Winter was my most-hated season when I was a kid. I was freezing all the time, inside and out. I hated walking to school in the snow and sitting in school with sopping wet pants, socks and shoes for hours. I hated sled riding and playing in the snow and as a GenX kid of Silent Gen parents, we were required to be out of the house pretty much every day no matter what the weather was doing outside.
I hated cold weather throughout my 20s and into my 30s, skidding down icy sidewalks on platform heels in tiny clothing, sometimes without even a coat to cover up with as I didn't want to have to worry about a coat inside a club.
This was not the way.
Some of this I had no control over. My parents were poor so they were extremely miserly about the heat and it was never warm enough for me. I would sit on the heat register, nearly burning my skin, in an attempt to warm my bones. But this blocked the heat for others so I was scooted off as soon as I was discovered.
As I was quite thin as a child (I wish I had that problem now), I had no body heat to keep me warm and I was freezing as soon as the temperature inside dropped below about 70. We weren't allowed to touch the thermostat and our big, drafty house was not well-insulated so it was always cold inside to me, no matter how much clothing I put on. And a lot of my clothing was insufficient for the weather. We never had anything insulated or waterproof, didn't have proper clothing to be playing outdoors in the snow without getting wet and risking frostbite. We couldn't afford it, and I didn't know it existed. I couldn't understand people who loved cold weather.
As a young adult, I loved living in apartments with free heat, where I could finally be as warm as I wanted, all winter long. But I still hated being outside, dealing with the weather, and never would have done it voluntarily, but I had to go to work. Such is life.
With age comes wisdom.
In my mid-30s I researched Seasonal Affective Disorder and tried sitting in front of a light box for several minutes a day, but this just made me angry. Why did I have to live somewhere where I had to sit in front of a light box in order to try to feel happy enough to function normally? I was tied to Ohio through family, and eventually, through my child, so leaving wasn't an option. But I began going outside more when I was in my early 40s, after I had my kid. I would ride the elevator 40 floors down just to stand outside my office building for 10 minutes getting whatever light there was. I don't think it did much to help, but those were my early attempts at trying to meet cold weather head-on.
Kids love playing in the snow, even really little ones, so after I had my kid I started to get outside more in colder months. I decided to start hiking with my baby on my back and taking him to fall and winter festivals around town. Turns out when you're active outside, it's not as bad. I began jogging on trails but when the snow flew, it was too cold for me, even while jogging.
I read up on how to dress for different kinds of weather when you run outdoors. This was new to me and I realized I was wearing all the wrong stuff. I spent a lot of time at thrift stores and you wouldn't believe how much perfectly good clothing there is for layering up properly for cold outdoor weather. Other than my special running hat I bought that had a hole for my ponytail and my specialty running bras which are made for people with my shape, almost all of my cold weather running gear was acquired on thrift. Under Armor, Nike, North Face fleeces, Patagonia coats, you name it. People get tired of stuff, outgrow it, move or pass away and thrift stores are packed with great workout clothing. I began layering, wearing the right kinds of gloves, and realized it wasn't so bad, especially if I was in nature and moving.
The woods can be incredibly pretty in the winter, and so quiet. Just going for a walk in the snow, even if it's cold and blustery, can improve your mood. It's true what they say about the light, and exercise - and when combined, even when it's cloudy, it can help a lot. I know it's hard when all you see is gray slush on the commute to and from work, and when all you want to do when you aren't at work is tuck into the couch with a blanket and some snacks, but the inside feels even more cozy if you get out there and move around in nature when it's cold. I make myself get out there on weekend mornings all year now. Only very icy conditions keep me inside, and that time is temporary.
There's a saying in Norway that is integral to their way of life, "There is no bad weather, only bad clothing," and I finally learned that in my 40s.
Proper footwear, headgear, layers and gloves make all the difference. No light box needed. Hope you'll give it a try.