Caroline ’s Reviews > How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days > Status Update
Caroline
is on page 229 of 265
Why aren't saunas everywhere as part of healthcare?: "In Finland, the sauna has been called the poor man's pharmacy. Emerging research substantiates this sentiment; going to the sauna has an astounding list of health benefits that make me wonder why it isn't prescribed for conditions ranging from insomnia to hypertension to chronic pain to asthma. In addition to easing stress and promoting relaxation, sauna [BELOW]
— Mar 28, 2026 09:05AM
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Caroline ’s Previous Updates
Caroline
is on page 141 of 265
"...what's known as the Peak-End Rule in psychology suggests that people judge and remember experiences based on how they felt at the "peak," or most extreme and intense point, and at the end of the experience. So these extreme—and usually rare—instances can become our default memory of what winter is like, even when evidence suggests that's not usually the case." [CONT'D BELOW]
— Mar 11, 2026 09:21AM
Caroline
is on page 97 of 265
"Mindsets are true but biased: they zoom in on one slice of complicated phenomena. Similarly, our attention is selective: it's meant to filter. Attending to every light, sound, and physical sensation at all times would put you in sensory overload. We can't notice and observe everything, so our mental shortcuts—including our mindsets—help determine our focus. [...] One of the ways mindsets become [BELOW]
— Feb 25, 2026 10:11AM
Caroline
is on page 54 of 265
Author is right that these days seasonal affective disorder (SAD) is unfortunately, like so many other psychological disorders, experiencing over self-diagnosis. Specific criteria characterize this disorder, and most people don't meet those: "Estimates vary, but research generally suggests that in the US, somewhere between 0.5 percent and 3 percent of people suffer from the disorder [...] The vast [BELOW]
— Feb 08, 2026 11:21AM
Caroline
is on page 33 of 265
"While there were questionnaires that asked about seasonal depression, distress, and sleep disorder in winter, there were no surveys that made room for the potentially positive aspects of the season. This not only created problems for my study, it hinted at biases in the larger scientific framework for researching winter. If we can only study what we can measure, the fact that there were no existing [BELOW]
— Feb 02, 2026 11:45AM
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Wish insurance would cover weekly massages for my scoliosis.. would help alot.I overheat easily so not sure if Saunas would be for me.
I wondered the same after I tried a sauna the first time...
TL *Humaning the Best She Can* wrote: "Wish insurance would cover weekly massages for my scoliosis.. would help alot.I overheat easily so not sure if Saunas would be for me."
Marquise wrote: "I wondered the same after I tried a sauna the first time..."
That's a shame it doesn't, TL. I know it does for certain conditions...
Regarding the over-heating, you could try a sauna for a short time and see whether you could work your way up. (Fifteen-twenty minutes is recommended for the benefits; I should have put that in the update.) If you don't belong to a gym that has a sauna, Palm Beach Tan has one, as I'm sure is true of other tanning businesses.
Marquise, you mean you wondered why saunas aren't everywhere as part of healthcare? The benefits are known; research, controlling for other factors, is showing these benefits, so it's nuts the U.S. and other countries don't have an abundance the way Finland does. (It's one sauna to every two people in that country). On the other hand, at least we have them at all, and if someone is really serious and has the funds, they could build one into their home.
Caroline wrote: "TL *Humaning the Best She Can* wrote: "Wish insurance would cover weekly massages for my scoliosis.. would help alot.I overheat easily so not sure if Saunas would be for me."
Marquise wrote: "I ..."
Shame for both yeah 😕.
Hmm maybe but I did overheat in the therapy pool the other day, kept having to take breaks.
(For benefits, people should sauna bathe 4-7 times a week. [Those with high blood pressure or heart conditions should consult their doctor beforehand]).
Author also talks about cold plunging (which greatly improves depression, among other things) and Japan's cultural practice of hot-water bathing (which greatly relieves insomnia, among other things).