Make Winter Your Whole Personality
In Minnesota, we understand the assignment.
As one of the coldest states in the U.S., typically ranked third behind Alaska and North Dakota, we know a thing or two about winter.
We take pride in our ability to not only survive cold temps, but to spend all day in the elements. We love to see how long we can wait each fall to turn up the thermostat. If our spouse complains they are cold, we reply, “put on some wool socks.”
Winter begins in late October and extends through early May.
That’s a full six months of winter folks.
In Minnesota, we know how to do winter.
Most of us have the classic winter uniform- a puffy long black coat with fur trim.
In addition, we may have a dozen (or more) winter coats for various other activities and temperatures.
Minimalists struggle in Minnesota. Because in Minnesota, we need stuff- lots and lots of winter stuff.
We need totes for our winter wardrobes: fair isle sweaters, fleece, and wool base layers. We need a ski coat, a fall coat, an early winter coat, a polar-vortex proof coat, a going-to-town coat, a coat for doing chores, and on and on.
We love to tell others, “there’s no such thing as bad weather, just bad clothing!”
In Minnesota, we love to shame anyone without the full inventory items required in the event of car trouble.
We stuff our children’s chubby hands in mittens and force them outdoors to convince them that they too love it outside.
There are many different winter vibes- snowmobiling, ice-fishing, skiing (of all the various types), hockey, hockey fans who endure frozen bleachers, snow-shoeing, ice skating, winter camping, dog sledding, surfing on Lake Superior in winter, sauna + cold plunging in an ice hole, curling, snow fort building, snowboarding, dog sledding, fat tire biking, curling, playing broom hockey, sledding, and more.
You can either be someone that complains about winter or join us. (**But feel free to complain about winter if we get more than 6 inches of snow in April).
We understand that we have to go out into the weather, embrace it, make it our own. This is the only way to thrive in the long months of darkness.
We proudly post photos of ourselves braving the snow and cold to see the northern lights or to catch the big one, a badge of honor to prove to friends in warmer states that winter can be fun. To say, “see? winter actually IS beautiful.” And whether we are doing so to prove something to others or to ourselves, the end result is that we end up believing it.
If struggling to make conversation with a Minnesotan, simply ask them about their favorite winter gear.
If we fail to embrace winter activities, we are at risk of fully transitioning into a couch cushion.
In Minnesota we understand that the best approach to surviving winter is to make winter our whole personality.
For the six months of winter we eat, sleep and breathe weather reports. At the coffee cooler we swap stories of our winter prowess. We compare snow totals and low temperatures the way other states surely brag about their beloved cities, best beaches, historical sites, or rugged peaks.
In Minnesota we hold a wildly popular statewide competition to name snowplows.
I am unapologetically Minnesotan. I collect winter coats. I do “forced family fun” in January and February, when winter is at its most bleak, where we trek outside for an activity that almost always turns into real fun. I understand that while I may want to stay home and eat bread by the fire all day, I have to get out and xc ski or snowshoe at every opportunity.
Minnesotans understand that the best way to feel rested is to exert oneself to exhaustion in the depths of winter.
I have learned that to thrive in winter is to carry out a battle of resilience and resolve, to boldly step out that door no matter the temperature.
And so my fellow Minnesotans, embrace the hygge for sure, but also, go forth and be who you were born to be- hearty, winter-embracing, fools! Godspeed!
Minnesotans, we are hearty & hardy!
Winter Solstice Live Virtual Workshop
Self-Care in Winter; where Hygge meets Friluftsliv
December 21, 2023
7:00 pm - 9:00 pm
Light a candle, make yourself a comfy and quiet space, grab your mat and journal, and treat yourself to 120 minutes of self-care. It can be fun to share the practice and your answers with a friend or loved one!
