Columnist urges tea, positive mindset and getting outside to cope with winter cold

In a New York Times column, Melissa Kirsch wrote about practical and mental strategies for enduring winter cold, suggesting ways to warm both body and mood.

Kirsch describes one approach as becoming a "tea person," using hot beverages to alter temperature "from the inside out" rather than relying only on layers or luxury accessories. She notes a T Magazine list of winter accessories and questions whether such purchases are necessary for everyone.

She invokes the Danish idea of "hygge" and cites psychologist Kari Leibowitz, who moved north of the Arctic Circle and wrote in The Times in 2020 that the secret is a "positive wintertime mind-set." Leibowitz advised focusing on what you like about winter and even to "appoint yourself a wintertime ambassador" to encourage others to notice seasonal positives.

Kirsch and the sources she cites also urge getting outside when possible, invoking the Norwegian concept of "friluftsliv." A Swedish author told Leibowitz, "There are some days when it’s harder to get outside than others, but I know that if I do, I’m never going to regret going outside." Kirsch closes with a mantra: "You're never going to regret going outside," and suggests simply dressing well and stepping out as a way to shift one’s relationship with winter.

Key Topics

Culture, Melissa Kirsch, Kari Leibowitz, Tea, Hygge, Friluftsliv