Three ways to deal with Nordic darkness

Pick up some winter sports

 

In Sweden, many people engage in more or less casual outdoor activities throughout the year. During the early fall, for example, many Swedes go hiking and enjoy taking long weekend walks, and in the wintertime, cross country skiing and ice skating are common ways for many to keep active, socialize, and stay warm. Even if you don’t have a sports background, most of these activities are quite easy to pick up, and Swedes are normally delighted to help beginners take their first steps. To regularly get outside and get your pulse up is, in other words, a good way to get out of bed, energize, and make new sporty friends.

 

Get involved with a Swedish association

 

If you, nonetheless, would rather stay indoors, it is probably a good idea to still try to participate in some kind of collective activity. In Sweden, there is, for example, a wide range of sports and volunteer associations, most of which won’t require you to spend any time at all out in the cold. Although seeking out a Swedish organization of this kind might seem like a big step, in most parts of Sweden, people are in short supply. In other words, your local Red Cross committee or ping-pong sports team will, in all likelihood, welcome you with open arms.

 

Adopt the Swedish way of coziness

 

Throughout most of autumn, winter, and early spring, Swedes have a habit of expending tremendous energies on getting cozy with friends and family. Especially during night time, this time of the year, Swedes can often be found in their living rooms snuggling up under warm blankets with good food and wine, lots of flickering candles, and a good movie. Even if you don’t have a normal Swedish home to go to, getting cozy like never before is a safe way to fend off the winter gloom wherever you might spend your evenings.