Reykjavík Grapevine - 19.11.2018, Qupperneq 16

16 The Reykjavík Grapevine
Issue 19— 2018
Icelandic winters can be hard and long.
It’s good to prepare, because winter is
coming and with it lethargy, melancholy
and a lot of irony. Let’s face it, it’ll be
cold, rainy and depressing, so there’s
no point in making life harder than it is
already. Step in front of the mirror, smile
at yourself for the day ahead (or laugh at
yourself if you feel on edge) and off you
go. It worked for the Evil Queen in Snow
White. Conquer the world by sharing
your positive and not-at-all-annoyed self
with whoever happens to be there.
1. Take your vitamins
Vitamins are life savers. You’ve probably
heard it before like a hundred times, but
human beings only learn by constant
repetition and sometimes you just gotta
tell someone for the thousandth time.
You won’t see the sun very often, which
means that your body will crave Vita-
min D. Set an alarm and pop those pills.
Also, take your omega-3. It might seem
strange to take a shot of cod liver oil daily
but, oh well, you’re in Iceland now, get
used to it.
2. Use daylight lamps
Yes, it’s dark during the winter. No,
you cannot change that. What you can
change is how you lighten up your day.
Every electronics store has these lamps
in stock, and they work wonders. Not
only do you get to see (simulated) light
for once, but daylight lamps help your
biorhythm and get your motivation
going. Don’t expect a miracle—it will
still suck getting up in the morning.
3. Exercise
Who doesn’t like exercising? You? Well,
it’s time to face the fact that nothing
comes from nothing. Put on your sweat-
pants and (I know
what you’re hoping to
hear) DON’T sit down
on the couch. Not sure
how to exercise? Let’s
take it step by step.
First, go online. Now
search for “exercise
[insert any area of
your body that you’d
like to improve].”
Check? Perfect, now
just follow through.
Exercise will release
endorphins, wake you
up, and—fun fact—
prepare you for that
summer body that
you didn’t know you
wanted.
4. Bring out that inner yogi
Yeah, yoga is awesome. No, yoga isn’t
just some spiritual BS. Try it, it might
surprise you. It’s as relaxing as a nap, but
releases more stress and anxiety. Breath-
ing exercises, dogs, cows, and other
animals will be your constant compan-
ion and eventually make you appreciate
yourself more. Positivity is key. Namaste!
5. “If you like pina coladas…”
Drink them.
6. Go for walks
Get your butt out of the house! The couch
will still be there when you come home.
There is no nicer country for walks than
Iceland. Feel the cold air in your face,
throw snowballs at strangers, and then
get your heart rate up running away if
they chase you. And don’t worry, you
don’t have to walk for hours—just make
sure that you increase your oxygen intake
and you’ll start feeling more energetic.
7. Use irony
Try to be very serious and bitter in the
winter months, because dark days need
exactly that. Just kidding—please try
to take things easy, and with a certain
degree of irony. No one will pick on you
for having a bad day, but having a smile
on your face goes a long way. Other
people will like you more, because you
are a friendly human. If they like you,
they will be nicer to you, and as a result
you’ll feel better. Unless you like being
disliked. In which case return to stage 5.
8. Coffee
Not sure why coffee is even on the list.
It’s pretty self-explanatory. Drink coffee,
drink more coffee, take a bath in coffee,
grow your own coffee, be coffee.
9. Be good to yourself
So what if you gain some weight. Let’s
just call it... winter padding. Be good to
yourself, treat yourself, be nice to your-
self. Candy, pizza and burgers are wait-
ing for you and are silently screaming
your name. Well, don’t let them wait.
Happiness goes a long
way, especially in the
harshness of an island
in the middle of the
North Atlantic. No
point making it harder
by starting diets or
forbidding yourself
from enjoying the
little things. But hey,
balance is key!
10. Give yourself
something to look
forward to
Be it that new movie
you’ve been waiting
forever for or just that
Facebook event you
are interested in, but
don’t actually plan
on attending. Well, step up your game!
Make plans and stick to them. Use this
time to develop yourself, to get to know
new things. Looking forward to some-
thing goes a long way. We all know that
the best parties are the ones you actually
never wanted to go to in the first place.
How To
Survive An
Icelandic Winter
Ten useful steps to not go crazy
Words:
Claudia Schultz
Photo:
Art Bicnick
Just chill... and relax!
“Exercise will
release endor-
phins, wake you
up, and—fun
fact—prepare
you for that
summer body
that you didn’t
know you
wanted.”
ArtisAn BAkery
& Coffee House
Open everyday 6.30 - 21.00
Laugavegur 36 · 101 reykjavik