10 Winter Self-Care Ideas To Banish Gloomy, Cold Days
If you’re looking to give yourself a positive boost with winter self-care ideas, you’re reading the right post. Learning how to take care of yourself in winter can help you get past the gloomy, depressing months.
You’re probably reading this because you’re dealing with drab winter days or bone-chilling snowfall.
You need a break, but hopping on a plane to a sunny destination is not possible.
I don’t know about you, but winter in Canada can be pretty depressing. Here in Southern Ontario, we get either huge amounts of snowfall or rainy, colourless and overcast days.
What always helps me feel better is when I take care of myself mentally, physically and spiritually. Self-care can also be a fun winter activity.
I’ll share some of my favourite winter self-care tips so you can get out of the doldrums!
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10 Winter Self-Care Ideas That Balance Your Life
If you’re like me – a working mom to a busy kid who’s going to school – you’re probably limited on time.
Learning how to survive winter and everything that comes with it will help you transition into Spring.
All of the tips I’m sharing here are easy to do and some take only minutes. Yet they can have a huge impact on how you feel.
1. Meditate For Your Soul
The days may be short and cold, but this doesn’t mean you should shut out warm, uplifting thoughts.
Whether you meditate using Eastern traditions, through Christian prayer (e.g. Rosary, guided meditations), or even focus on affirmations taking a moment to connect with your spiritual side will help you feel positive and less stressed out.
Prayer has long been known to be a healing activity.
Saying mantras or praying the rosary can benefit our hearts – a study found that “both prayer and mantra caused striking, powerful, and synchronous increases in existing cardiovascular rhythms when recited six times a minute.” This means it produced favourable results.
TIP: Do a January prayer/meditation challenge: try taking a moment every day to focus on your spiritual side.
2. Enjoy A Planned “Do Nothing Day”
I know I say to plan it, but sometimes you need to say “today I’m doing nothing.” No plans, no expectations and no goals.
Just going with the flow.
After the busy Holiday season, when the decorations are put away, take a Saturday or Sunday to not do anything.
If you feel like watching movies all day do it! If you just want to read a book while you drink coffee you easily made with a Keurig machine, do it.
Eat leftovers. Don’t change out of your PJs. Keep structured activity to a minimum.
I’m telling you to be lazy.
Trust me, it works wonders for your stress levels. I try to “plan” a do-nothing day” at least once in a two-month span.
| RELATED: How To Do A “Do Nothing” Day And Feel Super Relaxed
3. Give Yourself A Pedicure
Next on my list of winter self-care tips is one that’s a bit odd, given that we rarely show our toes during this season.
Whether you choose to head to a nail salon or do it at home, giving yourself a pedicure is one of my favourite winter self-care ideas.
Since we cover up our feet with socks in the winter, we forget about our foot care!
But sometimes it feels great to clear off dead skin off our soles and clean up our toenails.
If you don’t want to go to a nail salon, transform your bathroom into a mini-spa and give yourself a pedicure.
TIP: Check out Dream Feet Pedicure Stick by Nature Mary – with a lemongrass scent, it rolls on the soles of your feet making them feel silky smooth after your pedicure. Made with natural ingredients, it’s a treat for tired, achy feet.
4. Go For A Winter Walk Or Hike
Get your blood pumping!
A brisk walk in chilly temps can help with your mood, blood flow and mental health.
Not only is it good for your health, but it’s a great way to do something different outside of your home.
I don’t know about you, but I get cabin fever pretty quickly. So, we’ve made it a point to go for walks along trails near our home and just a bit further away for a change of pace.
| RELATED: What To Wear When Hiking In The Winter
5. Take A Hot Bath
When was the last time you had a good soak?
Here’s what I do when I’ve had a full day outside in chilly temps: I grab my favourite bath salts and load up the tub with warm water.
Even a good 5 to 10 minutes of soaking can invigorate your body and warm you up.
| RELATED: 4 Things We’re Not Doing Correctly To Manage Dry Skin In Winter
6. Enjoy A Cup Of Coffee Or Tea – And Quiet Time
There are some days I don’t feel like I want to be around people. The winter festivities around the Holiday season can really be taxing on your wellbeing.
Quiet time with a cup of coffee or tea, to contemplate life and your plans might be what your soul needs.
A wintery afternoon spent at my kitchen table with a cup of coffee, looking out my sliding door window at the antics of the squirrels playing in my yard is very relaxing.
It’s even better when the snow is falling and I’m cozy at home.
TIP: One of the best premium coffee brands that ships directly to my home is Zavida Coffee. I’m a huge fan of their flavoured coffees, however, their Charles Private Blend (the founder’s special blend) is delicious. Check out Zavida Coffee (ships to Canada and the US) and get 25% off your purchase.
7. Cook Your Favourite Comfort Meal
How to survive winter? Cook a comfort meal that will make you happy.
For some people, it’s roasted veggies, while for others it’s roast chicken. For others’s its a warm bowl of soul or Indian food. Anything that will warm you up!
Make a big batch and keep your belly and mind happy.
8. Start Journaling
Writing things down on paper – especially your thoughts and feelings – can be cathartic.
This next tip on my list of winter self-care tips is one that I’ve started doing recently before bedtime.
A journal helps me remember funny things that happened that day. It also helps me release some emotions before going to sleep.
Some prefer to write in a journal in the morning. This is especially true if you’re an early morning riser.
Need some new journals? Check out the nature-inspired journals from Spruce and Heron shop (Canadian shipping only).
9. Plan For The Year
I’m all about reducing my stress levels. Having a plan helps with this.
The quieter winter months give you time to plan months ahead.
Inclement weather is keeping you home? Plan what you’ll do with your garden this Spring. Or plan your summer trips (hey – those park reservations can get booked up quick!).
Planning things in advance includes research time which you have much more of in the winter.
10. Cozy Up With A Book
My final point in the list of winter self-care ideas is a fun one. Read a book!
Get cozy in your favourite reading nook or in bed and enjoy a good read. Keep it light and fun.
Need inspiration for your next book? Check out the suggestions from my blogger friend Victoria and her tips on her Contented Reader blog.
| RELATED: How To Create A Soothing Sunday Night Routine
Now You Know How To Take Care Of Yourself In Winter
These winter self-care tips are just a few suggestions to banish the gloomy winter days.
There are so many more fun things to do. For example, you can take some of my 30 New Year’s Eve ideas and adapt them to a Saturday or Sunday spent at home.
Whatever you do, take care of yourself in winter. Be good to yourself!
Read these 200+ boredom busters to inspire fun days during the winter period.
Feeling the winter blues? Here are 10 ways to boost your mood in winter.
QUESTION: What are your favourite winter self care tips?
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Love these suggestions…Jan and Feb are so grey and cold, it’s easy to get in a funk. It’s important to care for yourself so that doesn’t happen!
I love the planned ‘do nothing’ day. They’re hard to come by, but I’m going to be intentional about self care this winter!
I love this list and I think I do 8 out 10 of these! Going outside and doing activities that will make you enjoy winter, like skating, snowshoeing, skiing, sledding etc. helps. Work with winter, not against it.
I’m not usually big on self-care things but in the winter I find I fall into them more. Do-nothing days and curling up with good books are things I love to do. I also try to get outside as much as possible but that’s really dependent on how cold it is. I’ve never done a pedicure before, maybe I will give that a try this winter.
I agree!
Yeah, we sometimes have to plan a “do nothing” day. Which makes it sound a bit funny.
Amen to that! I agree 100%. Enjoy the winter and it’s benefits.
Glad you like doing these things – the pedicure is a bit more work, but it does do wonders for your feet.
I love all of these suggestions — I definitely want to implement some of these to help me get through the gloomy days! I’m particularly excited about a “do nothing” day and trying to get outside for more winter walks!
Yes to all of these! Actually, I was just telling my husband that I’d like to take a winter walk this morning. The cold weather has been keeping us inside, and I feel like a walk would be very therapeutic.
I think you can partner a do nothing day with a reading day. :)
We started walking again, but the air quality is keeping us inside today. It’s a balancing act.
Great ideas, thanks for sharing.
Do nothing days are my favorites! Although that makes my fiancé wonder if I’m feeling down haha but it’s definitely a great way to just enjoy yourself and let your body rest.
You have some wonderful tips on self care during the cold. I think I would to be in Canada! I am in the south in the U.S. so we don’t get much snow here. My favorite tip was the “do nothing” day. I need to have more of those.
I love your suggestions for winter self-care! We’re just coming off of a do-nothing day at our house, and it was a much-needed reprieve from all of the holiday hustle and bustle.
I always find myself procrastinating and feeling like there’s not enough time during the days in December & January… Your tips are really great! A planned “do nothing day” sounds right up my alley tbh
Haha! You’ve got to get him into them as well. A couple that does “do nothing days” together is supremely relaxed!
It’s a popular kind of day! We don’t do them often enough.
I’m sure you’re feeling refreshed and ready to take on the year!
Yes! “Do nothing” day for the win!
Hot tea and journaling definitely will work for me. Also, I really need some quest time. I`m so happy the school break will finish next week. Thank you for cool ideas!
A do nothing day and taking a hot bath sounds so nice.
Don’t they? They make a great combo.
Love these ideas! I really had to focus on so many of them when I lived up north in Michigan, but honestly, even though we have less gloomy days here, they are good recommendations for mental health in general! And I do many of them often.
Absolutely true – sometimes we need to get out of a rut.