10 Self-Care Activities to Get You Through the Winter

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Winter self-care isn’t as easy for some people as it could be. You are super busy buying presents for friends and family. That you completely forget about yourself. Does this sound like you? Trust me. It happens to the best of us. I used to be so busy this time of year with work that I hardly had time for anything- let alone self-care too.

It felt almost impossible. Then inevitably, the winter blues hit. Hard. I really don’t want this for any of you, so…

That’s why I have created this blog post of 10 winter self-care activities for you to come to for inspiration when you need a little bit of  “you time” over the chillier months. 

10 Self-Care Practices For the Winter

1. Read a Feel-Good Book

 

Pick up a good book and start reading. Simple as that. Around this time of year, I really enjoy reading Christmassy stories.

A personal favourite that I highly recommend is called “Christmas at Battersea: True Stories of Miracles and Hope” by Paul O’Grady. It’s all about the many rescue success stories around Christmas time at an animal rescue in the UK. Such heartwarming tales will get you feeling every emotion possible as you read about the strong bond between man and animal.

You can grab your copy here.

Now sit down in front of the fire, and escape into a new world through pages.

 

2. Declutter Your Home

 

Spending some time to declutter your home (especially before you up the decorations up) can really feel like a breath of fresh air. Don’t put too much pressure on yourself at this time of year.

You absolutely don’t have to declutter the entire house. Start small in a little section of your room that is looking a little messy. Throw away any rubbish and donate anything that you don’t want that someone else could really appreciate. You never know. Your junk could be someone else’s best Christmas present.

Slowly but surely decluttering your home over the winter will lead to amazing benefits. This includes; less stress, better sleep and more time to yourself. Having a lot of clutter around can lead to a sensory overload and trigger anxiety, so this is an amazing winter self-care activity if you really want to look after yourself.

 

3. Have a PJ Day

 

You can’t go wrong with this one. I’m sure some of you may be doing it right now. If so, you are already practising winter self-care. If not, then stop. Look at your calendar and put a day aside to chill around the house in your PJs.

But that’s so unproductive? You may be thinking.

Well, say this to the voice in your head telling you that. “Who cares?”. If you have a day off and no need to go out anywhere… Please do it. Remember, SELF-CARE IS NOT SELFISH!

You can still do so many things in your PJs, read a book, watch a film, eat; you name it.

So, don’t stress, get your most snuggly and soft PJs ready and be lazy for a day.

 

4. Go For A Winter Walk

 

I love going out for walks when it’s a little bit chillier. That may sound strange to some of you, but at least it makes returning home to the warmth even more rewarding.

Just go out for a walk. Wrap up warm and enjoy the scenery.

During the day, go walking around your local park. Watch all the winter nature and really breathe it in. There is no better feeling. Plus you are getting exercise too, so that’s two pieces of self-care in one.

If after a hectic day, you don’t end up going out till its dark, then just walking around the streets and looking at all the beautiful Christmas lights is amazing too.

 

5. Enjoy a Nice Hot Drink

 

Who doesn’t love a hot chocolate (or another hot winter beverage if you prefer something else)? It is the epitome of self-care in a mug.

You can even add some extra happiness with squirty cream and marshmallows to really top it off.

Honestly, just drinking it makes me feel all warm, cosy and ready for the holiday season.

Now, grab your favourite mug and fill it up.

6. Listen to Music and Dance

 

Listening to music is certainly one of my favourite ways to practice self-care for all year round. There is no better feeling than putting on your favourite tunes and dancing out your emotions like a maniac.

Even if you can’t dance for your life (like me) go for it.

Around this time of year, Christmas music is always my go-to. Everyone knows them so you can even get others joining in and share happiness. 

 

7. Light a Winter Themed Candle or Burn a Wax Melt

 

Another great self-care activity that I didn’t discover that I loved till recently is burning candles and wax melts.  There are so many beautiful scents to choose from, and enjoying all these different smells around your house over the winter and holiday season can really boost your mood.

The smell of the scented candle/wax melt stimulates the part of your brain which is connected to memory and mood. From boosting energy through to relieving stress or even enhancing mental clarity, the healing properties coming from a lighted scented candle can deliver psychological effects.

My favourite place to purchase wax melts is SunflowerHomeCo (a small independent kawaii wax melt business in Liverpool, UK). Her Christmas/winter scents include:

• Christmas pudding and brandy sauce.
• Candy cane
• White chocolate Christmas cookie
• Gingerbread
• Hot chocolate
• Spicy mulled wine
• Mulled pear and cranberry crunch
• Cinnamon vanilla
• And more!

You can get all this and more here and start your winter self-care routine off strong and smelling lovely!

 

8. Talk to a Friend

 

I know at the moment it isn’t as easy to meet up with people which makes it even more special when you do get to talk to your loved ones. Give them a call (or message if phone calls give you anxiety like me), and have a nice long chat. Talk out any feelings that you have been bottling up, have a good old laugh and have fun.

You can even invite your friend to join you on one of your daily winter walks (if possible for them) for some company and to pass over any Christmas gifts that you may have for them.

You will both benefit from this so much. 

 

9. Watch a Festive Film

 

Christmas films really are brilliant. They are classic and something that you can enjoy at any age.

They really bring me back my childhood when we had absolutely no worries. Getting lost into a new world and into that mindset is a great distraction and an amazing self-care activity for the winter months when it’s too cold and rainy to go outside. 

Not that you should avoid your worries and responsibilities, but sometimes we need to escape the real world.
And that’s okay.

 

10. Have a Warm Shower or Bubble Bath

 

To finish off my list, I couldn’t not include having a nice hot bath or shower.

Soaking in warm water has so many amazing benefits on top of making you feel good, including; improving your quality of sleep, reducing muscle tension, combating winter colds and reducing stress.

Get into your bath or shower, relax and really take it all in. You can even add bath salts or bubbles in your bath for that extra little bit of pampering that you deserve.

 

Start Your Winter Self-Care Practices NOW!

 

Now that you know ten amazing winter self-care activities, you will never forget or run out of ideas to look after yourself over the holiday season again.

Make sure to take note of any that you like the look of and start implementing them.

You will start to enjoy the winter season so much more.

Did you love this list? Want 10 more winter self-care activities to introduce into your life?

Don’t forget to grab your FREE copy of “20 Day Self-Care Plan for the Holidays”.

 

Winter Self-Care FAQ