READ: Facing this uncomfortable truth is the key to happiness

The key to thriving in winter is to ’embrace boredom’, according to a happiness expert, but you have to push through the ‘discomfort’ of doing nothing first.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Dr Tim Sharp, who is also known as Dr Happy, said winter is the perfect time to embrace simple pleasures and sink into comfort.

The main issue people have with this is that they will ‘do anything’ to escape boredom.

But true happiness and contentment, as well as the healing feeling of complete calm, can only happen if we stop and embrace the slower, less stimulating state.

‘It is about redefining happiness, there are a lot of different types. There are the high-arousal forms like joy and excitement, then there are the low arousal types like calmness which are also important,’ he said.

And winter is the best time to embrace them.

In winter it is easy to complain about the weather until it heats up, Dr Happy says, but then you limit your ability to feel happy year-round.

This can rob you of years worth of happiness and joyful experiences. Over a 70-year life people who ‘shut down’ and ‘refuse to be happy’ over the modest three-month Australian winter will waste a total of 17.5 years to negativity.

In colder climates this is compounded – showcasing the extreme need to embrace boredom and sit through the discomfort of low-stimulation, to find comfort in calm on the other side.

Dr Tim explained Covid lockdowns helped people embrace boredom – but they have already ‘forgotten’ how to do it.

‘During Covid people were reading more, playing more board games which inspires connection which is key to happiness, and becoming more creative,’ he said.

Instead of going out, seeking adventure or stimulating your brain with hours and hours of screen time each day, Dr Tim says we should be embracing the unique gifts of the season.

His theories are backed by a recent survey from meal kit delivery service, HelloFresh, which shows 53 per cent of all Australians are experiencing ‘Winter Woes’ right now. 

As 41 per cent of Australians associate the seasonal shift with sadness and loneliness, the biggest barriers to achieving comfort and satisfaction in winter are lack of sunlight, cold homes, poor heating and our inability to spend time outside.

In Scandinavia – where they are forced to embrace winter more than three months of the year – they acknowledge the idea of embracing small comforts.

They also make the most of the mundane instead of constantly seeking adventure or whining through the winter months.

 They call it Hygge (pronounced ‘Hyoo-guh’) and it was initially a Danish concept.

‘Hygge encourages us to reframe how we feel about our time indoors and the winter months by finding comfort in the discomfort and embracing cosiness to boost our moods and make the cooler months more bearable,’ Dr Tim said.

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‘Fortunately, simple adjustments to our environment and habits can help us traverse those barriers to the comfort we all feel. This can be as simple as creating cosy and inviting spaces in our homes with warm tones and soft textures to promote relaxation. Our choices in food can also have a great impact.

‘Preparing hearty winter-warmer meals such as soups, stews and roasts like those available from HelloFresh, can assist with satiation, reduce irritability and warm us from the inside out.’

Dr Tim said a great example of Hygge and celebrating the mundane is the gentle happiness which comes from wrapping up in a warm blanket or soft jumper. 

He reflected on parents telling their kids to ‘be bored’ and finding them doing something amazing later on – like building a fort or creating something.

He wants everyone to embrace that – no matter their age.