My Essential Winter Habits as a Finnish American

As days get shorter, nights get longer, and weather gets frosty, it's important to maintain yourself through self-care routines. These are some habits and elements of my routine I emphasize during the winter months to stay at the top of my game. 

Wake Up Early

I wake up at exactly 5:45 Monday-Friday, and sleep in till 7:30-8:00 on Saturdays and Sundays. Dark mornings with a hot cup of coffee and warm light of my salt lamps are truly healing.

Hot Swim, Cold Swim

I'm grateful to have constant access to a cold swimming pool and a hot tub.  I like to go for semi-weekly swims alternating between the cold and hot pools to really shock my system. One review by Knechtle et al. states that "cold water swimming could be a treatment for depression as it activates the sympathetic nervous system and increases the concentration of norepinephrine and β-endorphin". They provide anecdotal evidence of a cold water swimming regimen being used to successfully treat depression.

Sauna

This one is obvious. For me, the best part of sauna is the ambiance, scent, feel of the wood, etc. 

Always Dress Properly

You will never catch me shivering in the cold. I always look at the forecast to know what sort of outerwear I need before I go out. Layer up, wear your coat, have an umbrella on standby. Remember there is no bad weather, only bad outfits.

Read

My most frequent reads are fashion articles and religious books. I also love reading books about Finland, and my favorite one lately has been my print copy of The Finnish Way by Katja Pantzar. I love Russian literature in the winter as well, like Eugene Onegin by Alexander Pushkin or anything Dostoyevsky.

Low Impact Exercise

I love doing barre workouts, mat pilates, and light weightlifting. For me, exercise should be fun, not stressful. If I'm not having a good time, I quit. Oddly enough, I've seen the most results with this method.

Don't be Gluttonous

There's a fine line between indulgence and gluttony, and I do my best to avoid crossing it. This is especially important November through December, where constant overeating, or even general overconsumption, is normalized socially. 

High Protein Diet

I eat fish almost every day--either tuna or pickled herring. This helps keep my energy levels up through the day. I loosely follow a Nordic diet year-round, which I started after abandoning veganism in 2022.