This is the ‘secret to happiness’ right now – and most people will find it very uncomfortable at first

According to a happiness expert, the key to success in winter is to ’embrace boredom’, but you have to overcome the ‘discomfort’ of doing nothing at first.

Speaking to FEMAIL, Dr Tim Sharp aka Dr. HappyWinter is the perfect time to embrace simple pleasures and sink into comfort.

The main problem people have with this is that they will ‘do anything’ to escape boredom.

But true happiness and contentment, as well as the healing feeling of complete calm, can only happen when we stop and embrace the slower, less stimulating state.

‘It’s about redefining happiness, there are many different types. There are forms of high arousal, such as joy and excitement, and there are forms of low arousal, such as calmness, that are also important,” he said.

And winter is the best time to embrace them.

In winter, it’s easy to complain about the weather until it warms up, says Dr. Happy, but then you limit your ability to feel happy all year round.

This can rob you of years of happiness and joyful experiences. Over a seventy-year lifetime, people who “shut down” and “refuse to be happy” during the modest three-month Australian winter will waste a total of 17.5 years in negativity.

In colder climates this is exacerbated – demonstrating the extreme need to embrace boredom and endure the discomfort of little stimulation, only to find solace in calm on the other side.

Dr. Tim explained that Covid lockdowns have helped people embrace boredom, but they have already ‘forgotten’ how to do so.

“During Covid, people were reading more, playing more board games that encourage connection, which is the key to happiness, and becoming more creative,” he said.

He said ’embracing boredom’ is important and can bring families together to enjoy the more simple things like board games

Instead of heading out, seeking adventure, or stimulating your brain with hours of screen time each day, Dr. Tim says we should embrace the unique gifts of the season.

His theories are supported by a recent survey from meal kit delivery service HelloFresh, which found that 53 percent of all Australians are currently experiencing ‘Winter Woes’.

With 41 percent of Australians associating the change of season with sadness and loneliness, the biggest barriers to achieving comfort and contentment in winter are the lack of sunlight, cold homes, poor heating and our inability to spend time outside.

In Scandinavia – where they have to embrace winter for more than three months a year – they recognize the idea of ​​embracing small comforts.

They also make the most of the everyday rather than constantly seeking adventure or whining through the winter months.

They call it Hygge (pronounced ‘Hyoo-guh’) and it was initially a Danish concept.

The Hygge concept encourages choosing warmth and closeness in winter instead of going outside or constantly looking for stimulation and adventure

‘Hygge encourages us to reframe how we think about our time indoors and the winter months, finding comfort in the discomfort and embracing coziness to improve our mood and make the colder months more bearable,’ said Dr Tim.

‘Fortunately, simple adjustments to our environment and habits can help us overcome the barriers to the comfort we all feel. This can be as simple as creating cozy and inviting spaces in our homes with warm tones and soft textures to promote relaxation. Our nutritional choices can also have a major impact.

‘Preparing hearty winter-warmer meals such as soups, stews and roasts like those available from HelloFresh can help satiate, reduce irritability and warm us from the inside out.’

Dr. Tim said a great example of hygge and celebrating the everyday is the gentle happiness that comes from wrapping yourself in a warm blanket or soft sweater.

He thought about parents who told their children they were “bored” and later saw them doing something amazing, like building a fort or creating something.

He wants everyone to embrace that, regardless of their age.