Do you tend to feel less happy and energetic during the winter months? These 7 essential winter self care ideas will lift your mood and help you beat the winter blues this season!
As we come to the end of January with its cold, dark, gloomy weather, I have been finding it hard not to let my mood match the season. I tend to go into a slump every January through March and I don’t think I’m the only one!
Every year, I know the “winter blues” will hit me so I’ve managed to figure out some essential winter self care ideas that help me make it through the season.
Read on to see which of these winter self care ideas might work for you too so that you don’t fall victim to the winter blues!
Why is winter self care important?
With the hustle and bustle of the holidays over and the shorter, darker winter days upon us, many experience what is commonly referred to as the “winter blues”. We are spending more time indoors and tend to feel kind of down in the dumps and more lethargic than usual.
Although real, the “winter blues” are usually mild and are not an actual medical condition. It’s more of a mood of feeling less happy than normal during the winter months, and the winter blues should not affect your ability to function and enjoy life.
On the other hand, there actually is a medical condition often experienced in winter called Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD). SAD is a type of depression wherein the lack of sunlight and Vitamin D affect the levels of serotonin and melatonin in your brain.
Whereas SAD is a seasonal mental health disorder characterized by overwhelming feelings of sadness that can interfere with daily functioning and is treatable by a medical professional, the winter blues is more a state of mind often experienced during the winter months.
Nevertheless, it’s important to have some tools that help you cultivate a healthy mindset during this season and to take extra good care of yourself during the winter months when so many of us experience increased isolation.
Fortunately, you can usually manage the winter blues by trying some simple winter self-care ideas, which I’ll share below.
Related: “50 Super Simple Ideas for Self Care Saturdays“
How do I take care of myself in the winter?
Although I can’t claim total victory over my own winter blues, below are some of my favorite tried and true winter self care ideas to help you get through the season.
7 Essential Winter Self Care Ideas:
1.) Establish a consistent sleep/wake routine
Going to bed and waking up at the same time every day can help to regulate your internal clock and allows you to wake up feeling refreshed and energized and also minimizes fatigue throughout the day.
We often wake up to the cold darkness during the winter months, but I have found that creating a morning routine that I look forward to helps me want to get out of bed and allows me to start my day on a positive note.
I wake up earlier than the rest of my household and use this sacred morning time for journaling, meditation, exercise, reading, or whatever my body and mind are telling me is needed.
After all, the key to self-care is being aware of what you need and taking steps to replenish, maintain and promote your mental and physical well-being.
My early morning routine also requires me to go to bed at a reasonably consistent time each night too, which is equally important.
Related: “How to Establish a Morning Routine That Will Make You Love Waking Up”
2.) Move your body
There is no shortage of evidence on the fact that physical activity helps you feel happier. Exercise is a natural mood booster and is often used to help fight depression.
When you exercise, the body releases chemicals that boost your sense of well-being and suppress hormones that cause stress and anxiety. I’m sure many of you have experienced that “runner’s high” or burst of energy after engaging in some cardio activity.
I’ve been in a funk before and found after just 10 minutes of physical activity, I’m feeling much less anxious and my mood drastically improves.
Related: “The #1 Secret You Need to Commit to Fitness in the New Year (plus 4 bonus tips!)“
3.) Go outdoors every day
Getting outside each day will naturally lift your spirits. Even when it’s cold out, try to go out for a walk for at least 10 minutes a day when the light is the brightest, between 10am in the morning and 3pm in the afternoon. You will find that the fresh air filling your lungs and sunlight will do wonders to boost your mood.
I can attest to this first hand. When I was feeling particularly stressed and anxious during the beginning days of the pandemic, I can remember getting out into the fresh air and literally feeling the stress and anxiety drain out of my body.
It’s also beneficial to make an effort to be mindful on your walk by noticing your breath and nature around you. Connecting with nature greatly helps with improving stress levels, productivity and general motivation. If it’s not too cold, you could try a longer walk or even a hike.
Related: “The Unique Ways Being Mindful Matters for Moms”
4.) Embrace the season by practicing hygge
Despite having some of the longest, darkest winters in the world, the happiest people live in the Nordic countries, according to the World Happiness Report. As of March 2021, Finland had been ranked the happiest country in the world four times in a row, followed by Denmark, Switzerland, Iceland, the Netherlands, Norway, and Sweden.
The idea of hygge (pronounced “hoo-gah”) permeates much of the Nordic cultures, although it originated in Denmark. Hygge celebrates all things cozy. It is about warmth, kinship, and appreciation for the little things. An example of hygge would be spending quality time with your family by playing a board game, as you sit around the fire drinking hot cocoa in your cozy pajamas.
It all boils down to being kind and gentle with yourself, appreciating the little things, slowing down and spending time with the people you love as a way to practice self-care. Maybe it’s a coincidence that the Nordic populations are the happiest in the world, while also being able to find comfort and appreciation in what many others find the most dreary time of year, or maybe they’re truly onto something…
I’m willing to give their idea of hygge a try, why not? I’m all about cozy slippers, hot cocoa, and family game night while the fireplace keeps us toasty.
Related: “How to Give Yourself Grace this Holiday Season (and every day)”
5.) Let music soothe your soul
Research suggests that listening to music has various stress-relieving benefits. It can lower your heart rate and cortisol levels and release endorphins that improve your sense of well-being and actually works to reduce physical and emotional stress levels. Relaxing music can also help you fall asleep.
When you’re feeling down, you might choose to listen to music that matches your mood because it makes you feel understood and can be soothing. It’s fine to do that for some time, but after a while, you may find yourself wallowing in your gloomy mood and the melancholy music is only pulling you down deeper. So change it up to tunes that are the opposite of how you’re feeling – upbeat songs that lift you up and give you the energy you’re lacking.
Related: “6 Tips to Feel Better When You’re Having a Bad Day”
6.) Take time for gratitude
Incorporating a gratitude practice into your day will help you feel happier. When you actively make an effort to notice all the blessings or good things in your life, you are bringing positivity to the forefront of your mind. You will find that after some time of doing this, your mind naturally starts to go there on it’s own, which causes your mental outlook to shift and you start feeling happier.
Also, studies have shown that regularly expressing gratitude can also help your physical health. By contributing to your overall sense of well-being and thus lowering stress levels, it actually helps to boost your immune system. Since stress can lower your body’s immune response, practicing gratitude and other things to reduce your stress level can in turn help your body fight off illness.
Some ways you can easily incorporate gratitude into your day include the following:
- writing in a gratitude journal*
- saying a gratitude affirmation when you awake each morning
- expressing gratitude to others in your life by writing a letter
- doing something kind for someone
- volunteering
- meditation
- giving thanks through prayer.
*Check out some gratitude journals here.
Related: “What If You Don’t Feel Grateful for Every Moment? (Secrets Every Tired Mom Needs to Know)”
7.) Use positive affirmations
Have you ever heard the saying “you are what you think”? Well, there is some truth to that. Just as negative thinking can lead to a more negative outlook on life, positive thoughts will have the opposite effect.
Talking to yourself by repeating short, encouraging statements, called affirmations, can help you cultivate positive thinking and boost your confidence, happiness, and overall well-being. I used to think this was silly or something you’d only see in an SNL skit, but it truly works!
How you talk to yourself matters. What is helpful for me is repeating quietly to myself, a simple statement that I find meaningful. This helps me maintain positivity, keeps me focused on my goals, and gives me confidence in myself.
Cultivating a positive mindset is one of the most important things you can do to be happier year round and will definitely help you through the winter months!
Related: “50 Powerful Morning Affirmations for a Positive Mindset”
Which winter self care ideas will you try first?
So there you have it – 7 essential winter self care ideas you can use to help boost your mood and beat the winter blues. Which ones will you try?
Self-care is important year round, so if you are looking for more ideas, try my 50 Super Simple Ideas for Self Care Saturdays and also learn about the 6 types of self-care.
Did you like this post? You might enjoy these as well:
30 Purposeful Sunday Habits for a Great Week (+ FREE Worksheet)
Fall in Love with Taking Care of Yourself
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How To Glow Up Mentally: 25 Essential Tips
Carly is a wife, mom, and former NYC fashion industry executive turned writer and life coach. Through her writings on littlevoicebigmatter.com, she shares practical advice, heartfelt insights, and actionable resources to inspire and support women in motherhood, relationships, wellness, and life. Carly also helps women create better balance in their lives and live with more joy, purpose, and connection every day through her coaching.
Winter blues are definitely a real thing for me. I need to follow your tips. Often I don’t leave the house during the week. I also find I can sit for hours and not even realize how much time passes. I need to get outside and also get moving!
Mu husband loves the idea of hygge. It does help to make the house nice and cozy.
Sure does! Thanks for visiting
You’ve done it again! Another practical, intelligent article based on research and intelligence! This blog post should also be published in a women’s magazine. I loved reading about hgge. Let’s start those family games and enjoy cozy quality time.
I love your suggestions, especially getting outdoors, exercise and listening to music.
I really needed to read this! I know that self-care is important but it’s easy to forget when you have a three-year-old. Hygge is so interesting! I came across the term recently and I had no idea what it was; I love that embrace cozy concept for the Winter! For me, I tend to always go back to exercise. That always makes a huge difference for me.
Dana,
I totally agree – exercise is KEY to my mental health year round! It makes all the difference for me.
Selfcare is so important, we tend to care for others and forget about ourselves. I’ve never heard of the hygge concept, I live in the cold north and winters tend to get long and painful, this is definitely something I’d love to try.
Hi Nelly,
Definitely give the hygge concept a try! I have visited Norway and Iceland before and this sentiment of embracing the winter season/climate through coziness, comfort, & appreciation for the little things can be felt. I think it definitely helps. They have close to 24 hours of “darkness” in the long winter months, but the populations are still the happiest in the world. They MUST be onto something……when you can’t beat the cold and darkness, make the best of it!
These are such great suggestions. I agree that getting outside is great for boosting your mood. This is the first winter than I’ve been consistently going out everyday with my kiddo, and it helps us both!
Hi Rachel,
The fresh air and sunshine (when there is any) make a big difference! Glad you enjoyed the post.
Best,
Carly
Carly, I loved your cozy game idea. My grandkids love to play Uno, Old Maid, Bingo, and other games with us. When it was nicer weather, I would walk outside everyday. Now I use the treadmill. I really feel good about excercising everyday. I love your blogs. They are very helpful and well written. 😘
Thank you Sharon,
Always love your feedback.