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Speaking of Psychology · December 24, 2025 · 33m
Learning to Embrace Winter
Health psychologist Kari Leibowitz discusses her research in Tromso, Norway, where residents experience two months of polar night yet report high well-being. The key: a 'wintertime mindset' that reframes winter as an opportunity for coziness, beauty, and rest.
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Canon
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Leibowitz: in Tromso (70 degrees north, 2 months of no sun), residents show remarkably low rates of seasonal depression. The key factor is not genetics, vitamin D, or light therapy — it's mindset. Norwegians reframe winter as 'koselig' (cozy), something to enjoy rather than endure.
Highlights
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Seasonal affective disorder has cultural and cognitive components, not just biological ones
Leibowitz: SAD is typically framed as a purely biological response to reduced sunlight. But cross-cultural research shows that cultural attitudes toward winter significantly moderate SAD risk. Places with 'positive winter cultures' show lower SAD rates than their latitude would predict.Was this useful?