Though I woke up more refreshed than usual from an extra hour of sleep last Sunday, a phenomenon I had been dreading since I decided to come to Brown had finally arrived: the end of daylight saving time. Without the temperate seasons and sunsets that never come before 5 p.m. I’m used to at home in Durham, North Carolina, watching the sky darken at 4:30 p.m.while the days get progressively colder has left me with a new sense of melancholy.
The “winter blues” — or at their most extreme, seasonal affective disorder — are a common and well-studied experience during the darker months of the year. As I prepare for my first winter at Brown and in the Northeast in general, I am committed to not letting these feelings consume me.
Unlike the United States, which has high rates of seasonal affective disorder and “winter blues,” the Scandinavian countries have some of the happiest people despite having the longest periods of darkness.Scandinavia’s capital cities experience up to 18 hours of darkness a day during winter, and those even closer to the Arctic Circle experience polar nights where the sun does not rise at all. Scandinavian people have a commitment to entering the dark months together with a positive mindset, ultimately creating a culture of greater well-being. These philosophies are all the more powerful in Scandinavia because they are taken on as an integral community value.
To find happiness for ourselves and our peers during the winter months, Brown students should look to the Scandinavian concept of “hygge.” To do so, we should prioritize getting outside, being together and appreciating the small, cozy joys that winter brings — even though this can be difficult amid frigid weather and exams.
Seasonal depression is extremely prevalent among young college-aged adults, and students from places where seasonal conditions are less extreme are especially affected by this phenomenon when they move to places with harsher winters. The shortening of light during the day is the main culprit of seasonal affective disorder, according to Professor of Psychiatry and Human Behavior Linda Carpenter, who has studied this phenomenon. In a column last year, my colleague Reid Gold ’29 described how students at Brown rarely go out, a phenomenon that he argued is worse in the winter when students are either at the library or “dormant, silent under winter snow.”
There are a few central concepts to the Scandinavian approach to winter that seem to make it so much better. The Danish concept of hygge is all about the small joys of life. The Danish prioritize coziness, creating a communal emphasis on true contentment which, in winter, can mean looking to the special opportunities winter provides. The Norwegian concept of friluftsliv involves getting outside despite darkness: Bundling up in sufficiently warm clothes and taking advantage of the immense health benefits of nature despite the darkness. In Sweden, there’s the concept of lagom,which is roughly translated to “just the right amount.” This ideal prioritizes balance, highlighting moderation and living a life of sustainable rhythm. It focuses on finding joy in “enough” instead of always seeking more.
All three philosophies emphasize human connection, which is important to our well-being and can combat isolation produced by winter conditions. Hygge creates a culture of happiness in Scandinavia because it is an integral part of their community. People are able to live by hygge because they absorb positive sentiments of winter from others, and in turn contribute to the positive sentiments surrounding winter. This reinforces a communal commitment to hygge, promoting connection. How we talk about things matters, as our happiness is impacted by others. Always hearing bad things about winter makes it easy to view winter negatively yourself, something I know to be true from my experience anticipating winter at Brown.
A communal commitment to preserving appreciation of the little joys of life could improve everyone’s happiness on campus this winter. As students living in college with constant access to our friends by living together and near each other and following a similar school schedule, Brown students have a rare opportunity to be in community with others all the time. This winter we need to consciously take advantage of it to support each other through the toughest blizzards or freezing days. We can do this by participating in winter traditions or building new ones, whether bundling up in sufficient winter gear and chucking snowballs at your friends on the Main Green during the first snowball fight of the year, brewing hot chocolate and cozying up with blankets to watch a movie with friends or making sleds out of cardboard boxes to sled down College Hill. At Dartmouth, students participate in a sun lamp loaner program to combat winter blues. Perhaps Brown students could find some lamps, ideally sunlamps that mimic natural sunlight, and have a lamp party with friends. Our gatherings and winter moments do not have to be elaborate, but simply staying warm with your friends nearby can help everyone find joy through the darkness.
Brown has much to learn from Scandinavian practices, especially considering that we face bitter New England winters along with intense academic pressure. The combination of these factors can result in intensified feelings of isolation for students. Last year’s record-breaking blizzard blanketed Providence in almost 38 inches of snowfall, and Providence residents were advised to remain at home as the governor declared a state of emergency. Brown classes and exams were cancelled for nearly a week. This year, the weather could be just as extreme.So, it’s even more important now than ever to make a plan for surviving the dismal, dreary, depressing winter months.
Brown students have opportunities to live by the philosophy of hygge and embrace winter with shared positivity, looking at the unique opportunities winter offers. We all should consciously choose to prioritize little joys and this Scandinavian understanding of “coziness” to promote happiness for ourselves and everyone around us.
Sophie Hansen ’30 can be reached at sophie_hansen@brown.edu. Please send responses to this column to letters@browndailyherald.com and other opinions to opinions@browndailyherald.com.
