Simple Danish Newsletter #34

Hi friends,

I was recently, and quite rudely, confronted with the fact that winter is just around the corner.

You see, a few times each week, I go for an early morning swim before work. My favorite part of this routine is watching the sunrise through the big pool windows, bathing everything in warm, golden light as I swim. It’s pretty much impossible to have a bad day if you start it like this.

However, it’s been getting darker, little by little. The changes came gradually: first, I needed my gloves for the bike ride to the pool, then I had to dig out my bike lights from a drawer, charge them, and stick them on my handlebars.

It finally culminated last week when I left the pool after my swim and found myself in complete darkness. There I was, standing outside on a cold October morning, wondering where the sun had gone.

I’m not alone in this. Figuring out how to cope with Denmark’s dark winters is something everyone living here learns to deal with. I know plenty of friends from university who struggled through their first Danish winter.

That’s why this week, we’re sharing our best tips for not just surviving but thriving during the winter months here in Denmark.

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D-vitamin is your friend

“Vinterdepression” is a term you’ll hear a lot in the coming months, and for good reason. If you’re not careful, you can end up feeling chronically tired and low on energy. One big culprit behind this is D-vitamin deficiency. D-vitamin is naturally synthesized when we’re exposed to sunlight, so it’s no surprise that many people in Denmark become deficient during the winter. With less sun, and us all bundled up, getting enough vitamin D can be a challenge. That’s why supplementing with a high-quality D-vitamin is our top recommendation.

It’s easy to forget to take your D-vitamin—I often catch myself skipping it for a week or two and then wonder why I’m suddenly so tired. So remember your D-vitamin, folks!

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Don’t stop exercising

Most of us exercise less in winter. It happens gradually; we stop cycling to work, skip outdoor runs, or choose the bus over walking. But we forget that exercise gives us more energy than it takes. Finding ways to stay active—even if it’s indoors—can make a huge difference for your energy and mood throughout winter.

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Invest in Quality Indoor Lighting

Natural light fades fast in winter, but good indoor lighting can really affect how we feel. Consider daylight lamps or warm-toned LEDs to create a cozy, inviting space. It’s more than just “hygge.” And while we haven’t tried those “sunlight alarm clocks” ourselves, we’ve heard great things about them.

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Learn to Love Warm Drinks (Beyond Coffee)

While coffee is a Danish staple, we suggest expanding your repertoire to include other comforting drinks like gløgg (mulled wine), te (tea), or varm kakao med flødeskum (hot chocolate with whipped cream). There’s nothing better than going for a walk in the cold, then coming home to something warm.

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Join or Create a Winter Bathing Club

If you really want to embrace winter like a true Viking, try winter bathing! There are official winter bathing clubs you can join, but you can also create your own with friends. Find a local beach or harbor and meet up for a quick dip. Bring towels and some warm drinks for bonus points.

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Master the Art of Hygge Outside Your Home

Winter is a great time to cozy up indoors, but don’t forget that the world outside still has much to offer. Visit Christmas markets, enjoy cafés, attend candle-lit concerts, go to board game cafés, or join pub quizzes. These are all great ways to keep your social life alive and well through the winter months.

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Our Favorite Things ❤️

Album We’re Listening to This Week

Sortedam by Thomas Helmig (Spotify, Apple Music) is a heartfelt, melancholic album where Thomas reflects on the tragic loss of his son, Hugo Helmig. The album is deeply moving, reminding us to cherish life and those around us. The music itself is exceptional, with songs that are among some of the best Thomas has written.

If you want to discover more Danish music with Danish lyrics, check out our playlist: Danish Lyrics Only on Spotify.

Podcast We’re Listening to

Genstart – Hugos Vuggevise (DR). Genstart is a popular podcast from DR (Danmarks Radio) with new episodes published daily. It’s one of Denmark’s most-streamed podcasts. Some episodes are super interesting, while others are hit-or-miss, but it’s worth checking in once in a while. They recently did an episode on Hugo Helmig and Thomas Helmig’s album. The episode is emotionally intense—just a heads-up—and provides insight into how the album began as a therapeutic exercise. The language is fairly advanced, so consider it a challenge!

Halloween in Denmark

Some Danes recently celebrated Halloween. If you haven’t already, listen to our old podcast episode on Halloween in Denmark: Halloween i Danmark.

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Word of the Week: Nærvær

Literally: “Near-being”

In Danish, nærvær describes the quality of being fully present, both physically and mentally. It’s often used to describe someone’s attentiveness and their ability to focus on the here and now, making others around them feel valued. It can also refer to physical presence, as in “Jeg prøver at snakke pænt i børnenes nærvær.”

Example:

• Peter: “Du sidder hele tiden på din telefon. Jeg savner lidt mere nærvær fra din side, når vi spiser sammen.”
• Anna: “Undskyld. Min chef bliver ved med at sende mails med opgaver til mig, og det stresser mig. Jeg skal nok prøve at være mere nærværende.”

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We hope you liked this week’s newsletter. As always don’t hesitate to reach out if you have comments, suggestions or otherwise have questions 😊

Kram fra,

Antonina & Rasmus

Denmark&Me