The Still of Winter
Winter used to be a very depressing time of year for me. Here in the Midwestern part of the US, winter is that time of year when the trees are barren of their leaves, the sky is often monotone grey, and the air hurts. There’s snow on the ground and ice on the sidewalks, which makes being outside a little more dangerous than it should be.
I’ve learned one of the ways to combat the winter blues or, for some, Seasonal Affective Disorder, is to embrace the season. We need to get outside, and feel the air, smell the purity in it, and acclimate ourselves to the cold. The more we’re in it, the less it’ll bother us.
There’s actually some peer-reviewed science behind this. According to a review posted by Frontiers in Physiology, cold exposure activates brown adipose tissue (BAT), which leads to increased energy expenditure, which can help with weight management and improved metabolic health. Unlike white fat, which stores energy, brown fat burns energy to generate heat in a process called non-shivering thermogenesis.
That adaptation from shivering thermogenesis to non-shivering is key. According to the Journal of Applied Physiology, daily compensable cold exposure in humans reduces shivering by about 20% without changing total heat production, which is down through an increase of that brown fat. In other words, your body becomes more efficient in keeping itself warm the more acclimated we are. This is why you’ll see Midwesterners in shorts and a hoodie in 20ºF weather, though I don’t disagree that’s not just a little crazy. But, over time, the cold tends to hurt a little less the more we’re exposed to it. So don’t be afraid to get outside.
But, I’ve also noticed a stillness in this time of year when there’s a nice snowpack on the ground. It turns out snow is a great acoustic absorber. This is because fresh snow is extremely porous, with the typical snowpack being around 90–95% air trapped between ice crystals. The structure ends up being similar to those foam panels you see in recording studios. I’ve noticed a difference on one of the trails I walk, which is next to a highway, that I’ll hear less traffic noise during the winter, especially while or just after snowfall.
I love that quiet. It gives the feeling of being entirely secluded, even though I’m still in a very urban environment. I think of my walks as my “zen time” and that kind of silence is such a boost to my experience and mood. Overall, it’s improving both my mental and physical health, which is a huge boost to battling the blues from this time of year.
