The cold wintery months can be a complicated time for everyone. You start off with fun holiday festivities that keep you entertained, but after New Years we start settling into our routines once more. Shorter days and longer winter nights allow those post holiday blues to creep in without you even realizing, making it important to set up and maintain mindful self care practices that will help with your emotional, mental, and physical health. We compiled some of our favorite self care tips to help with those ever-so-frosty cold weather months.

Clean your house to clear your mind

The first step in preparing yourself for a new season of well-being is to have the physical space to do it in. A cluttered space can also clutter your mind and prevent you from carrying on with your self care goals. We suggest a deep clean of your house especially since, for many of us, it’s also our home office space too. You don’t want to get overwhelmed, so take the day or week if you need to declutter your space and give yourself a fresh start. When your space is refreshed, your mind will be too.

Get those muscles moving

We know how the cold can affect your motivation to do outdoor (and sometimes indoor) exercises, but the endorphins you get after a workout are the absolute best cure for the winter blues. Getting your body moving is key. Start slow and continue to build each day , but do something to get your body moving. It takes discipline and time to make movement  a regular habit, but your body will thank you for it. Check out this post about simple fitness equipment that will help you get your sweat on at home.

Catch up on those zzz’s

Did you know that there are several physical and mental health benefits to getting a good night’s sleep? An average person should be sleeping 7-9 hours each night to wake up fresh in the morning and ready to take on the day. We realize it’s hard for some of you to get those hours in, or find it hard to sleep, so here are some steps you can  include in your nightly routine to help you get some zzz’s:  power down your devices 30 minutes to an hour before you go to bed, engage in activities that help with relaxation such as meditation, journaling, reading, or listening to calming music. 

Practice Hygge 

This is one of the more fun ways to beat the winter blues! The Danish word Hygge (pronounced Hoo-ga) is the name given to an atmosphere and experience of coziness, well-being, and happiness. If the term is new to you, it’s basically the act of creating an environment that feels cozy and safe. Think cushions, blankets, low lighting, a warm cuppa joe, or anything else that makes you feel snug. You can have your own little Hygee corner in the house and use it for reading, journaling, or meditating.

Connect with a friend  

Since the way we interact with our family and friends is very different from before, it’s important to maintain those connections to remind us that we are not alone, especially during those gloomier months. Even if it’s just to see how they are doing, having a few minutes on a phone or virtual call can help put you in a better mood almost immediately. It is also so much more personal than texting.

Treat yourself

We all have something indulgent we enjoy, so designate a day in the week to treat yourself when you feel the winter blues may be winning. Whether it’s your favorite dessert, a massage, or manicure, you deserve to feel good. You can even make this goal-focused. If you’ve managed to achieve a small or big goal personally or professionally, rewarding yourself will help you stay motivated and on track. 

These are just a few of the many steps you can take towards better self care in the new year. The most important thing is for you to make a realistic self care plan that will complement your current lifestyle, to make sure you stick with it. Let us know if you have any great self care tips that have worked for you in the past that we can add to our list!