10 Design Tips for Boosting Your Mood This Winter

You’re not imagining it: Science has proven that shorter, darker, colder days can impact our moods for the worse, resulting in Seasonal Affective Disorder (aptly abbreviated “SAD”). But don’t worry — there’s hope. Some of the darkest, coldest countries in the world also consistently rank off the charts for happiness. One way you can beat the winter blues is to channel hygge, or the Danish concept evoking coziness and contentment, suggests Dr. Laurie Santos, the Yale professor behind the famous Science of Wellbeing course and the podcast The Happiness Lab.

The reason the Danes are such happy people in spite of their long, cold, dark winters is that they embrace all the lovely aspects of spending time indoors, Dr. Santos says. She suggests you "savor the kinds of things that are nice about being inside, whether that's hanging out with family, or a warm cup of coffee or snuggling up with a nice blanket."