
The beginning of a new year: a time for optimism, ambitious plans to improve the world, and the grim suspicion that the first two months might be a miserable slog through the deepest winter gloom.
But for those who fear the cold and the dark, help is on the horizon. Researchers in Canada are studying a simple trick they hope will boost poor morale even when the days are short and frost is in the air.
“People really need something to help them get through the winter, especially after Christmas,” said Dr. Holly-Anne Passmore, a psychologist leading the study at Concordia University in Edmonton, Alberta. “If people don’t like winter in the first place, they don’t really see anything good in it.”
Between January and March, the plan is for at least 100 volunteers in Edmonton — a city where winter days can mean seven hours of daylight and temperatures as low as -35 degrees Celsius — to spend two weeks going about their normal routines, but with a twist. Simple one.
While outside, participants will be instructed to pay attention to the natural amid the man-made — the frozen tree next to the tower building, the animal footprints on the snowy sidewalk, the icicles hanging from the roof of the warehouse — and take notes about how it makes them feel.
Before and after the experiment, dubbed “Observing Nature,” participants will fill out questionnaires so researchers can assess their levels of anxiety, stress, happiness, life satisfaction, and sense of connection to the world. They will then work to determine whether observing nature in a built environment provides some support.
The volunteers’ results, along with stress-related salivary enzyme measurements, will be compared with the results of a control group that will carry out its activities without instructions to change its behavior.
The experiment will last for two weeks to help people get into the habit of observing nature, but could this simple trick have a real impact? Passmore says the simplicity of the intervention shouldn’t put people off. “People tend to underestimate how good they feel when they observe nature,” she said. “Part of it is our whole Western society. We want cereal, we want something new and improved, we always want the latest.”
Along with its parks, trees and other plants, Edmonton is home to squirrels, rabbits, coyotes, beavers and hundreds of species of wild birds. In the hustle and bustle of everyday life, they easily go unnoticed. “We know that people are becoming more and more disconnected from nature,” Passmore said. “One reason is the built environment we live in, but we’re also stuck on our phones. Honestly, we just need to look around.
Passmore believes that winter brings with it a special joy: the trees sparkle with frost, animal tracks are visible in the snow, and the color palette and soundscape change. The cold is fresher, and the night sky is clearer. “You’re more likely to see the stars and the northern lights because you won’t have to wait until 2 a.m.,” she said. “It’s more active to be outside in the winter. I always think of it as a kind of adventure. Every time you go out it’s exhilarating.”
Gary Evans, director of the Forest Bathing Institute, which runs nature sessions with Forestry England and conducts research with universities, urged people to stay warm and get out to see nature around them.
“A lot of times people think they don’t have time, but it doesn’t have to take a long time,” he added. “Just find a manageable starting point. On your way to work, give yourself a few extra minutes. If there are two subway lines, walk down the tree-lined street. If people enjoy it, they will increase the time they spend doing it.”