Daylight Saving Time and the Danish Tradition of Hygge
Happy fall y’all! October is one of my favorite months. So much happens in its 31 days—a photograph of September 30th looks vastly different than November 1st! This is a time of turning inward, preparing for the quiet growth of winter hibernation. With it comes the turning back of the clock, bright morning commutes, short afternoons, and a whole lotta dark. I am lucky to be in the deep south, but some parts of the world are shrouded in night for more hours than not.
Seasonal affective disorder (aka SAD) is a type of mood disorder that tends to manifest in late fall or early winter and resolve in spring. People who experience SAD often notice that during the winter they feel tired, sleep excessively, eat more (particularly heavy carb-laden comfort foods), experience anhedonia (a loss of interest and pleasure in things), and feelings of hopelessness and sadness. It kinda feels like the Charlie Brown Christmas song sounds—melancholy.
As a summer-loving soul, this has always been a challenging transition for me. As the sun slips away, so too does my motivation and energy. So what can be done to combat this seasonal nuisance?
In addition to the usual self-care, potential medication use, and phototherapy, there is a concept I would like to introduce from Denmark called Hygge (that's pronounced hoo-gah).
Situated as northerly as Alaska, Denmark tends to have wet, overcast winters with days as short as 6–7 hours of sunlight. Hygge, which loosely translates to "coziness," is a tradition of creating warm, welcoming spaces that breathe life back into the cold winter. Warm lights softly brighten the space, candles bring light and valuable aromatherapy, and warm blankets and beverages create a feeling of togetherness and safety. The tradition embraces mindfulness, values simple pleasures, and dovetails beautifully with the winter holiday season.
While you may not have the wherewithal to integrate hygge extensively, there are a few key elements that could help if you are prone to winter sadness.
1. Lighting
Ever walked into an unlighted house right at dusk and suddenly felt sad and hollow? How about seeing dark shadows in the corners and getting an unsettled feeling? We underestimate how much lighting can affect mood and health.
Consider adding some lights, but be mindful in your choice. The warmth of light is measured in Kelvin. An overcast daytime sky usually measures between 6500 and 7000 Kelvin, bright sunlight has a warmth of about 5500, soft white bulbs range in the 2700 to 3000 Kelvin range, and candlelight provides the warmest of light, around 2000 Kelvin.
Typically, brighter, cooler lights are helpful for encouraging motivation, action, and productivity and can be helpful for workspaces and in the morning. Diffused warm light in small, intimate spaces like bedrooms and dens brings a warmth that invites rest and relaxation.
2. Smell
One of our most primal senses, smell, is uniquely connected to emotion and memory.
Nowhere is this better demonstrated than the "Smelletizer," a device patented in 1986 by Disney. Smelletizers are placed throughout the park and release aromas to make the experience more memorable. On Main Street USA, the smell of baked confections and popcorn wafts around the idyllic American storefronts, silently but impactfully weaving Disney into the olfactory memory system.
A smell can bring you right back to the memory of that special childhood Disney vacation. Freshly cut grass may take you back to childhood summers of running through the sprinkler. A certain cologne may bring back the heady thrill of a high school crush.
Equally impactful, but clearly an opposite experience, the smell of something that reminds one of a traumatic experience can almost certainly trigger symptoms of PTSD.
With smell being so important, how is it that we often place it on the back burner?
I don't suppose many psych providers prescribe candles, but I strongly suggest you visit your Bath and Body Works for a dose of something that reminds you of warm, comforting, happy times. They consistently have a wide variety of scents, and generally their 3-wick candles are on "sale."
3. Connection
Warm and cozy is all well enough, but humans have an innate need for connection with other people. It's how we have succeeded as a species, pooling our collective knowledge and resources for the betterment of the tribe.
In a world as virtually connected as today, organic time together is often overlooked. Finding time to connect with others, be it friends or family, is another tenet of Hygge.
Putting screens away and finding organic ways to interact, like board games, card games, and jigsaw puzzles, brings a sense of presence and togetherness.
Shared food and drink always taste better, and nobody ever had a bad time making cookies (unless you did, and that's fine, but maybe we should talk about it).
There is a purpose to this dark season. It is a time of inward gazing, and of appreciating and savoring the light we choose to find. A time to return to the root and refocus energy on the resilience that only rest and reflection bring.
Happy Harvest and keep it hyggeligt!