Winter Self-Care; How To Make Friends With The Coldest Season of The Year

8 min readNov 21, 2022

Winter is my least favourite season.

It’s cold, dark and gloomy and I’ve struggled in the past with seasonal depression.

But since starting my wellness journey, I’ve been making a conscious effort to be kind to winter.

So if you also suffer from the winter blues, why not use this invitation to put your differences aside and welcome in the coldest season of the year?

Here are 39 self-care ideas to take you from December to February so you can become BFFs with winter and fully embrace everything it has to offer.

’Tis the damn season

Winter can be a tough season.

The days are shorter, the weather is colder, and it can be hard to find the motivation to get out of bed in the morning.

And to make matters worse, everywhere you look on social media there are reels reminding you about how many days are left to become “your best self.”

Yes, Karen, I’m fully aware it’s November, you don’t need to remind me that there are only 8 weeks left of the entire year, thank you.

Then you have everyone else promoting how much money they’ve made, asking you about your goals for 2023 or the classic “new year new me” bullshit.

It can be overwhelming AF causing your comparison syndrome to flare up.

Sometimes it feels like everyone else has their shit together and they’re fully thriving despite the fact it’s minus 10 degrees outside and there’s zero sunlight.

Seriously, how do they do it? I wish I had an answer for you but in true honesty, I don’t know, because I’ve never been someone who has thrived in winter.

Winter is in fact my least favourite season. I’m a summer baby. Born in mid-June, I cherish warmer weather and days spent in the sun, lying on the beach.

But whereas the old me would have spent this entire blog post moaning about how much she hates winter (see my January 2021 blog post), the new me is making more of an effort to embrace winter and everything that comes with it.

In short, I’m trying to find my winter silver lining.

Fancy joining me on this journey? It might make all the difference to your mental well-being and help you beat those pesky winter blues.

How to make friends with winter

When it comes to battling the winter blues, you need to understand that you are not alone.

Many other people are also going through what you are going through.

It’s also important to remember that what you see online is also only a highlight reel. 9 out of 10 times, Karen is only sharing the snippets from her day that she wants you to see and might also be struggling.

So while this blog post exists to support you during winter, I want you to make a conscious effort to check in with loved ones and friends or even strangers on the internet to see if they’re okay even if they look like they’re doing fine.

Making connections in this way can also help you feel less alone as well as boost your mood, make you smile and take your mind off the weather outside.

The truth is, winter doesn’t need to be all doom and gloom. It can actually be fun, grounding and comforting.

The key is to take advantage of everything winter has to offer. So before I dive into the 39 ways you can indulge in self-care this season, here are a few ways you can make friends with the coldest months of the year and fully embrace winter.

I encourage you to bookmark this page so you can refer back to it whenever you need to.

1 | Build a seasonal daily routine

Your daily routine isn’t meant to be the same all year round.

I’m actually a huge fan of switching up my routines to fit in with each season because what works for me in summer won’t necessarily work for me in winter.

For example, from November to March, I find it a lot harder to wake up in the morning. It’s cold, dark and usually miserable outside. So instead of waking up at 8 am and heading on a walk or a swim, I allow myself a slower morning than usual and savour my time in bed. I will either read for an extra hour or watch something on Netflix to ease me into the day.

Not only does this boost my mental well-being but it also increases my performance and productivity.

So if your daily routine is starting to feel like a chore and you’re having trouble sticking to it, I encourage you to switch it up.

Think about setting your alarm later and delaying certain rituals. Or choose to do your exercise in the morning when it’s light outside rather than in the evening when it is dark outside.

It is important to note that routines are essential for your overall well-being.

They reduce stress, allow you to build healthy habits and help you to avoid burnout. For this reason, it’s essential that you keep some form of routine in place during winter, as a lack of structure can make things worse.

Instead of struggling with a daily routine that works great in spring and summer, change up your routine to work for you in autumn and winter. This also goes for your morning and evening routine as well as your self-care routine.

It’s the life hack you never knew you needed.

2 | Look at things as an opportunity rather than as an obstacle

It’s so easy to feel defeated by winter.

Darker and shorter days mean we are prevented from doing certain activities that we loved doing in summer like BBQs with friends, wild swimming and sunbathing in the park. And colder weather means fewer social plans as everyone is hiding indoors and shielding themselves from the wind and rain.

But winter doesn’t have to be all bad.

Because let’s face it, even summer has its drawbacks. For starters, it is an incredibly busy season. It’s full of social get-togethers, weddings and holidays abroad. Time is spent outside rather than indoors and there’s more of a demand to keep up with everything.

Winter is a much softer and calmer season so lean into it.

Reframe “having” to stay indoors and embrace the fact that you “get” to stay at home. This is precious time you can spend relaxing and recuperating or getting creative. Play around with your furniture or even redecorate. Get in the kitchen and learn to cook new, delicious recipes. There are endless activities to try in winter that can bring you as much joy as your favourite summer rituals.

All I’m asking you to do is to change your perspective on winter and find the silver lining.

Ask yourself, “What opportunities are there for me this season?”

It might be switching up your routine or inviting new meaningful hobbies into your day that you wouldn’t necessarily have time for in summer. Like curling up on a chair with a blanket and reading an epic fiction book or scrapbooking your summer holiday.

Sometimes all it takes is a simple mindset shift to change your outlook and make things more manageable.

3 | Dedicate time to the things that bring you joy

Finding joy in life may be at the core of coping with the winter blues.

The more fun the activities you engage in, the more likely it is you’ll feel more alive. Because let’s face it, adults tend to take life too seriously. We don’t really allow ourselves to truly let loose and be silly.

But engaging in activities that bring you joy can help you see past the mundane routines and to-do lists that take over your life.

So focus on doing the things that bring you joy this season that isn’t eating or drinking.

Take a step back from mental self-care in favour of recreational self-care that doesn’t require too much brainpower. Tap into your inner child and do things that make you feel like a kid again like playing hide and seek, painting or building Lego.

Take a moment now to write your list, make it as long or short as you want. Put it somewhere safe, so that the next time you are struggling with the winter blues, you can choose something from this list to boost your mood and energy.

Sometimes all we need is a little reward to motivate us to keep going.

39 self-care ideas to try this winter season

Ready to become besties with the coldest season of the year? Because I know I am!

Here is an extensive list of winter self-care ideas to take you from December to February.

Winter self-care ideas for December

Build a cosy inside fort with pillows and blankets
Create a winter acoustic playlist to help you unwind
Make some popcorn and watch the Harry Potter boxset
Cosy up with a blanket or in front of the fire and read an epic fiction book
Reflect on the past year
Play around with your furniture or even redecorate
Get stuck into a 1000-piece (or more) jigsaw puzzle
Go ice skating or sledging
Take up a new hobby like knitting or cross-stitch
Create your own festive-inspired candles
Switch off the lights for the evening and light the candles you made
Scrapbook a year in pictures
Embrace the Hygge lifestyle and hibernate for the day

Winter self-care ideas for January

Reconnect with an old friend and start a pen-pal friendship
Make a yummy hot chocolate (add marshmallows) and curl up with a podcast
Have a movie marathon and watch a trilogy — my absolute favourite is The Lord of The Rings
Play a game of chess
Use a money app to keep track of your finances
Set healthy boundaries with social media for the year
Map out your core values
Take part in a mindfulness challenge. I highly recommend this free challenge from Best Self Co
Start The Daily Stoic by Ryan Holiday
Have a long hot bubble bath with a glass of wine and a good book
Bake! Blueberry muffins, gooey chocolate brownies or banana bread
Put on some chilled jazz music and dance around the kitchen
Create a comfort or memory box

Winter self-care ideas for February

Write a bucket list of things to do in spring and summer
Cook a comforting food recipe — one you haven’t tried before
Go bowling
Take a walk in the snow
Make friendship bracelets
Colour co-ordinate your bookshelf
Build Lego
Make a chunky vegetable soup using fresh produce in season
Re-watch your favourite show
Write a short story or poem
Play a board game from your childhood
Do something that makes you feel like a kid again
Write down a small wins list