Kari Leibowitz

How come one of the coldest, darkest places in the world has relatively low rates of wintertime depression? Health psychologist Kari Leibowitz spent a year investigating this as a Fulbright Scholar in Tromsø, Norway, which is so far north that it experiences a “Polar Night,” the time from November to January when the sun never rises. Kari has gone on to develop ‘wintertime mindset’ strategies to help people get through the long dark months of winter, and has seen a new surge of interest in her work following the COVID-19 lockdown. As well as looking for a few wintertime mindset tips, we ask Kari what darkness means to her. The episode is hosted by Hebridean Dark Skies Festival programmer Andrew Eaton-Lewis.  The sound was mixed by Hamish Brown. Campfire Conversations is presented in association with The Scotsman. To find out more about the Hebridean Dark Skies Festival, visit www.lanntair.com/darkskies.