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A Pandemic Winter Doesn’t Have to Defeat Us: Lessons From Norway
How we approach cold, dark times makes all the difference
We’re starting to experience yet another wave of coronavirus infections, and researchers predict the crest of this wave will occur around the time that autumn turns to winter. The chance of another lockdown across the U.S., or some degree of tightened restrictions, is high.
We experienced our first widespread lockdown last spring, and though it was an unprecedented, difficult challenge, the weather was largely on our side. Exposure to sunlight plays a vital role in people’s mental well-being. It is directly linked to an increase in the brain’s release of serotonin. So the presence of sunlight goes a long way in shoring up our ability to endure a stressful time. This makes the prospect of a dark winter lockdown all the more daunting.
The citizens of Tromsø tend not to show signs of wintry woes; at least not to a degree that one might expect from a city shrouded in darkness.
Even in pre-pandemic times, short winter days lead to seasonal affective disorder (SAD) in some people — a condition that brings about a lethargic and vacuous feeling. You know that sense of wistfulness that comes with the fall, and lingers on as the weather cools? If it begins to drain your energy and leaves you feeling inexplicably sad — that’s seasonal affective disorder.
Winters in Tromsø
The Norwegian island of Tromsø lies at a latitude of 69.64°N, 200 miles north of the Arctic Circle. From mid-November to mid-January, the city rarely sees the sun. In fact, during the darkest periods, Tromsø receives only two to three hours a day of indirect sunlight.
However, the citizens of Tromsø tend not to show signs of wintry woes; at least not to a degree that one might expect from a city shrouded in darkness. Studies in the BMC Psychiatry…
