Katja Pantzar - The Finnish Way: Finding Courage, Wellness, and Happiness Through the Power of Sisu

• Pronounced see-su

• A Finnish concept that dates back to the 1500s

• A unique type of fortitude, of resilience, of not giving up in the face of a challenge, big or small, that anyone can develop

L ARGE FLUFFY WHITE SNOWFLAKES are falling from the night sky as three young men wearing terry-cloth bathrobes run down a Helsinki street on a dark November evening. The crisp, quiet air fills with the sound of their boisterous laughter and the crunch of snow under their slipper-clad feet.

For local residents, this is not an unusual sight. But for a relative newcomer like me, its a striking scene to witness, especially against the urban backdrop of a capital city.

They sprint past the elegant century-old apartment blocks and head toward the water. On a small island in central Helsinki just a stones throw from the downtown core, the presidential palace, and the upscale design boutiques that line the Esplanade, these three young men are racing toward a nearby dock, from where they will swim.

Over the time that Ive lived here in the far north, Ive heard about winter or ice swimming, the practice of taking dips in icy cold water in pursuit of a range of health benefits from boosting immunity to reducing fatigue and stress.

As wild and crazy as the idea of voluntarily plunging into the icy Baltic Sea sounds, I decide at that moment that I must try it at least oncefor those young men exude a joyful energy and hardiness that seem inextricably linked to their pastime.

To my great surprise when I eventually give it a try a few years later, winter swimming changes my life. By providing, over time, a natural remedy for the bouts of depression that I have suffered from since childhood, my icy dips, along with other elements of the Nordic lifestyle, help me to find my sisu, a unique Finnish form of resilience and perseverance in the face of adversity. This special courage arms me with tools to turn around my well-being and create a lifestyle that allows me to take charge of my life for the first time ever.

As I set out to explore this concept of sisu, my journey of discovery is both personal and professional. As a writer and journalist Im keenly interested in what makes people tick and curious about how they take care of their health and well-being. Why do some people seem to thrive no matter what life throws at them, while others often seem to be hard done by? On a personal level, I feel that being introduced to this unique culture of resilience has helped me transition from being a weaker, slightly more passive person scared of trying new things into a person who has found surprisingly simple and sensible ways to feel better physically and mentally.

Fast-forward to 2017, and Im standing on the wooden dock that juts out into the Baltic Sea, the same spot that those young men were headed for so many dark nights ago.

Although the mercury hovers around 10 degrees Celsius (14 degrees Fahrenheit), Im wearing only my bathing suit, a wool hat, and neoprene slippers and gloves.

As I climb down the metal ladder leading to a large hole of about three by three meters cut into the thick ice, I can see the city lights in the distance fringing the inky darkness. When I lower myself into the water, the cold shockabout 1 degree Celsius (34 degrees Fahrenheit)hits me. During the first few strokes it feels as if hundreds of pins and needles are pricking my body.

The pricks are soon replaced by a feeling of euphoria: Im alive! Following an invigorating swim of about thirty seconds, I pause for a moment at the bottom of the ladder, immersed up to my neck in the frigid water, before I climb up onto the dock.

By now I have become a regular winter swimmer. I often take a quick dip on my way to or from work. Some might say Ive developed an addiction. But I believe its a healthy one. According to experts, a thirty-second to one-minute dip has many of the same health benefits as going up and down stairs for fifteen to twenty minutes. My cold water cure also boosts the hormones linked to feeling good, such as endorphins, serotonin, dopamine, and oxytocin. The practice is also known to improve the immune systems resistance, enhance circulation, burn calories, and reduce stress.