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The Best Winter Self-Care Activities and How to Make Use of Them

Does the cold get you down and leave you feeling sad? Combat those negative feelings with these winter self-care activities this year!

The Winter Blues, clinically known as Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), is experienced by millions each year in the US.

SAD is when you have a period of depression or sadness that coincides with the changing of seasons. It can start at the onset of winter, spring, or summer (referred to as summer-pattern SAD).

Winter is when most think of SAD due to the days getting shorter with fewer hours of sunlight along with colder weather.

Not only can the cooler, darker days bring you down, they can also lead to mood changes and negatively impact how you feel, think, or behave. The symptoms usually subside with the change to a new season.

To overcome wintertime and the longing for longer, warmer days, try some of the winter self-care activities in this post to boost your mood and find new ways to embrace the colder months.

Since your routine changes drastically in the winter and you may not be able to go outside as easily or frequently, it’s important to explore ways to stay active, engaged, and positive.

In this post:
  1. Outdoor Adventures
  2. Get Cozy Indoors
  3. Wellness and Relaxation
  4. Nourish Your Body
  5. Connect with Loved Ones
  6. Self-Care for the Mind
  7. Prepare for Restful Nights
Do you like what you’re seeing? Check out: 6 Self-Care Routine Ideas to Try in the New Year

This post is all about the best winter self-care activities you can take part in this cold season and how to use them.

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Winter Self-Care Activities

This is NOT a to-do list. These are ideas for how to take care of yourself during the winter months when it can be isolating and depressing. A lot of these activities don’t cost you anything, so don’t hold yourself back from taking care of you.

1. Outdoor Adventures

Going outside during the winter may seem like a drag, but it doesn’t have to be. Embrace what winter has to offer knowing that you are unable to do many of those activities during other times of year. Yes, it’s cold, but bundling up can help and the benefits outweigh the effort.

Even in wintertime, it’s important to get a dose of Vitamin D. It’s been suggested that the lack of Vitamin D can actually cause SAD by impacting your brain’s serotonin levels.

You need Vitamin D to help your body control infections, reduce inflammation, and lab studies show it can even lessen cancer cell growth. Getting Vitamin D from being outdoors and getting sunlight can also have an effect on your circadian rhythm – so getting some of the “sunshine” vitamin can help you sleep better.

Getting outside is great for your mental and physical health. By doing so, you are getting Vitamin D, fresh air, exercising, and potentially having fun, if you are open to the possibility.

Outdoor Activities:

1. Go on a winter walk
2. Snowshoeing
3. Cross country skiing
4. Sledding or tubing
5. Ice skating
6. Skiing
7. Snowboarding
8. Window shopping during the holidays
9. Decorate the exterior of your home for the holidays
10. Light a fire pit or bonfire and sip something warm under a blanket

Helpful Additions:

2. Get Cozy Indoors

When it’s cold outside, you may not always be up for exploring the outdoors. Staying warm inside is usually more favorable during those cold-weather months.

If you cannot or simply do not want to go outside, why not make your home cozy, warm, and inviting? Or dive into a passion or potential new hobby? If you’re already inside, there are lots of ways to take part in your self-care at home.

Indoor Self-Care Ideas:

1. Open blinds and curtains to let sunlight in
2. Turn on the fireplace, light a candle, or turn on lamps for added warmth and light
3. Do a puzzle
4. Make a scrapbook or photo album
5. Wear comfortable clothing that keeps you warm
6. Make a fort
7. Read or listen to an audiobook and resist the urge to multitask
7. Get nostalgic – try reading a book or watching a movie from childhood that made you happy
11. Watch a concert on Youtube
8. Have a dance party
9. Set-up an indoor picnic
10. Set the table with a tablecloth, placemats, and fresh flowers and/or a centerpiece
11. Learn a language for free on Duolingo
12. Take free classes on Coursera like Yale’s “The Science of Wellbeing”
12. Do art: sketch, draw, paint, sculpt, or color.
13. Get crafty: crochet, knit, embroider, origami, or just let your creative juices flow and make something with what you have
14. Make candles that you can use for self-care time in the future or to gift to others
15. Make greeting cards and actually send them to people
16. Make bath bombs or shower steamers for a luxurious bathing experience
17. Sew and fix any clothing that needs repair
18. Start an indoor garden so you have fresh herbs
19. Become a plant parent and nurture them as they nurture you with the oxygen they emit
20. Make a flower arrangement or buy yourself a bouquet
21. Decorate with seasonal colors, plants, and objects, and set out plenty of cozy blankets in seating areas
22. Likewise, get rid of decorative items that no longer suit your style by selling or donating them
23. Declutter in general: go through your closet and donate, especially coats in the wintertime, non-perishable goods for a food drive, and personal hygiene products for those in need
24. Get festive and decorate for the holidays
25. Rearrange your furniture and shop your home to change up your indoor scenery
26. Print or order photos of loved ones or art to display in your home

Helpful Additions:

3. Wellness and Relaxation

Many get sick in the winter not from the cold weather necessarily, but from being cooped up inside.

This is because viruses can spread more easily when people remain in close quarters for long periods of time.

With that, it’s essential to practice self-care during the colder months and give special attention to your wellness.

Winter Wellness and Relaxation Activities:

1. Hot baths or shower – for added ambiance, light a candle, turn off the lights, drop a bath bomb in, and turn on your favorite relaxing music
2. Hot tub- there is something magical about being in a hot tub when the air is cool and crisp
3. Meditation, deep breaths, and yogic breathing
4. Stretch
5. Improve your posture
6. Yoga
7. Exercise – however makes you feel good and tire yourself out so you can sleep restfully, especially if you’re someone who has trouble settling down at night
8. Nap
9. Perform a skincare routine
10. Maintain and paint your nails
11. Ask your partner for a massage or make yourself an appointment for one
12. Perform lymphatic drainage massage for your body or just focus on your face
13. Deep moisturize your skin and hair
14. Change your air filters so they can work optimally since the same air is recycled more in winter
15. Go through your fridge, pantry, and freezer and remove any old, expired, moldy, or freezer-burned food

Helpful Additions:

4. Nourish Your Body

Because you are unable to get out as easily in the wintertime, it’s important to maintain a balanced diet and nurture yourself with food. There is also fewer locally-available produce because of the harsher weather.

Winter is the time when comforting and nutritious warm meals shine.

Try some of these ideas for maintaining a balanced yet satiated diet during the coldest time of year.

Winter Nourishment:

1. Eat produce in season and incorporate it into your favorite dishes
2. Make a warm drink – brew up tea or coffee. You could even try recreating your favorite from a cafe or coffeeshop.
3. Do as the Swiss do and make fondue or raclette
4. Cook a stew, soup, or broth
5. Warm up your home with a roast
6. Bake crusty, warm, and delicious bread
7. Eat beans, which have endless possibilities, have a long shelf life prior to cooking (dry beans), and are chock full of nutrients
8. Treat yourself by making a delectable cake, pie, or whatever your sweet tooth desires
9. Order food – no need to stress over cooking, order it in, and make it easy on yourself
10. Stay hydrated and drink plenty of water. The wintertime is so dry, so be sure to stay quenched.

Helpful Additions:

5. Connect with Loved Ones

The cold can keep you, your friends, and loved ones from seeing each other as often as you may like. This can make it an isolating time.

It’s vital that you connect with those that bring you joy, which is likely a mutual benefit for them too! By doing so, you will enjoy the wintertime more and it will make that time go by much faster.

Whether you have the ability to be together in person or virtually, below are some ideas for how you can connect and spend quality time with your favorite people this winter season.

Connecting with Your People in Winter:

1. Call or video chat a loved one
2. Send a letter or card via snail mail
3. Send someone a care package or gift
4. Play games – either in person or virtually
5. Watch a movie together that makes you laugh
6. Have a themed potluck meal together

Helpful Additions:

6. Self-Care for the Mind

As discussed at the beginning of this post, the winter can cause you to be sad, hopeless, irritable, lonely, and tired.

This is largely due to the shorter days which means less sunlight and feel-good serotonin.

The cold weather also limits what you have the ability to go do because it’s not as easily done or sometimes even possible with cold or snow.

Because of all these factors, your mind needs some extra love and self-care in the winter. Remember though, you are never alone. So many more people care about you than you realize.

Taking care of your mental health is the highest form of self-care and you should never feel ashamed for seeking help.

Before we dive in, keep these helpful tools and resources handy for you and your loved ones should they ever be needed.

Mind Boosting Winter Self-Care Activities:

1. Journal and write about whatever you want – how you’re feeling, what is bringing you stress, sadness, or anxiety, your day, your motivation, and your goals
2. Self-reflect by being mindful of where you are what you are doing. Are things bigger than they seem or are they actually that huge which may require some intervention or help?
3. List what you are grateful for
4. Make a bucket list of what you hope to accomplish in your lifetime
6. Plan a trip. Taking the steps to make your vacation possible gives you something to look forward to.
7. Take the day off for a personal day and do something that helps you unwind
8. Listen to an uplifting podcast or audiobook
9. Turn on your favorite music
10. Make a Pinterest board that makes you happy – design your dream home, save yummy meals, and browse fun outfits you want to try
11. Get dressed up – put on your favorite outfit or take inspiration from the aforementioned board. Consider trying out a new hairstyle or make-up look too.
12. On the flip side, wear whatever makes you feel happy, comfortable, and your best
13. Clean up your social media follows and followers by removing any account that doesn’t make you feel good about yourself
14. Take a break from the news – negative news is proven to get more views so there are usually more of those headlines. That can get heavy so unplug and take some time away from it.
15. Detox your phone. Turn off notifications you don’t need to see. Remove unused apps taking space. Clean up your storage.
16. Unsubscribe to email lists that are just cluttering your inbox
17. Listen to or watch something that makes you laugh and smile
18. Cuddle and play with a pet
19. Acknowledge things that don’t serve you and if you feel compelled, make a list of things you should not do because they do not bring you joy.
20. Find a therapist you click with and take their guidance to help you work through challenges
21. Remove time constraints – go to bed late, sleep in, get lost in something without worrying about the time, especially when you need a reset
22. Say no to things you don’t want to do or have the capacity to do
23. Do nothing- embrace solitude and silence

Helpful Resources:

7. Prepare for Restful Nights

You are usually more tired in the winter meaning you need more sleep.

This is due to the decreased amount of sunlight, cooler temps, and changes in your diet and exercise.

Less sunlight means your body is making more melatonin causing you to be more sleepy.

Lower temperatures can increase your metabolism resulting in you needing more sleep.

There is less produce seasonally available so you are probably eating more refined foods that can make you more lethargic. And it’s harder to exercise and motivate yourself to do so which can lower your energy levels.

For all those reasons, you may need more sleep, which has its benefits too.

Sleeping more restfully can better arm your body to fight illness, regulate your appetite, and battle winter blues.

Using the tips below and establishing a solid nighttime routine will help you get better quality sleep.

Restful Night Self-Care:

1. Get plenty of sunshine and exercise during the daytime hours as consistently as possible
2. Avoid stress and food, caffeine, or alcohol before (at least an hour) bedtime
3. Drink something warm, like a caffeine-free herbal tea
4. Watch the sunset – a peaceful way to wind down your day and prepare for the evening
5. Keep your bedroom cool (66-68°F) and dark to create a cave-like environment
6. Regulate the humidity using a humidifier to achieve 30-50% humidity for ideal sleep
7. Unplug from devices to prevent the blue light they emit from keeping you awake
8. Go to bed early at the same time each night and aim to wake up at the same time each morning
9. Perform a consistent self-care bedtime routine
10. Listen to guided meditation or nature sounds to help you fall asleep if you have difficulty

Helpful Additions:

Conclusion

Winter self-care is so, very important to help you combat winter blues. It’s also a beneficial tool to help you thrive this winter! The self-care activities in this post will help you do just that.

This winter season, prioritize you by giving attention to these self-care activity areas:

  1. Outdoor Adventures
  2. Get Cozy Indoors
  3. Wellness and Relaxation
  4. Nourish Your Body
  5. Connect with Loved Ones
  6. Self-Care for the Mind
  7. Prepare for Restful Nights

You will thank yourself for making this, normally rough, season, your best yet!

This post was all about the most helpful winter self-care activities you can incorporate this winter season and how to do so.

What are your favorite winter self-care activities that have helped you get through winter?

Related posts:

The 6 Simple Winter Health Tips To Stay Healthy 6 Self-Care Routine Ideas to Try in the New Year How to Support Someone Grieving 8 Ways to Practice Self-Love on Valentine’s Day

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