To begin, I need to acknowledge that I do not have Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). This is a very real, and very serious mental illness that should be treated as such. This article is not intended to minimize the legitimate experiences of people who have SAD, nor should it be considered as a treatment method for SAD. Rather, this article is intended to explore ways that people can approach the widely-hated winter season with a little more optimism.
Winter receives a lot of hate, which is totally unjustified in my opinion. Sure it’s cold outside, but there are tons of things that this season has to offer. Here’s five of my personal favourite reasons to love winter!
- Layering: You can always put more clothes on, but you can only take so much off. Usually when I hear someone complaining about the wintery weather, it’s because they’re not dressed appropriately. Having a base layer under your outfit does wonders for keeping you warm. Plus if you have cute sweaters, turtlenecks, and scarves, you can have lots of fun with putting together cozy and fashionable outfits.
- Winter Sports: Summer may have more options when it comes to sports and outdoor activities, but Winter sports are more exclusive. You can go to a gym and play soccer indoors even if it’s cold out, but it’s hard to find an indoor toboggan hill. Skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, outdoor ice skating, are all super fun activities that you can only do for a short period of the year. So, why not take advantage?
- Snow is Gorgeous: If all you focus on is your unplowed road or unshoveled driveway, then yeah, snow doesn’t look so great, I’ll give you that. But, when you turn your head to look at the tree branches blanketed in white, the sun sparkling off the lawn, and the intricate snowflakes that land on your arms, you’ll see the beauty that I’m talking about.
- Peace and Quiet: Now, I don’t understand the exact science behind why this happens, but when fresh snow is falling around you it’s as if mother nature pressed the mute button. Even if it’s just for a moment on your slippery walk to campus, that silence provides one beautiful sliver of peace.
- You Can Stay Inside: As you can probably tell from my previous reasons to love winter, I’m a pretty outdoorsy person. But if you prefer the great indoors, winter can be perfect for a homebody too. Snow is a great excuse to cancel your plans, and cozy up by a fire (real or simulated on Youtube) with a hot mug of tea and a good book.
I hope this list inspires you to find some joy during this winter season. If not, then you can take comfort in knowing that spring is just around the corner.