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Self-Care is Always Important
Self-care includes all the things we do to maintain or improve our wellbeing. We all know how important basic self-care activities such as adequate sleep, exercise, healthy eating, hobbies, and spending time with friends are.
If we don’t prioritize self-care, we feel lousy. Our health suffers. We get sick. We’re irritable, lonely, sluggish, and unfulfilled.
Winter Self-Care Activities
As the seasons change, we often need to change our self-care routines to accommodate the weather, amount of daylight, our schedule, and so forth.
The winter months can be particularly tough on us both physically and mentally. We’re more prone to colds and flu. some of us suffer from seasonal depression (the winter blues or Seasonal Affective Disorder SAD) because of the lack of sunlight. And it’s hard to get out and be active. So, we need some self-care activities to meet the specific needs we have in the darker, colder months. Below, you’ll find 10 of my favorite self-care activities that are well-suited to winter.
1. Write in a Journal
It’s the beginning of a new year and a perfect time to start writing in a journal. Journaling is great for your mental health. It provides a place to dump your feelings, process and reflect, and clear your head. Even if you’ve already got a journal, you may want to consider starting a new one. I hear from many avid journalers that there’s something uplifting about the fresh, clean-start feeling of a new journal.
2. Enjoy Nature’s Beauty
Yes, winter can be cold and dreary. But it can also be beautiful – fresh snow on the trees, icicles hanging from the roof, red cardinals at your birdfeeder, a full moon. When we’re mindful and take the time to look, there’s a lot to take pleasure in.
3. Go to Therapy
Have you been thinking about starting therapy? It can be daunting to find a therapist you feel comfortable with, get yourself there consistently, and pay for it – but most people find the results are well worth the effort. And since we’re already inside so much during the winter, it seems like a good time to start or resume therapy. And if the weather or transportation are significant barriers, there are more and more options for online therapy, as well.
4. Get More (Sun)Light
Exposure to light (sunlight or artificial light) improves your mood and energy. So, if you’re living in the Northern Hemisphere during the winter, you’ll probably feel better if you spend an extra 20-30 minutes outside when it’s sunny. Even opening the curtains and turning on the lights in your office or home can help.
5. Relax and Get Cozy
On a cold winter’s day, there’s nothing better than staying home in your pajamas, cuddling up with a good book (or your significant other or your cat!), sitting in front of a fire, or binge-watching your favorite show. Occasionally, give yourself permission to stay home and just relax.
6. Connect with Friends
We all need to socialize, connect with others, and feel like we belong. And yet, spending quality time with friends or your spouse may end up at the bottom of your to-do list. How about meeting this self-care need by planning a game night, potluck dinner, or hosting a party to watch the Oscars with your friends?
Not only is spending time with friends good for our mood, doing so may encourage us to relax, laugh, do something active, or try something new. If it’s hard to get out and do things in person, have a virtual coffee date on FaceTime or Zoom, or schedule a time for an old-fashioned phone call.
7. Enjoy a Hot Drink
A hot drink on a cold day is so comforting – a true simple pleasure. I’m a big coffee drinker, but I can easily overdo it. So, I try to mix things up with a collection of teas (I like this holiday blend tea) and homemade hot cocoa (just warm milk, a tablespoon of cocoa powder, and your favorite sweetener to taste).
Maximize this self-care practice by slowing down. Instead of gulping it down in the car, take a few minutes to sit and relax and savor your drink. This is a quick, easy, and inexpensive way to pamper yourself.
8. Get a Flu Shot
Getting a flu shot isn’t necessarily enjoyable, but that’s true of a lot of self-care. It’s something you do for your health. Speak to your doctor or pharmacist about whether a flu shot is a good choice for you.
9. Exercise
Many of us need to change our exercise routine or physical activities to accommodate winter weather. If you don’t have a regular exercise plan for the winter months, consider adding some winter sports (skiing, ice skating, snowshoeing, winter hiking) to your routine.
Alternatively, there are lots of indoor exercise options such as yoga or dance classes, exercise equipment at a gym or home, or using exercise videos on YouTube or television.
Don’t let winter weather be an excuse – you know you’ll feel better if you get a little movement into every day.
10. Indulge Your Creative Side
If you’re stuck inside, tap into your creativity. Did you know that arts and crafts are good for your mental health? Benefits such as reduced stress, depression, and anxiety, a sense of accomplishment, increased confidence and self-esteem have been reported.
Crafts are nice because they can be done alone or in a group. And there’s something for everyone – everything from painting, scrapbooking, knitting, quilting, woodworking, jewelry making, and more. Pull out an old favorite or try something new this winter!
11. Treat Yourself to Good Moisturizer
Winter is hard on your skin. Between the cold wind outside and drying heat inside, I frequently have chapped lips and dry, flaky skin. Another simple form of winter self-care is to treat yourself to some nice, high-quality moisturizer and lip balm. When I was Christmas shopping, I got a lovely sample of body lotion from Lush; it definitely does a better job than most of the drug store creams I have. But my usual go-tos (Aveeno Skin Relief Moisture Repair or Palmer’s Cocoa Butter) do a great job on a budget.
Put Winter Self-Care on your Calendar
Now that you’ve got a few ideas for your winter self-care, it’s time to put it on your calendar. Self-care (like most things) is much more likely to happen if you create a plan for when and what you will do to take care of yourself. Where will you begin? Perhaps, just add one new self-care activity to your schedule this week.
Other Articles about Self-Care
- How to Discover What’s Truly Fun for You (and Why it Matters)
- Treat Yourself Like a Toddler (and Other Tips for Those Who Struggle with Self-Care)
- Is Perfectionism Sabotaging your Self-Care?
©2020 Sharon Martin, LCSW. All rights reserved.
Photos courtesy of Canva.com
The Self-Love Guided Journal
I created the Self-Love Guided Journal to help you rediscover who you are, accept yourself – imperfections and all, and learn to treat yourself with kindness. It includes reflective questions, journal prompts, inspirational quotes, and a healing meditation to help you develop positive thoughts and feelings about yourself. Find out more by clicking HERE.
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Dr. Sharon Martin
Sharon Martin, DSW, LCSW is a psychotherapist and writer specializing in codependency recovery. For the past 25 years, she’s been helping perfectionists and people-pleasers overcome self-doubt and shame, embrace their imperfections, and learn to set boundaries. Dr. Martin writes the popular blog Conquering Codependency for Psychology Today and is the author of The CBT Workbook for Perfectionism and The Better Boundaries Workbook.