It can feel tough to get outside as the days get colder and shorter. Heading out for a walk on a rainy, windy or snowy day isn’t the average American’s definition of a dreamy experience, but researchers in Norway say it’s a practice Norwegians hold dear for many important reasons.
In Norway, it’s common for people to get outside all year because of the practice of “friluftsliv,” a concept first named by Henrik Ibsen, a Norwegian playwright. The term translates to “open-air life,” said Kari Leibowitz, a health psychologist based in Amsterdam and an expert in winter mindset in Norway. Leibowitz is also the author of “How To Winter.” Friluftsliv offers a range of emotional, physical and mental health benefits, such as stress relief and a boost in mood.
This isn’t just a feel-good trend, either. The practice of friluftsliv goes so deep that there’s coursework and entire college majors related to the topic, explained Helga Synnevåg Løvoll, a professor of friluftsliv in Norway. Friluftsliv encompasses education, traditions, nature access and more, and is something that children are taught to cherish starting at a young age.
“I think about it as connection with nature — living in a way that is connected with nature and the outdoors as part of your daily everyday life,” Leibowitz said. It’s not something that is done on occasion, but is instead part of your “regular everyday existence.”
