Self Care Ideas for the Winter Season

Take care of yourself this winter by finding time to rest and rejvenate.

Winter tends to be a season of rest in nature and that gives us plenty of opportunities to do the very same thing for our bodies and minds. It also gives us unique ways put self care ideas into practice.

While a good practice of taking time to rejuvenate isn’t necessarily season specific, we can mirror seasonal living with these winter self care tips.

Curl Up Under a Blanket

There is something inherently comforting about relaxing underneath a warm, cozy blanket. This warmth takes on an even deeper and more necessary meaning during cold winter days.

Choose a family heirloom, a quilt from Grandma, an afghan from Aunt Susie if you have it, but truly anything with work.

Use this as the first step to other self-care activities if time permits. Also, use this time to do nothing at all but rest even nap. 

Stay Hydrated

When the weather cools off it can be easier to ignore water and other hydrating beverages. It seems many of us use sweat and heat as cues to drink water. The winter can be very dry meaning our bodies need the moisture to keep us healthy and our skin from drying out. 

Regular water is of course ideal but nourishing herbal teas work, too. Skip bottled water and use filtered tap water in reusable bottles.

Read a Book

For fun or for learning. Go to the library or bookstore and pick up a few good books to read under your blanket.

This is important to keep our brains active but also in allowing ourselves to rest. Reading a book gives us permission and opportunity to stop working and focus on something pleasurable. 

Keep it seasonal by finding winter specific books or learn something new with my favorite homestead books.

Bundle Up & Go Outside

Put on several layers, a hat and gloves if necessary and go outside. Take a walk around the block or longer.

Get outside, breathe in the crisp winter air and exhale stress. Leave the phone in your pocket and simply allow the fresh air and mother nature to care for you as you care for yourself. 

These walks are obviously good for our physical health. Beyond just moving the body, however; being in nature can reduce stress and help our mental health as well.

Eat Nourishing Soups

Winter is a great time for warm and healthy soups. Keep it simple by tossing chopped vegetables, bits of meat, and some grains into homemade broth.

Soups don’t have to be involved. Toss whatever you like and is on hand into a pot and let it simmer low for a few hours and indulge in a big mug under your blanket.

Eat the comforting, less than ideally healthy soups too. Keep those occasions less frequent but don’t skip out on the loaded baked potato soup completely if that’s a favorite, for example. 

Slather on Herbs

Treat your skin to nourishing herbs and oil. Slather balms and lotions onto dry skin. Hydrate lips with soothing (and easy) DIY lip balm.

Make your own or buy some from local small batch crafters. There’s a huge difference in quality and content when you skip the big box store. 

Take a Relaxing Bath

Never underestimate the power of a nice bath. It’s a simple little process of cleaning the body but it can also be a huge way to disconnect from the chaos of life.

Fill the tub with some warm water and simple bath salts (or use bath bombs) for a very relaxing experience. Listen to soothing music, light a candle, have a glass of wine or a cup of tea if that suits your fancy. Allow the mind and body to rest in the warmth of the water and feel rejuvenated. 

Rest

Actually take time to rest, truly rest. Not watch a movie but also catch up on emails at the same time. Rest, do nothing, even nap or go to bed earlier, sleep in later.

There’s weird bit of modern culture that tells us to go all the time and that makes rest seem weak. Neither are realistic or true. Enjoy good rest to keep the body and mind healthy. 

Putting Self Care into Practice

You have a lot of things you need to do in a day. These winter self care tips should not be looked at as one more thing to check off the to-do list. Rather self-care, just a few minutes of it every day, is what fuels us through those long days and even longer lists.

Use these ideas as a way to connect to yourself and your intentional life so that you can do all the things that are most important to you this winter season.

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