, people there have lower rates of seasonal affective disorder (SAD) or winter depression than we would expect sort of given the climate, the environment and the winter darkness," Leibowitz explained.
Leibowitz found in Norway that having a positive wintertime mindset was associated with every measure of well-being they looked at.
"The people who had more positive wintertime mindsets, also tended to have higher life satisfaction, experience more positive emotions, be more likely to pursue new challenges and experiences that lead to personal growth," Leibowitz said.
What she observed in Norway, she now teaches others across the world.
"Changing your mindset is more like setting a thermostat than flicking on a light switch," she said.
So how can you better embrace the winter? Get outside no matter the weather.
"Even if it's just for a short walk, or having coffee on your front porch, or doing something more like cross-country skiing... people find that it actually is so much more refreshing and revitalizing and pleasurable than they expect it to be," Leibowitz said.
For those who enjoy staying indoors, Leibowitz said you can still apply the same concept.
"Really enjoy the opportunity to sort of be indoors and have that cozy indoor feeling," said Leibowitz. "Really lean into the winter as a time where you get to do that."
However, there is a difference between having negative feelings about winter and SAD.
"Do you feel like you can't get out of bed; you can't do your job? When it's really interfering with your day-to-day functioning, then certainly that warrants seeking professional, clinical, medical treatment," Leibowitz said.
A positive wintertime mindset also needs the right support. That includes everything from making sure the streets are plowed to ensuring those who are unsheltered have access to warm and safe spaces.
Leibowitz is traveling to the Twin Cities to lead a Winter Mindset Workshop as part of The Great Northern.
"Look for the things that make winter special, that make winter unique; and then really try to lean into them in your life and do more of those kinds of things," Leibowitz said.
Leibowitz's workshop is happening Saturday, Jan. 29 at noon at Silverwood Park. She will be discussing strategies for thriving in winter. It costs $10 and registration is required.
You can register here.
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