Caroline ’s Reviews > How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days > Status Update
Caroline
is on page 97 of 265
"Mindsets are true but biased: they zoom in on one slice of complicated phenomena. Similarly, our attention is selective: it's meant to filter. Attending to every light, sound, and physical sensation at all times would put you in sensory overload. We can't notice and observe everything, so our mental shortcuts—including our mindsets—help determine our focus. [...] One of the ways mindsets become [BELOW]
— Feb 25, 2026 10:11AM
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Caroline ’s Previous Updates
Caroline
is on page 54 of 265
Author is right that these days seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is unfortunately, like so many other psychological disorders, experiencing over self-diagnosis. Specific criteria characterize this disorder, and most people don't meet those: "Estimates vary, but research generally suggests that in the US, somewhere between 0.5 percent and 3 percent of people suffer from the disorder [...] The vast [BELOW]
— Feb 08, 2026 11:21AM
Caroline
is on page 33 of 265
"While there were questionnaires that asked about seasonal depression, distress, and sleep disorder in winter, there were no surveys that made room for the potentially positive aspects of the season. This not only created problems for my study, it hinted at biases in the larger scientific framework for researching winter. If we can only study what we can measure, the fact that there were no existing [BELOW]
— Feb 02, 2026 11:45AM
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Hehehe, I first thought this was about withstanding the cold season. :D I'm badly equipped for the cold!
Marquise wrote: "Hehehe, I first thought this was about withstanding the cold season. :D I'm badly equipped for the cold!"Ha! Yeah, maybe the title could be better.
Also, I'm glad you pointed that out. I'll emphasize in my review that this isn't a how-to about selecting the right cold-weather gear.
Interesting, especially about how commonly portrayed negative adjectives for winter are becoming the default for people's perception. I look forward to your review and final thoughts on this one, Caroline.
Cher 'N Books wrote: "Interesting, especially about how commonly portrayed negative adjectives for winter are becoming the default for people's perception. I look forward to your review and final thoughts on this one, C..."It is interesting. I'm guilty of the negativity myself, but this book has been helpful.
Widespread and continual narratives that winter is dreary, dead, sad, and limiting are shaping most people's mindsets in the negative direction. These qualities are not, however, objectively true. Author lived and studied in the arctic city of Tromsø, Norway, where, during the Polar Night, residents live two months without the sun. Not only are residents not saddened and limited by cold temperatures and the Polar Night, but they anticipate and savor both, as the author details when discussing her life there.