How to Winter

Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days

By: Kari Leibowitz PhD

Narrated by: Kari Leibowitz PhD

Length: 8 hrs and 24 mins

Publisher's summary

A blend of mindset science, original research, and cultural insights for cultivating a positive “wintertime mindset,” to vanquish winter blues and find joy and comfort in dark times year-round.

Do you dread the end of Daylight Saving Time and grouch about the long, chilly season of gray skies and ice? Do you find yourself in a slump every January and February? What if there were a way to rethink this time of year? Psychologist and winter expert Kari Leibowitz’s galvanizing HOW TO WINTER uses mindset science to help listeners embrace winter as a season to be enjoyed, not endured—and in turn, learn powerful lessons that can impact our mental wellbeing throughout the year.

Kari Leibowitz moved above the Arctic Circle–where the sun doesn’t rise for two months each winter–expecting to research the season’s negative effects on mental health, only to find that inhabitants actually looked forward to it with delight and enthusiasm. Leibowitz has since travelled to places on earth with some of the coldest, darkest, longest and most intense winters, and discovered the power of “wintertime mindset—viewing the season as full of opportunity and wonder. Impactful strategies for cultivating this wintertime mindset can teach us not just about braving the gray, cold months of the year, but also the darker and more difficult seasons of life.

• In Tromsø, Norway, people live in rhythm with nature, adapting to the months-long Polar Night by honoring seasonal fluctuations in energy, slowing down, and resting more.
• On the Isle of Lewis, off the coast of Scotland, communal gatherings around roaring fires embrace darkness and provide connection during long nights.
• In Yamagata, Japan, families sink into steaming onsen baths, banishing the chill of winter with healthful soaks that improve sleep and reduce risk of heart attack.

Inspired by cutting-edge psychological and behavioral science research as well as cultures worldwide that find warmth and joy in winter’s extremes, HOW TO WINTER provides listeners with concrete tools for making winter wonderful wherever they live and harnessing the power of small mindset changes with big impact to help listeners embrace every season of life.

©2024 Kari Leibowitz (P)2024 Penguin Audio

Critic reviews

"A fresh, inviting journey into stories and research that demonstrate how our mindsets can transform our experience of winter and, as a result, our lives year-round. Kari Leibowitz has written a practical guide to harnessing our mindsets to help us find meaning in darkness and difficulty. This book offers essential strategies for turning life's challenges into opportunities for growth."
—Carol Dweck, renowned psychologist and bestselling author of Mindset

"How to Winter is one of the most fascinating and transformative books I've read in a long time. Leibowitz offers a brilliant examination of how mindsets shape our experiences, a rollicking travelogue of her own adventures, and a life-changing guide to finding joy and meaning during the darkest months of the year. This is a stunning debut from a major new thinker."
—Daniel H. Pink, New York Times bestselling author of When, Drive, and The Power of Regret

"The perfect mix of science, story-telling, and practical advice, How to Winter is not just a guide to finding joy and wonder in winter—it’s also a truly life-changing education about human nature and psychology. It’s a book that will help you find magic and meaning in everyday life and one you'll want to give to the people you love."
—Kelly McGonigal, bestselling author of The Willpower Instinct

Could be much shorter

I thought this book was ok. The message is "embrace winter", and the book reads more like a list of ways to do that. Some supporting studies are provided, but it doesn't feel super rigorous. I think the main concept plus critical supporting evidence could have been conveyed in about 10 pages, but maybe I'm missing the point.

This book is life changing

I loved this book. The author was a great narrator, sharing intriguing insights and playful stories in an engaging, understandable way. The lessons taught will stick with me for a long time. Honestly, this book isn’t just about winter - it’s about everything. It’s a hugely helpful guide to using your mindset to change your everyday experience, whether it’s cold and dark, or warm and sunny. I can’t recommend it more highly!