Although I am a personal development blogger by profession, I am in no way a mental health professional. See my disclaimer for more info.
Winter is (one of) the best seasons to practice self-care! Read this post to learn all about winter self care.
Winter is almost here (I mean, of course we have to get through fall first)!
Winter is a great season to work on your self-care routine. You’re out of school for a few weeks, you get to sleep in, and even get to enjoy the beautiful snow. There are tons of self-care activities you can do during the winter, and that’s what we’ll be talking about today.
Even though it’s not exactly my favorite season, I have to admit that there’s something special about winter. So, let’s talk all about winter self care! Ready? Let’s get into it!
THIS POST IS ALL ABOUT winter self care.
Winter Self Care Ideas:
1. Watch Christmas movies
Christmas movies are by far the best kind of movies. It’s like you can just feel the joy and warmth through the screen. Bundle up and watch a Christmas classic, whether it be Home Alone, The Nightmare Before Christmas, or Elf.
I absolutely love Home Alone (specifically the first two movies), so I definitely make sure to watch it a few times during winter.
Another traditional thing to do in the winter is to bake cookies. It can be hard at first, but you’ll get the hang of it after a while.
Invite some friends/family over, and bake some cookies together! Or, if that’s not really your thing, you can always enjoy your own company.
3. Go ice skating
I will say I’ve never ice skated before because even just regular skating alone is difficult. So I can only imagine ice skating is on a whole other level of challenging.
BUT, if you want to put yourself to the challenge, I’d say go for it! I mean, unless you’re already a good ice skater… in that case, go on that rink and do your thing!
4. Spend time with family
Winter time is the one of the best times to hang out with your family. Schedule a time to hang out and do some of the things listed in this post.
5. Make an infamous crockpot meal
Haha, I say “infamous” because not many people are fond of Crockpot meals. I don’t know if it’s because they take a while to make or they simply don’t like them.
I, on the other hand, LOVE a good Crockpot meal. I feel like it’s essential to make at least a handful of them when it gets chilly outside. There’s all kinds of Crockpot meals, from soups to pastas and many more. My all-time favorite is chili. It’ll never go out of style and it’s perfect for those colder months.
6. Decorate your environment
Even if you don’t celebrate Christmas, you can still decorate for winter. Red, blue, and green are the main winter colors, so I’d say shop for items that are these colors.
7. Build snowmen
Grab your gloves, put on a coat (or two in some cases), put on your snow boots and go outside and build a snowman. I’ve never built one but it surely looks fun and makes for some great bonding time. Not to mention it ignites a healthy competition.
8. Build a gingerbread house
As hard as it is, building a gingerbread house is really fun. You can either go to the store and buy the kit that you assemble, or you can go all out and do everything homemade. Either way, I’m sure you’ll have a fun time building your gingerbread house.
And the great thing is, you can use it for decoration or even eat it afterward! I mean, how great is that?
9. Go see Christmas lights
Have you ever driven through a nice neighborhood and saw tons of houses lit up with all kinds of Christmas lights and inflatables? They look a little something like that picture you see above this paragraph. I see them ALL the time in November and December.
I actually want to do that someday, but that time isn’t exactly here just yet. Until then, I admire other people’s houses during the winter time. They’re just so festive — I love it!
10. Have a spa night
Alright, let’s move on to some less traditional things for a bit. You might not think of a spa night as a winter self care activity. But sometimes you could probably really appreciate a spa night (or even a spa day, for that matter!).
Go about it any way you want; you could either go to a spa and enjoy the experience there, or enjoy it from the comfort of your own home.
If you decide to do it at home, you can go on Amazon and find some pretty affordable things, like:
- Hair masks
- Face masks
- Foot masks
- Facial & body scrubs
- Soap bars
- Body washes
- Loofahs
- Robes
In shorter terms… on Amazon, you can basically find everything you need for the perfect at-home spa night.
11. Invest in a humidifier
If you didn’t know, the air gets MUCH drier during the colder months. I believe that’s part of the reason we tend to get sick in the winter.
And I’ll tell you, it’s not very fun dealing with such dry, cold air. To combat this, invest in a humidifier. These little machines put water into the air, help you breath much better, and ultimately help to reduce your chances of getting sick.
12. Make goals for the next year
Winter marks the final months of the year. Around this time, you should sit down and make some goals for the next year. Think about all aspects of your life: finances, physical health, academics, mental health, and others.
Be intentional with this process and take time to really think about your priorities for the next year and set some healthy, actionable, and achievable goals based on them.
THINK: What’s one goal you have for the new year? Tell me in the comments!
13. Declutter your environment
Sure, spring cleaning is a thing. But have you ever thought about decluttering during the winter? Like I just said, winter marks the end of the year.
You don’t want to go into the new year with your environment feeling all dirty and organized, do you?
Set aside a few days to declutter your environment. Get rid of things you don’t need anymore!
14. Journal
If you don’t already know how I feel about journaling, where have you been? Seriously though — journaling is a top-tier self-care activity and can be done during any season. But you might feel more inclined to journal during the winter, as you’re locked in the house.
Sit down and do a bit of journaling. Even if it’s only for 10 minutes, I bet you’ll feel so good afterward. Get a free journal below!
FREE DAILY JOURNAL
This journal is my favorite because it includes a section to mark how you’re feeling before you start writing, plus just enough lines to let all your feelings out.
Journaling is absolutely one of my favorite ways to practice emotional/mental self care, and my free daily journal can help you do just that.
Click here to get the FREE journal now!
15. Do a self-care challenge
Consider challenging yourself to a self-care challenge. During this challenge, you can nurture yourself and practice all kinds of self-care — physical, mental, spiritual, and even financial.
And guess what? You can choose how long you want to do it. Whether it’s a week long or 3 months long, what matters most is that you complete it (and even learn a thing or two from it).
16. Learn about & practice hygge
Full transparency: I had NO idea what hygge was until I read a few of my fellow self improvement creators’ blog posts on the topic.
It turns out practicing hygge (pronounced “hooga”) is all about creating and living in a cozy, warm environment — especially during the winter.
This means focusing on self-care and prioritizing your mental health. I absolutely love the sound of that, so I’m definitely going to implement that when the colder months arrive.
17. Bundle up
More on the topic of being cozy: bundle up! Winter is obviously the coldest season and you want to make sure you stay nice and warm. Even though I prefer being cold over being hot, you better believe I’m wrapped up in my blanket all the time.
18. Stay healthy
I’m sure you already know that we’re more likely to get sick during the winter. And I’m also sure that you’re not very fond of being sick, like myself.
So, you want to make sure you do everything in your power to prevent yourself from getting sick. This means staying hydrated, nourished, and physically active, and making sure you bundle up!
19. Binge-watch your favorite series
You probably have more free-time during the winter, so why not take that time to indulge in your favorite series? If you need some ideas, I’ve lately been loving:
- Grey’s Anatomy
- Abbott Elementary
- Blood & Water
- The Kardashians
- Ginny & Georgia
- Bel-Air
20. Start on your holiday shopping
When I was planning this post, I realized that you are likely in your early 20s (or maybe even older) and don’t really care to make a Christmas wishlist anymore.
So, instead of recommending that, you can get started on your holiday shopping. Whether it’s for yourself or your loved ones, go online or to different stores and buy a few presents.
21. Enjoy some arts and crafts
Since you’ll likely be cooped up in the house most of the time, consider using that time to embrace your creative, artsy side. I’m definitely not the most artsy person, but I do enjoy some arts and crafts every now and then.
Go on Amazon and look through their catalog of crafts you can try. I’m sure you’ll find something you’ll enjoy!
22. Attend a concert
I know summer is usually reserved for concerts and festivals, but a good number of artists and bands play in the winter also. For example, I saw SZA live in October last year (2023) and I’m seeing Nicki Minaj in October again this year.
Now… it’s up to you to decide whether that’s considered fall or winter. But for the sake of this post, let’s just say winter (wink!).
23. Host a potluck
Just like with outfits, I feel that you can get a lot more versatile with foods during the winter. I mean, there’s countless options like pastas, soups, and all different kinds of yummy desserts.
Host a small potluck with a few friends/family members. Ask each person to bring a dish and enjoy an evening of delicious food!
24. Focus on yourself
Last but certainly not least, I want you to focus on yourself. Winter can be a stressful season for many, so it’s important to prioritize yourself and your needs.
FREE SELF CARE ACTIVITIES LIST
Would you like a free self care activities list?
I know it can be difficult to think of different self care ideas, so I did the work for you! I created a FREE list of 81 self care activities that you can enjoy.
To get the list, simply click here.
Let’s recap!
We made it to the end of the post!
Today, we talked about winter self care.
Winter is one of the best seasons to practice self-care. I hope this post gave you some ideas to take care of yourself this winter!
Please remember to take time to take care of yourself!
I know, in this economy, it can be hard to find free things to do that are fun. That’s why I put together a list of 7 free self care activities to enjoy today!
In the midst of chaos, don’t forget to smile,
DeMarcus – your self care buddy
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