How to Winter Series | Week 3
What if some of winter's greatest pleasures are things we've simply stopped noticing?
Welcome to Week 3 of our How to Winter series, inspired by Kari Leibowitz's book, How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days.
In our first week, we explored how our expectations influence our experience of winter.
Last week, we discussed the importance of rest and learning to appreciate a slower seasonal rhythm.
This week, we're exploring another fascinating concept from psychology:
What we pay attention to influences how we experience the world.
Chapter 3, "What You See Is What You Get," examines how our attention can reinforce our existing beliefs about winter, but also how deliberately noticing different things can help us develop a more appreciative perspective.
And the beauty of this approach is that we don't necessarily need to change our circumstances.
We can begin by changing what we notice.
Our Brains Are Selective
Think about the last time you bought a new vehicle.
Did you suddenly begin noticing that same make and model everywhere?
Those vehicles were probably there all along. You simply became more aware of them.
Our brains constantly filter information, directing our attention toward what seems relevant or important.
This ability helps us navigate a world filled with more information than we could possibly process.
But it also means we can overlook things that don't fit our expectations.
If we believe winter is miserable, we're more likely to notice icy sidewalks, cold winds, early darkness, and inconvenient weather.
And those things are certainly real!
But what about the frost decorating our windows?
The way sunlight sparkles on fresh snow?
The quiet of a winter morning?
Or the beauty of bare branches silhouetted against the sky?
These experiences may be present whether we notice them or not.
Leibowitz explains that our mindsets direct our attention, and our attention reinforces our mindsets.
The relationship works in both directions.
What we expect influences what we notice. And what we notice can influence what we come to expect.
That's an encouraging thought because it suggests we have opportunities to influence this cycle.
What Happens When We Deliberately Notice Nature?
One of the studies Leibowitz discusses particularly caught my attention.
Researchers asked participants to spend time noticing nature in their everyday surroundings and paying attention to how those experiences made them feel.
They weren't necessarily taking long hikes or traveling somewhere spectacular.
They were noticing ordinary encounters with nature.
A tree along the sidewalk.
Birds outside a window.
Changes in the sky.
The movement of clouds.
The researchers found that this practice was associated with increases in positive emotions, feelings of connection, and a greater sense of meaning.
Participants also reported experiences of awe, wonder, and inspiration.
What I find particularly appealing is the simplicity of the exercise.
We don't need to travel somewhere beautiful to appreciate nature.
And we don't need perfect weather.
Here in northern Minnesota, nature surrounds us throughout the year.
But perhaps we become less attentive to it during winter because we're so focused on the cold.
What might happen if we began noticing winter's natural beauty more deliberately?
Winter Has Its Own Kind of Beauty
One of my favorite ideas from this chapter is that winter isn't simply a season lacking the pleasures of summer.
It has its own distinct qualities.
Consider the light.
Winter sunlight arrives at a lower angle, creating long shadows and a different quality of illumination.
Sunrises and sunsets can be especially striking.
And because the trees have shed their leaves, we can see landscapes and details that remain hidden during other seasons.
There are also sounds unique to winter.
The crunch of snow beneath our boots.
The stillness after a snowfall.
Wind moving through bare branches.
The occasional cracking of ice.
And what about the smells?
Wood smoke drifting from a chimney.
Fresh winter air.
Soup simmering on the stove after an afternoon outdoors.
When we begin paying attention to our senses, winter becomes a much richer experience.
Instead of thinking only about what the season lacks, we can appreciate what makes it distinctive.
Learning to Appreciate the Weather
Here's an idea that challenged me.
What if we became more interested in the weather itself?
Rather than automatically labeling weather as good or bad, we could become curious about it.
Watch how the clouds change before a storm.
Notice the movement of snow across an open field.
Observe how the light changes throughout the afternoon.
Leibowitz introduces the Icelandic concept of gluggaveður, often translated as "window weather."
It's weather that may not be especially inviting to experience outdoors but is wonderful to observe from inside.
I love this idea!
There's something comforting about watching snow fall while sitting beside a warm fireplace.
And perhaps there's something beautiful about a winter storm, even when we have no intention of venturing outside.
The book also introduces the word apricity, referring to the warmth of the winter sun.
What a lovely reminder to notice those moments when sunlight warms our faces on a cold day.
Of course, we still need to respect hazardous weather and make safe decisions.
Appreciating a snowstorm doesn't mean we need to drive through it.
Sometimes the best way to appreciate winter weather is from the comfort of home.
Questioning Our Automatic Thoughts
Noticing winter's pleasures is one part of this chapter.
Another is becoming aware of our automatic thoughts.
These are the quick interpretations that arise throughout the day, often without much conscious consideration.
For example:
"Winter is so depressing."
"I can't do anything enjoyable when it's cold."
"Every winter day is the same."
When we repeat these thoughts, they can begin to feel like unquestionable facts.
But are they entirely accurate?
Leibowitz explores techniques used in cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT), which help people identify and examine unhelpful thought patterns.
One useful approach is to ask ourselves:
Is this thought completely accurate?
Am I exaggerating or overlooking exceptions?
What evidence supports this belief?
Is there a more balanced or helpful way to interpret the situation?
For example, instead of saying:
"There's nothing to do in winter."
We might consider:
"Some of my favorite summer activities aren't available, but there are other experiences I can enjoy."
Or instead of:
"I hate everything about winter."
Perhaps:
"There are parts of winter I find difficult, but there are also things I appreciate."
Notice that we're not pretending everything is wonderful.
We're simply making room for a more complete perspective.
And that can influence how we feel and what we choose to do.
Attention, Mood, and Whole-Person Wellness
Our thoughts, emotions, physiology, and environment influence one another.
When we're exhausted, stressed, or experiencing changes in mood, it can be harder to notice what's enjoyable around us.
This is particularly relevant for women navigating perimenopause and menopause, when hormonal fluctuations may contribute to changes in sleep, mood, and stress tolerance.
At Itasca Naturopathic Clinic, we recognize the importance of exploring potential physiological contributors to persistent symptoms.
But we also recognize that our daily habits, relationships, environment, and thought patterns can influence our well-being.
Developing greater awareness of our attention can be one useful tool.
For individuals experiencing seasonal affective disorder or other forms of depression, structured treatments such as CBT and appropriately prescribed light therapy may be helpful. Persistent depressive symptoms deserve clinical evaluation, and noticing pleasant experiences is not a substitute for treatment.
For the rest of us, practicing more intentional attention may offer a simple way to cultivate appreciation and connection during the winter months.
And the practice doesn't need to be complicated.
Your Week 3 Winter Practice: Notice One Delight Each Day
This week, I'd like to invite you to try one of my favorite exercises from Chapter 3.
Take one photograph each day of something that brings you winter delight.
It might be:
Frost on a window.
Sunlight filtering through snow-covered trees.
Your favorite warm sweater.
A steaming mug of tea.
A beautiful sunset.
Holiday lights.
A cozy reading corner.
A bird visiting your feeder.
Fresh snow covering the landscape.
The subject doesn't need to be extraordinary.
In fact, ordinary moments may be the most interesting ones to notice.
Take a moment to pause and appreciate what caught your attention.
If you prefer not to take photographs, you could simply write down one thing you noticed each day.
At the end of the week, look back at your collection.
What patterns do you see?
Did you notice more beauty than you expected?
Did anything surprise you?
And perhaps most importantly:
Did deliberately looking for winter's pleasures change how you experienced the week?
An Additional Experiment: Watch the Weather
If you'd like another challenge, spend a few minutes each day observing the weather without immediately judging it.
Look out the window between tasks.
Notice the changing light.
Pay attention to the clouds, wind, or snowfall.
Compare what you actually observe with the story you were telling yourself about the weather.
You might discover that winter is more varied and interesting than you previously realized.
What Else Might We Be Overlooking?
One of the most meaningful lessons from this chapter extends beyond winter.
If our attention influences how we experience the season, where else might this be happening?
In our relationships?
Our work?
Our homes?
Our health?
Are we sometimes so focused on what's difficult that we overlook what's going well?
This doesn't mean ignoring genuine problems.
It means recognizing that difficulties don't always represent the entire picture.
We can acknowledge challenges while also noticing moments of connection, comfort, progress, and enjoyment.
And sometimes those small observations help us recognize what matters most.
A Reflection for the Week Ahead
I've been thinking about how often I move through my day focused on the next task.
There's always something to accomplish, somewhere to be, or something that needs attention.
But what might I notice if I slowed down long enough to look around?
Perhaps the way the morning light enters our home.
The changing landscape during a walk with our dog.
The quiet beauty of a snowy evening.
Or the simple pleasure of sitting beside the fireplace.
This week's practice is an invitation to become more observant.
Not because we need to convince ourselves that winter is perfect.
But because there may be more to appreciate than we've been noticing.
What we pay attention to becomes part of the life we experience.
And that makes our attention a powerful place to begin.
Next week: We'll explore how the words we use to describe winter can influence our relationship with the season.
Inspired by Chapter 3, "What You See Is What You Get," from How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days by Kari Leibowitz, PhD.
Dr. Rachel Oppitz is a naturopathic doctor and owner of Itasca Naturopathic Clinic in Park Rapids, Minnesota, where she focuses on women's hormonal health, perimenopause, menopause, and whole-person wellness.
