Winter, that beautiful snow-covered time of year—when it’s freezing cold out and we have to shovel snow that never ends. That’s what most American’s think of winter; it’s a love-hate relationship. But what if we could shift our thinking and embrace the winter and actually enjoy it as Norwegians do?

Not only do Norwegians like winter they are one of the happiest regions in the world. According to the World Happiness Report’s (WHR) annual ranking of countries, the five Nordic countries – Finland, Denmark, Norway, Sweden, and Iceland – have all been in the top ten, with Nordic countries occupying the top three spots in 2017, 2018, and 2019.

 So what’s their secret to happiness? 

Embrace the winter by enjoying the outdoors

Norweigans know that being outdoors and connecting with nature has a healing effect. They even have a word for it, “ Friluftsliv” (pronounced free-loofts-liv), which roughly translates to “free air life,” and it signifies a fundamental understanding of the healing effects of nature. Friluftsliv can also mean long strolls with friends, picnics, a leisurely afternoon bike ride, going for a swim, bike ride, or walking the dog on a chilly morning.

But isn’t it too cold? Well maybe at first, but once they are outside the cold is refreshing and can make you feel great and even feel revitalized. 

Norweigans have another saying, “There’s no bad weather, only bad clothing!, a nice way of saying it’s never too cold, wet or windy to get your butt outside. So put on that wool sweater and don your fleece-lined down coat go play outside no matter what the weather is.

Need another reason to go outside? Check out these benefits of enjoying nature even in the cold:

  • Promotes creativity: Research published in the Journal of Experimental Psychology found that walking helped promote creative thinking in 81% of study participants, and walking outdoors created more creative ideas than walking indoors on a treadmill.
  • Boosts vitamin D: This sun-induced vitamin can help with a mirage of ailments from depression to heart attacks, and even to help prevent cancer. According to the Environmental Protection Agency, we spend 90% of our time indoors, so we’re not getting enough exposure to sunlight. And a study published in JAMA found that two-thirds of U.S. teens and adults are deficient in vitamin D.
  • Prevents nature-deficit disorder: Yes, that is a real thing! Coined by Richard Louv in the 2005 publication of “Last Child in the Woods: Saving Our Children from Nature-Deficit Disorder”  to serve as a description of the human costs of alienation from nature and it is not meant to be a medical diagnosis. According to Louv, nature-deficit disorder can result in multiple physical and mental ailments, including diminished use of the senses, higher rates of physical and emotional illnesses, attention difficulties, an increased rate of nearsightedness, and child and adult obesity.

 

Connecting with others

The Swedish have a tradition of meeting for “a coffee and cake break” called “fika”. It’s more than just coffee, it’s making time for friends to share a hot beverage and enjoy conversation; and it’s not something taken lightly. Fika is part of the Swedish culture and a state of mind that it’s essential to make time for every day. understand “Let’s go and fika!”

The Danish have a concept hygge (pronounced hoo-gah), defined by the Oxford English Dictionary as, “A quality of coziness and comfortable conviviality that engenders a feeling of contentment or well-being,” hygge entails all things warm and fuzzy. After a day outside, it’s nice to light some candles, snuggle under a thick blanket and relax the Scandanavian way.

 

You’re ready to embrace the winter Norwegian style

With the winter upon us, now’s the time to get outside! So grab your parka and “change your attitude by changing your clothes.” Not sure what to do outside? Here’s a list to get you started, and you’ll have so much fun you won’t even think about the cold. And the best part—hot cocoa after!

  • Start a snowball fight
  • Use food coloring to decorate the snow, or add it to ice cubes hide them and play a fun game of hide & seek
  • Make snow angels
  • Blow bubbles which freeze on the wand when it’s below 32 degrees,
  • Try snowshoeing
  • Go snow tubing
  • Stargaze – stars are often easier to see in winter because of the clear atmosphere
  • Build a bonfire and make s’mores
  • Go sledding or tubing
  • Explore the woods on a winter hike
  • Identify animal tracks in the snow
  • Go snow-camping
  • Shovel snow and burn around 223 calories every 30 minutes doing it. Bonus if you shovel your elderly neighbor’s driveway
  • Ice fish with a friend
  • Go plogging! A Swedish fitness craze, that is catching on all over the world. “Plogging” is a combination of two words, “plocka,” which means “to pick,” and “jogging.” When you plog you go jogging and pick up litter at the same time. 
  • Go ice skating
  • Skiing and snowboarding