Harness Your Winter Mindset to Thrive in the Cold and Dark

American Psychological Association's Speaking of Psychology reruns a conversation with Carrie Leibowitz, a health psychologist, about how winter affects body and mind and how to approach the season with a cozy, growth-oriented mindset. Leibowitz discusses Tromsø’s polar night, daylight and cold’s effects on energy and mood, and why Nordic winters are embraced rather than endured. She defines what a "winter mindset" is, how to shift it by deliberately focusing attention, creating rituals, and leveraging social support, and why outdoor time remains essential even in cold weather. The episode also covers seasonal affective disorder, climate change’s winter impact, and other cultures’ winter traditions, from saunas to ceilidhs.

Introduction and context

In this episode, Kim Mills speaks with Dr Carrie Leibowitz, a health psychologist who studies how mindsets influence health and well-being. Leibowitz recently published How to Winter, a book about harnessing a constructive winter mindset to thrive on cold, dark, or difficult days. Her research includes a year spent in Tromsø, Norway, above the Arctic Circle, to understand how people experience winter, and how lessons from Nordic cultures can help listeners reframe the season as an opportunity rather than a burden.

“There’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing.” - Carrie Leibowitz

What winter is like in Tromsø

The conversation delves into Tromsø’s extreme daylight patterns, with civil twilight during the polar night. Leibowitz explains that the sun may sit just below the horizon for months, yielding a soft, blue light rather than complete darkness. She notes that despite the cold and snow, winters there can feel magical and peaceful, and people often plan around seasonal activities such as skiing and winter festivals. The climate is influenced by the Gulf Stream, which moderates temperatures to the twenties Fahrenheit, and inland areas can be much colder. While some residents struggle with energy and morning wakefulness, many adapt by embracing the beauty and opportunities of the season rather than dreading it.

What is a winter mindset and why it matters

Leibowitz frames a mindset as a core belief about how winter works in the world, drawing on the growth mindsets literature and the work of Aliyah Crum at Stanford. She emphasizes that mindsets are powerful, often involuntary, and can shape motivation and behavior. To change a winter mindset, she suggests recognizing existing beliefs, deliberately nudging attention toward positive winter aspects, cultivating rituals, and leveraging social support to stay active and engaged during the season. “Mindsets are biased; we can deliberately focus our attention toward noticing the things we like about winter.” - Carrie Leibowitz

Strategies to change your winter mindset

Key strategies include attending to what you notice in winter and choosing activities that align with a more positive outlook, such as cozy indoor pursuits, outdoor walks bundled in warm clothing, and social gatherings. Leibowitz highlights the Scandinavian saying “there’s no such thing as bad weather, only bad clothing,” and shares her classroom exercise where students go outside in winter and reflect on the experience. Bundling up and stepping outdoors can reduce perceived barriers to health-promoting activities, making it easier to pursue gym visits, cultural events, or simple outdoor enjoyment despite the cold.

“Connection with nature, movement, and fresh air are all natural antidepressants.” - Carrie Leibowitz

Outdoor time, rituals, and social support

The discussion stresses outdoor exposure as a mood booster and a way to reframe winter as a season with its own beauty. Leibowitz recounts how Scandinavians use outdoor rituals to stay connected, and she argues that winter is a unique time to slow down, savor indoor crafts, and enjoy warmth in candlelight, hot drinks, and indoor gatherings. Social support helps people stay accountable to outdoor plans and winter activities, reducing the sense of isolation that can accompany the season.

Seasonal affective disorder, climate change, and winter well-being

The host and guest discuss seasonal affective disorder (SAD) as defined in the DSM-5, noting that it is a subtype of clinical depression and that many people experience winter mood changes without meeting SAD criteria. Research indicates wide variation in SAD prevalence across cultures and latitudes, with some regions reporting low or no seasonal pattern of depression when proper clinical thresholds are applied. Leibowitz cautions against pathologizing normal winter changes and suggests using winter as a time to practice restoration, rest, and paced activity. The conversation also covers climate change’s impact on winter, from earlier plain-ice winters to warmer, grayer seasons, and how love for winter can motivate climate action and protect winter’s ecological and cultural values.

“Seasonal affective disorder is defined in the DSM-5 as a subtype of clinical depression.” - Carrie Leibowitz

Winter traditions around the world and health

Leibowitz shares insights from travels to Scotland, Finland, Iceland, and Japan, noting how communities translate winter into warmth and health. Ceilidh gatherings in the Outer Hebrides, saunas in Finland, geothermal pools in Iceland, and bath traditions in Japan illustrate culturally grounded ways to cope with darkness and cold. She emphasizes that many of these practices have long-standing health benefits, now supported by research, such as stress reduction, depression risk mitigation, and improved cardiovascular health. The episode also highlights the idea that winter activities can be pleasurable and health-promoting rather than punishing or purely functional.

Ongoing research and practical takeaways

Although Leibowitz is focusing more on science communication and collaborations with institutions like King's College London, she continues to explore how winter mindset influences health behaviors. Partnerships with researchers studying child health, survivorship, and health monitoring demonstrate the broader potential of mindset-based interventions for well-being. The takeaway is to use winter as an entryway to explore how mindset shapes health, to adopt practical strategies for outdoor engagement, rituals, and community, and to recognize the season’s value in a changing climate.

In closing, Leibowitz invites listeners to experiment with winter-friendly practices, reflect on their own winter experiences, and consider how climate and culture intersect to shape well-being. The conversation leaves ample room for future research and for individuals to tailor winter strategies to their local environments and personal preferences.