Having a winter self-care routine is arguably one of the most important things you can do in the colder months of the year. Cold weather, bare trees, and short days can either be cozy and calm or dreary and depressing—depending on how you look at it.
Maybe you're someone who embraces winter and all it has to offer (snow! Netflix marathons! Scented candles!), or maybe you're someone who suffers from seasonal depression, and the cold winter months spell doom for you. No matter what the case, self-care is key in the winter. So use these 10 tips to help get you through.
10 Winter Self-Care Ideas
Here are 10 winter self-care tips to help get your season off on the right foot.
1. Invest in winter clothes you really love
If you're going shopping ahead of the winter season—or you're working on a list of holiday gift list—take some time to make sure you're buying items you really love. By the end of winter, many of us feel bored and discouraged by our clothing, and it starts to bring down our mood. An investment in clothes you love can mean buying a pricier winter jacket or pair of boots you absolutely love, or a handful of smaller items you're excited to wear.
2. Find a creative hobby
A creative hobby can be really helpful when you're trying to pass the cold days in a fulfilling way. While there certainly are outdoor hobbies you can try if you live in a place where it snows—think skiing, snowboarding, snowshoeing, or even sledding—there are tons of indoor hobbies you can try, too. Knitting, pottery, reading, scrapbooking, and painting are all excellent indoor hobbies worth trying.
3. Light scented candles
Let's be honest: Scented candles are a festive option all year round. But they can bring a certain amount of joy and light to the cold, dark months of winter. Around the holidays, you may went to opt for a cinnamon or pine-scented candle, while a nice clean mint scent can be helpful for January when you're working to get a fresh start. Whatever scents you choose, you can create a ritual around lighting your scented candles: Maybe it's first thing in the morning while you journal, in the daytime if you work from home, or at night to help you wind down.
Lighting scented candles can make a world of difference in your winter self-care routine.
4. Get into a warm drink routine
Warm drinks can be so soothing when it's cold out, and can be a cozy companion on cold winter walks. If you're a coffee person, great—sip away! If you don't love coffee or caffeine doesn't work for you, instead consider hot chocolate, herbal tea, or anything else that makes you feel cozy and cared for. You can buy these beverages out or make them at home.
5. Make sure you're getting fresh air
You know those winter walks we referenced? Make sure you're getting enough of them in! When you take walks outside, you get the fresh air, exercise, and some much-needed vitamin D—a nutrient we desperately need in the winter for physical and mental health reasons.
6. Take a multivitamin
Speaking of vitamin D, making sure you're getting a proper amount of vitamins and nutrients is key to self-care in the winter (and in general). While you can get all your essential nutrients from food, that's not always possible, so it never hurts to take a multivitamin—or a vitamin that you know you're missing in your diet.
7. Practice mindfulness
If you don't already have a mindfulness practice, winter is an excellent time to get one going. Because many of us are spending a lot of time indoors anyway, you can spend those hours looking within yourself and developing a mindfulness practice. Meditation is great, but so is deep breathing and journaling. So find a practice that works for you and get started.
There's no better time to start meditating than winter.
8. Make use of cozy socks and fuzzy blankets
Cozy socks and fuzzy blankets are what winter self-care are made of. So if you don't own any of them, ask for them for holiday gifts, or stock up in them yourself. That way, once the chill really start to set in, you'll have everything you need for your coziest winter ever.
9. Write in a gratitude journal
A gratitude journal can help you find so much joy and happiness in the colder months. By writing down what you're grateful for every day, you'll start viewing the world through a more positive lens—and as a result, you'll get a lot more joy out of your life, even if the weather isn't ideal.
10. Stay socially connected
No, we're not talking about social media—we're talking about keeping your social connections strong via regular phone or FaceTime conversations and in-person hangouts. Staying socially connected will help you avoid feeling isolated and lonely when it's cold and dreary out, which will bring a lot more joy to your life.
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