Lofoten Island, Norway: You can’t see the sun for more than a month a year. It’s dark before going to bed and it’s dark when you wake up.

Although some Nordic countries are highly economically affluent, depression has always plagued people. Especially in the long winter when there is a lack of sunshine, anxiety, depression, and depression often make people suddenly collapse one night. Medically called Seasonal Affective Disorder, it is particularly serious in Finland, Iceland, and Denmark. However, Norway, which has a harsher winter environment, is a different story. Even the Lofoten Islands in the Arctic Circle is a suitable place for patients with depression. resort.

Photography: Wu I-Lin, (Taiwan) global travel photographer, Go to Donkey Travel column photographer

From December to early January of the following year, there will be a Many months of polar night. What is this concept? For more than a month, you will not be able to see the sun, and you will be in the night 24 hours a day. It is dark before going to bed and it is also dark when you wake up. In other words, in theory, during the day, local residents have to work and live under lights.

Visitors to the Lofoten Islands for the first time will always feel particularly surprised and excited in the first day or two. The sky shrouded under the aurora is full of mystery. But those of us who are used to rising and setting in the east will soon become uncomfortable. It’s true that you can really sleep until it’s dark here, but if you sleep too much, we will become very depressed and decadent. But local residents love winter especially. As long as you adjust your mentality, you will find that this place is very suitable for vacation.

Although the Lofoten Islands are located in the Arctic Circle, the winter is relatively not very cold. However, the weather at this time of year is very changeable. It snows sometimes and rains sometimes. Even residents who are familiar with the local climate have difficulty guaranteeing smooth outdoor hiking. Logically speaking, living in such a place, the changeable weather alone can drive a group of people crazy, but Norwegians really don't have too many negative emotions.

February is the coldest month of the year, but the average temperature is only around -2 degrees Celsius. The relatively warm climate allows people to maintain normal work, life, and entertainment, unlike people in Siberia, Russia, who can only stay at home in winter and cannot go anywhere.

During the extreme night, it does affect work, rest and work. But people can always find some pastimes, such as drinking wine in bars, listening to music, and chatting about poetry and distant places with tourists of the opposite sex from all over the world. Therefore, drinking alcohol to escape does not exist. Nightlife in pubs is called entertainment, not indulgence.

The traditional fishing industry and the distance away from the metropolis have made the residents of this small town more harmonious. People like to fish together in groups and face the harsh weather at sea together. This kind of community emotion affected by the environment allows people to retain deep neighborly relationships, so even in one of the most remote locations in the world, people never Never felt lonely.

Based on this, even strangers can maintain a warm attitude. This is why many tourists praise the reputation of Lofoten Islands, because tourists can always easily hitch a ride with local residents.

In addition, people in Iceland and Finland, where depression is high, tend to be book-loving and literary people. People who read a lot of this book and think a lot tend to get into dead ends easily and cannot get out. However, most people in the Lofoten Islands and even in Norway make a living by fishing on the sea. They are more open-minded in nature and treat life more positively.

There are many factors to maintain a happy mood. Some experts believe that the residents of the Lofoten Islands are relatively optimistic because there are rich local seafood resources. Eating more fish can supplement the lack of sunlight. Vitamin D allows people to maintain an energetic mood.

In fact, in addition to these factors, there are many interesting outdoor entertainment projects in the Lofoten Islands in winter. For example, the most popular skiing attracts countless tourists to experience it every year. In the Lofoten Islands, as soon as winter comes, there are ski resorts all over the mountains.

Skiing is just one of them. Hiking outdoors in the snow-capped mountains, fishing for cod with old fishermen, etc. can be filled every day. Therefore, no matter how depressed people are, they will be infected and become happy without knowing it. At least when you raise your head and look at the mysterious aurora above your head, you will feel a sense of healing.