Letter to the editor
I discovered the struggle of a logan winter by trudging to class at 7:30 in -4 degree weather.
Most students have had trouble with Logan’s winter, whether it is slipping in front of the TSC, bordering frostbite in your hands, or almost being run over by a snow plow.
I decided to write this article to serve as a survival guide to all things winter, including seasonal depression, and how to stay warm and cozy without having to pack a parka, and how to have fun in freezing temperatures
The main pillar of winter’s trials is the winter blues, and the more extreme version Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). The American Psychiatric Association’s Healthy Minds Monthly poll found that 38% of Americans have overall mood declines in the winter. The culprits of this mood decline are lack of sunlight, shorter days, and the isolation of the winter months. Research found serotonin levels decreased with lack of sunlight, showing serotonin production was directly related to how much sunlight you have. This serotonin is created by sunlight entering your eyes, hitting parts of the retina signaling your brain to produce more serotonin. The mood-boosting effects of sunlight can be replicated by a light therapy box which improves seasonal depression symptoms in 40% to 60% of people. Some countries even have light cafes with bright therapy lights to help relax and boost customers’ moods during the winter!
Another way you can get up your serotonin levels during seasonal depression is exercise, this is due to the amino acid named Tryptophan. Studies linked exercising to an increase in Tryptophan, creating a natural increase in serotonin with similar effects as an antidepressant. Exercises you can do during the winter are treadmill running, brisk walking, or my favorite yoga.
The easiest way you can help tackle seasonal depression is positive mood induction. This technique involves altering your current mood state through manipulation with positive experiences. To get over the winter blues you can watch feel-good shows and movies, smile while walking, or listen to positive music. Some music I find it impossible to be sad while listening to is bossa nova and oldies. If you want a serotonin boost, you have to turn off the sad playlist and start absorbing yourself in positive experiences.
Now to the cold weather, the nail in the coffin for most USU students. To stay warm it’s critical to have thermals, the typical rule of thumb is to wear thermals when it reaches under 30 Fahrenheit. If you are the type of person who hates having to carry around a heavy coat, try a combo of thermals, a sweater, and a light coat. If you wanna stay stylish while not freezing, a fan favorite is the sweater collar combo. Keep in mind while looking for sweaters, most cold sweaters are made of wool (which i learned the hard way when all my sweaters shrunk 3 sizes in the wash).
It’s important to pay attention to keeping yourself warm including your ears. Ears are specifically sensitive to the cold because they don’t have the same thickness of skin that our body has. Headphones can help keep your ears protected if their battery can survive the cold, better solutions are ear muffs or trapper hats.
The critical component to surviving winter is good shoes. I underestimated the importance of winter boots until I slipped on thick ice in my tennis shoes. The good balance with winter boots is spiky soles, ankle support, and a warm interior. Typically hiking boots can work well, just make sure you are waterproofing your shoes to keep them looking nice.
Winter can feel boring and at times lonely. A survey hosted by OnePoll found 39 percent of Americans feel “bored” during winter. Although at times all you can do is stay inside your room, some solutions to winter boredom can help make things interesting. If you are more on the thrill-seeking side there is always skiing. Ski resorts Brighton Resort, Nordic Valley, and Beaver Mountain are some of Utah’s cheapest helping curve the steep price of the slopes.
If you are interested in learning something new, I recommend getting into podcasts. Walking in the cold or shoveling snow becomes a lot easier when you have something good to listen to. Some good podcasts are Science VS, Decoder Ring, and Matinence Phase, all of them are well-researched and leave you feeling smarter than before.
The last activity to deal with both winter depression and boredom is baking or cooking. Research finds these activities can increase positive emotions by providing you with achievement and social connection. So if you feel lonely, call over a friend and bake some bread.
Winters can be difficult and with Logan’s winter temperatures commonly falling slightly below freezing, its common to be frustrated with the weather. But at least we have the weather to thank for teaching us what a snow squall is.
–ronan.spencer@usu.edu