My colleague recently wrote about the long history of our attempts to bring light, comfort, and cheer to the cold heart of winter. (Sign me up for 12 Days of Christmas!) It makes perfect sense in this season to turn to yule cheer or hygge coziness for warmth and softness to counter the harshness outside. But eventually the holiday lights come down, and the nights are still long… What then?

One approach is to take a tip from psychology and choose exposure over avoidance. Rather than hiding away from the inescapable, we can choose to steer into it and embrace the icy, gothic heart of winter solstice season. Appreciating the fortitude that winter demands and admiring its quiet, stark beauty can help us to meet the unforgiving season with humility and wonder.

(Click on the images below to enjoy some wintry art!)

Winter Doesn’t Suffer Fools

We know all the ways we’re burdened by living in a place with seasonal extremes: decently hot summers are countered by the drudgery of removing heavy snow, navigating perilous ice, and bundling up for every small trip outside LEST WE DIE (cue ominous music). But there are perks. For one, this seasonal struggle entitles us to look smugly down on people in gentler climates when their cities grind to a halt over what we call “a dusting” of snow.

There’s truth behind this defiant pride: the struggles we survive gift us with fortitude. The inarguable reality of a demanding climate can strip away mental barriers and cut through the inconsequential. Like cold plungers who voluntarily dive into icy waters, or runners who gain extra health benefits by pushing through the colder temperatures, we can find strength and stillness in winter.

There is a certain calming clarity in pushing yourself to the edge, learning to keep your wits in an extreme situation, and knowing – on a physical level – that you can face hardship and survive. We can access this effect even in milder forms; taking a voluntary hike in deep snow or shoveling your neighbor’s walk can help you tap into a competence that puts other daily tasks into perspective.

Winter Is Beautiful

While we meet plunging temperatures with trepidation, many of us – even those who aren’t winter sport enthusiasts – are happy to greet some late snow in this uncommonly warm and wet winter.

There is nothing like an early, solitary winter walk, when the clouds above and snow below refract the thin light of morning to dispel all shadow and glare, just as snow cover dampens distant sounds and clarifies those nearby, engrossing you in the detail of your immediate surroundings. Equally incomparable is the atmospheric, unforgiving beauty found in the sparkling silence of a winter night.

Weather extremes only amplify these beauties: the coldest nights bring the most dazzling displays of diamond crusted snow, and the heaviest, wettest snowfalls stick to the tree branches, rendering their bark a striking black in the high contrast.

Home, Frozen Home

The wonder of this kind of wildness inspires me to complement my time indoors with music, art, and books that appeal to the rustic and dark, whether it’s listening to cello-centric or neofolk music, gazing at stunning winter landscapes, or enjoying stories based on wintry, woodsy folktales. Even though winter can drag, I’m often mesmerized by winter scenery in movies and games. I suppose the appeal of a winter wonderland hits a little harder for those of us who have the chance to walk around in one.

A year ago, a friend of mine moved back to the area from the deep south, and had the bad luck or poor judgement to do so in December, in the middle of a particularly brutal stretch of cold weather. Despite this climate shock, he expressed relief and gratitude for being back in the Northwoods.

“Even in a polar vortex?” I asked.

“It’s worth it.”

Addendum: With the arrival of dangerously cold conditions, I hope you can work on your mental fortitude and admire wintry scenery through a window while safely indoors. If you must be outside: stay safe out there!

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