Swedish Winter Darkness

One of the most talked about things when starting you move to Sweden is the darkness in Winter. Linköping is not that high up north. But still, from around October/November the days start to be quite short and cold. December is the worst month. The sun will rise around 9am and set around 3pm, meaning you only get between 6 or 7 hours of daylight. That is not a lot. Combined with the cold rainy or snowy weather it can get a bit depressing. Even when the sun is out it has no strength, so you will feel no warmth. From January/February on the daylight hours increase again. To me these are the most challenging months as by then you have enough of darkness and both months are still very cold.

Even though I’m from northern Germany where the sun set early in winter too, I get surprised and a bit overwhelmed by it every year. Here are some things that I do to still make the most of the day.

The first important thing is to get out of the house! This seems like an obvious thing, but it is not as easy sometimes. When it’s dark at 3pm there really is no motivation to actually do it. These are my go-to activities:

Workout: Working out is always a great option to get out and get some movement in. You could go to the gym or take some group classes. Several times a week I go to train BJJ at the Budoklubb Linköping. I chose the place because it’s quite close to where I live. I walk over in 2 minutes so even when it’s cold raining or dark I will still be able to go. I prefer group training as you also have some social interaction which is always really fun.
Go for walks: This is something I recommend doing during the day, so you can take advantage of the daylight. Fresh air (even if it’s icy cold) is always helpful, especially when you spend you days studying inside. It’s even better when you take a friend with you to just have a nice talk.
Meet friends for fika or dinner: Making plans with friends always motivates me to get out. There are so many nice cafes and restaurants in Linköping that are especially cosy during the winter days. With some hot coffee and good company the darkness is easy forgotten!

Secondly, I recommend you do, is take some Vitamin D supplements. As I mentioned before even if the sun is out it has no strength. You therefore need to get your daily Vitamin D doses from somewhere else. You can get pills or drops at the pharmacy or sometimes even at supermarkets. Make sure you read the instruction and dosage carefully before though!

And lastly I have to say that I also love to spend the dark nights in my armchair reading. Sometimes it is nice to stay inside with a cup of tea, relax and emerge into a different world.

I hope this gives you some insight into what winter is like in Sweden (Linköping specifically).

All the best,