Shine some light on the dark days of winter

The clocks went back Nov. 1, the nights are closing in, winter is on the way. Many people report suffering symptoms of depression as levels of daylight diminish. This year, more than ever, it feels like we're stuck indoors. Is low mood inevitable, or is there anything you can do to change it?

Although there's nothing you can do about the external environment, how you feel about what's happening is entirely in your control. Alia Crum at Stanford has looked at the impact of mind set — our conscious expectations — on health. She concludes that an individual's expectation that they will heal “can account for clinically significant benefit in an estimated 60-90 per cent of conditions” including pain, anxiety, depression, Parkinson's disease, asthma, allergies, hypertension, immune deficiencies, Alzheimer's disease, and even recovery from surgery.

In another study, Crum and colleagues showed some participants a video arguing for psychological and behavioural benefits of enduring some stress, while others viewed a clip demonstrating negative effects of stress. Those who viewed the “stress is enhancing” clip reported greater well-being and better work performance than the alternative group. You can use these findings to transform your own outlook, as many Scandinavians appear to do.

The annual World Happiness Report, ranking 156 countries by how content their citizens regard themselves, shows the five happiest countries — Finland, Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland and Norway — all have long, dark winters. Kari Leibowitz at Stanford and Joar Vittersø at the University of Tromso investigated the effects of mindset on well-being among citizens in and around Tromso, the world's most northerly university.

They found a strong correlation between positive winter mindset and higher levels of life satisfaction and well-being. And almost as if to compensate for the increasing cold and darkness, the further north participants lived, the more positive was their winter mindset.

So what can you, like Scandinavians, do to embrace winter?

Think of pleasurable winter activities. Make a list of the activities you enjoy during the cold months, perhaps ice skating, walking or curling up by a fire with a mug of hot chocolate. Think back to childhood or ask a friend who loves winter, if you're finding this difficult.

Do some imaginal work. Just before bed, close your eyes and imagine participating in one of the activities on your list. Smell the crisp winter air; enjoy how the cold makes your skin glow; watch the flickering flames as you savour your hot chocolate. This will enhance your pleasure when you actually undertake these activities.

Create promise. Plant some seeds indoors and watch the seedlings wake up as they anticipate spring. Or remind yourself of Shelley's words: “O Wind, If Winter comes, can Spring be far behind?”

O WIND, IF WINTER COMES, CAN SPRING BE FAR BEHIND?