The beneficial by-products of warm weather

When a friend told me I’d need to take up a hobby to get through a Jasper winter, I thought, “Nah, I’ll be fine.”

He said it’s so cold and dark that most people in town hibernate, spending their time indoors with activities to keep themselves occupied. 

Turns out he was right. Jasper is so cold and dark in the winter that the easiest thing to do is to hide away and hope for the best. For my first winter here, I hibernated as well as a ground squirrel, putting on a few extra pounds and getting lots of rest.

I didn’t actually realize how much time I had spent indoors this winter until the spring weather hit and I started riding my bike and walking around town. I’ve probably seen more people I recognize out and about in the last four weeks than I did in the last four months.

The melting snow and warm temperatures brought back more than just grass and deer to the town. With it came what I love most about Jasper: the friendly wave in the street.

Whether the snow kept my head down or the cold had my face wrapped in a scarf, I missed seeing people around town to the point where it really did seem I was in hibernation.

Now that we’ve broken into positive temperatures, it’s not just the vitamin D we get from the sun’s rays that makes us feel better.

Sharing a smile (with a stranger or a friend) has health benefits too. According to The Art of Happiness, a book by the Dalai Lama and American psychiatrist Howard Cutler about how people can alter their perception to improve their outlook on life, smiling makes a person feel better, which in turns makes him/her smile more.

According to studies, smiling can boost a person’s immune system, reduce stress, and lower blood pressure. Not only that, but putting on even a fake smile causes a person’s body to release serotonin, dopamine and other feel-good indicators.

Studies also show that people commonly mimic others’ facial expressions, which means that every person who is feeling good and smiling is likely to pass on the feeling.

Smiling also makes a person seem more approachable and look younger. It’s win-win all around.

I may not smile when I think back to my first winter of –40C temperatures here in Jasper, but really, a cold winter means all the more reason to smile and appreciate the warm spring weather.

So thanks to everyone who shares a smile on the street. You’re making us both healthier, perhaps without even realizing it. What a nice way to wake up from hibernation.