Easy Ways to Care For Yourself in Winter

As winter continues on, you may start to feel yourself getting the winter blues. Between a lack of sunlight, less outside activities, and a sometimes busy-paced season, we can start to feel worn out and run down quickly. During this season, you may need to pay a little bit more attention to your mind, emotions, and body to ensure you are taking care of yourself.

These easy self-care tips can help you feel more like yourself through the winter season.

Take vitamin D & C supplements! 

With a lack of sunlight and less opportunities to go outside in the winter, taking vitamin D can help make up for some of the vitamin deficiency you may experience from a lack of sun. Low vitamin D can lead to depressed mood and an overall unwell mental health. You could also try using an artificial sun lamp to help get vitamin D! Vitamin C can help boost your immune system to keep you physically healthy and feeling better throughout the winter.

Get outside when you can.

Not every winter day is gloomy and gray. Take advantage of sunny days to get outside and change your scenery! If it’s cold, bundle up and take a short, brisk walk. If it’s a little warmer, plan to hike or do another activity that keeps you outside a little longer. This can help change up your in-the-house routine and even give you opportunities to see friends!

Take care of your body.

Winter is usually a season of dry skin and low movement. If you can’t get outside to walk, try to get some movement indoors. There are YouTube videos for easy, low impact exercises or you can do something fun like dancing, if you don’t like more traditional workouts or going to the gym. Your body and mind will thank you if you make an effort to get some extra movement in, even if it’s just taking some steps in place while you wait for your coffee to brew! Taking care of your skin during this season is also important. Invest in some quality skin care products that can help you keep your skin moisturized. Physical health and mental health are closely tied, so it’s important that you take care of both!

Slow down your mornings.

Winter can often be a busy season, with holidays and the new year starting and not much to do outside. Instead of rushing around to get out of the house, try getting up a little earlier and slowing your mornings down. Take time to make coffee or tea and drink it slowly. Make and eat breakfast every morning. Sit under a warm blanket for a few minutes before starting your day. Giving yourself some time in the mornings can help you feel more ready to face your day.

Try out some new indoor activities.

When you’re stuck inside all day, it can be easy to let yourself just sit and scroll through social media or watch TV. If you don’t already have an indoor hobby, try something new–even if you try a new activity every week! Gain some cooking or baking skills; try some painting or crafting; take an online class to learn a skill. There are plenty of ways to get your mind going, your hands moving, and your creativity flowing during the winter. 

Learn to embrace winter and do what you need to do to care for yourself through it. 

So you already gave up on your New Year’s Resolutions? Ate some extra sugar one day when you just really needed a mood boost? Laid around all day instead of getting anything done? Stop beating yourself up about it! Winter can be a hard season, and sometimes you just need to get off your routine and binge watch a show or eat some extra sweets. You’ve got the whole year to meet your goals–you don’t need to finish them by spring. And try to embrace winter if you find yourself grumbling and complaining about it. See the beauty in the snow, in the new beginnings that winter presents. Admire the extra glow in the lights at dusk and the bracing cold on your face as you walk down the street, waking you up. Learning to embrace both the literal and figurative seasons you’re in is important to caring for yourself.

We hope these tips can help you care for yourself physically, emotionally, and mentally through the winter! If you find that you still need a little help, please reach out and speak to one of our counselors on the chat. They can help you identify what you need and connect you to important resources and services to get you back to feeling like yourself.