Hej everyone and welcome back for another installment of the second-year international student shares wisdom with the prospective students. All jokes aside, today I want to address one of the biggest fears of international students in Sweden – Swedish winter.

This Sunday, October 30th, daylight saving time ends in Sweden and clocks go back by 1 hour. This effectively means that both the sunrise and the sunset will be an hour earlier – more daylight in the morning and earlier beginning of evenings. Not surprisingly, a lot of people experience worry and anxiety about how they are going to deal with shorter days, gray weather, and cold. That’s why, today I want to share my experience of my first winter in Sweden and some of the best ways I stayed cheerful and positive.

First and foremost, let me reassure you and tell you – it will all be well! Now let’s get started with some tips:

  1. Set realistic expectations

I believe the biggest thing that helped me with the first Swedish winter was having an understanding of what I was getting myself into. Acknowledging that it will indeed get much darker than what you might be used to in your home country is crucial. I had visited Sweden once before during November, so I had a firsthand experience of Swedish winter days, but you do not have to have been here during winter to set expectations. In Östergötland, the region where LiU is located, the earliest recorded sunset last year was at 15:04, on December 15th. This means that daylight effectively ends at this time and we have darkness until 8:00 the next morning. Aside from statistical information, there are several YouTube videos and blogs that talk in depth about what Scandinavian winter is like. Last year, I used to watch a lot of them in anticipation for the upcoming season and not a lot was unexpected, by the time November came around.

  1. Take Care of Your Health

This tip probably sounds like your parent pushing their healthy agenda on you, but in this case, this is absolutely necessary. Shorter days, lack of sun, and cold can be very hard on the body, especially if you are not used to harsh winters. In addition, darker days come during the general flu season, which could mean you falling behind on studies due to poor health.

 

Make sure you stock up on natural vitamin C sources, such as citruses and some ginger. Cup of warm tea is already a necessity at this time, and why not spice it up a bit more?!

The lack of sunshine is also challenging for the body’s vitamin D levels. Almost everyone takes vitamin D supplement in Sweden during winter and my experience was no different. I started early on in September and I am very grateful for it; my friends that started later in the year really struggled with energy levels and emotional well-being for the first half of darker season.

It goes without saying that you should consider your health needs and speak with your doctor before you take any medication, but this is just a friendly reminder that your vitamin D levels will struggle and it will affect your physically, as well as emotionally.

  1. Stay Active

During the darker months, when the day ends at 15:00 and we barely ever see true sunshine, it is very easy to stay within the comfort of your room or house. But is it always the best decision for yourself? Definitely not!

Staying connected with your friends and classmates, and keeping yourself physically and socially active is crucial in these months. Thankfully, Sweden offers a variety of indoors (and sometimes even outdoors) activities to make those days enjoyable and fun. Last year, my friends and I used to get together on regular basis: for playing board-games at each other’s houses, getting drinks at a local bar, chatting over fika, or just keeping each other company over dinners.We also found a local climbing place and went there quite regularly. It kept us physically active, but also gave a reason to leave the room and do something fun together.

Sweden also offers a variety of winter sport activities, such as skiing and ice-skating. In Norrköping, we had a beautiful ice rank open for a month and it was free to skate for everyone interested. Additionally, you can rent skates, skis and other equipment for free from a local place called Fritidsbanken. This is especially handy for anyone who likes skiing but can’t afford it or anyone who wants to go for camping at the local area.

  1. Enjoy the Holiday Season

Large majority of darker months in Sweden fall on a very festive time, end of Autumn and December.

This is an excellent way to forget about the dreadful darkness and enjoy the coziness that holidays bring. Halloween, All Saints’ Day (Allhelgonadagen), Christmas – these are just a few of festivities that you will experience here. For each of them, city centers are decorated and lit up. This is especially true for the advent weeks before Christmas. In Norrköping, one of the tallest buildings in the city center is turned into a candle-holder; four gigantic candles will be lit up one after another for each advent Sundays, leading up to Christmas.

Beginning of November will mark an All Saints’ Day or Allhelgonadagen. A lot of locals will be visiting the cemeteries and paying respect to their family members there. Traditionally, people bring candles with them and light them for each loved one. During this night cemeteries are lit up with beautiful flames, it’s quite a sight to see. If you can, take a small walk in the evening and enjoy this tradition with your friends.

  1. Cozy Up Your Room

If you are a lover of decorative lights, candles and warm blankets, then Swedish winter is truly for you. As we move into the darker season, more and more stores will start selling decorative stars, twinkly lights, Christmas candle holders, incense, etc. Take advantage of the variety of options and turn your room into your comfort space. I did the same last year and it made an amazing difference in how much I enjoyed staying in and how much peace it brought me.

My most valued advice in this regard would be to include small plants in your room. During the days when the temperature drops and skies are gray, it is so soothing to see a small living thing growing within your room. Even though it was a struggle at first to get a hang of it, now my plant babies are one of my favorite things in Sweden and I cannot wait to see them thrive.

  1. Embrace It All

Last but not least, probably the best advice I can give you, is to take it all in as yet another adventure in Sweden. If you don’t plan on staying in Scandinavia, chances are you will not experience many more similar winters, so why not look at it as one big experience, full of exciting and curious details. Embrace the cold, enjoy the snow, try winter sports, and make sure to preserve these memories for the years to come!

 

I hope you make the most of this season, once you move to Sweden.

Until next time – Gvantsa

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