Surviving the Winter During the Pandemic

Most of us have had our social activities severely restricted during the COVID-19 pandemic, either because of lockdowns, closures of businesses and cultural events, or plain caution (if not outright fear). At least the summer months have provided opportunities for outdoor activities, but what about the winter.

Speaking as a Canadian who has lived in both Northern Ontario and Northern Alberta, I don't hate winter. I used to go cross-country skiing when it was -20C (about -4F). At my age, that would be foolhardy, and I live in a city that doesn't have conveniently located ski trails. But I can walk, as long as my city plows some sidewalks (although ice is always a problem in this part of Ontario, with its inconsistent winter weather). 

If you want to know how to handle winter, look to Norway. A recent study examined how Norwegians deal with their winters. It's especially important for people living in the northern part of the country. The study found that having a positive attitude makes a big difference. 

Leibowitz conducted her initial studies long before the new coronavirus left Wuhan – and she is realistic about the challenges of trying to see the positive in the pandemic. “A change in mindset is not a cure-all for everything,” she emphasises. It can’t simply eliminate our anxieties about the job insecurity or the fear of losing a loved one, and we should not attempt to suppress those emotions.

Even so, she suspects that adopting the positive wintertime mindset could make a second lockdown a little less daunting for those who worry about keeping their mood buoyed in the bad weather. We might recognise, for instance, that it’s a time for baking comfort food or cosy evenings curled up under a blanket in front of a box set – practising a little bit of the Norwegian koselig. And if we normally exercise on a running machine, we might try to find value in a bracing jog in the elements. Since the risk of contagion is much lower outside, we might also adapt to the Scandinavian way of outdoor socialising (lockdown regulations permitting). Tromsø, for example, has an open-air cinema, so residents can enjoy atmospheric film screenings in the eerie Arctic darkness. As the Norwegians say: “There is no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothes.”

This time, we do at least have the advantage of knowing what did and didn’t work during the first lockdown, so we can be more realistic in our expectations of what we can and can’t achieve, focusing our efforts on the small actions that bring the most comfort, rather than aiming to write a bestselling novel, say.