Here are some of our tips for how to fight the blues on those long winter nights and learn how to love winter again.
The winter wonderland scene can get old fast. It’s dark when you wake up. It’s dark when you get off of work. And no matter how many layers you wear, the cold just seeps into your skin. Living in an area with never-ending snow, like Minnesota, can also make it feel like winter is dragging on for forever while you’re stuck inside all day. Because of all of this, winter can be a tough time especially for people with seasonal depression like my husband and me. So last year, I decided to take action and find ways to make wintertime more enjoyable rather than letting it be a drag. Here are my top tips to flip the switch and make winter a season you love.
As a disclaimer, if you are dealing with seasonal depression and are struggling to cope, please reach out to a therapist or your doctor. The following tips are in no way a replacement for medical treatment. They are simply the practices that have helped me the most during the dark winter days.
It’s a time to take a step back to love winter
Let’s be honest, it is understandable to not have much love for winter. You really can’t do much in the winter. There are a few winter sports, but if you don’t participate in any, it might not seem like there is anything to do. Think of the lack of activity like it is intentional. This is nature forcing you to slow down and relax for a moment before the craze of spring and summer is upon you. This is your time to hibernate and take it easy for a couple of months.
Take this opportunity to take care of yourself and give yourself the rest you need. Now that you can focus more on you, start healthy habits like meditating or working out. This is also a great time to get into a personal care routine – whatever that may be to you. This could be as simple as applying lotion every morning or night or massaging your scalp for 5 minutes a day. Just be sure not to overdo it with adding new habits—listen to your body and go from there.
Start Slow Projects
One of my favorite things that really helped me love winter was finding slow projects. For me, this includes embroidery, sewing, and yarn projects. These hobbies also double as fantastic gifts for the holiday season! Some more examples of slow projects include whittling, jewelry making, journaling, reading, painting, or even meditating. Choose something that calls to you and take at least 15 minutes a day to yourself to do it.
Bring some light into your space
The human body needs sunlight to function. It gives us vitamin D, helps with bone health, and lowers blood pressure. But with the sun going down before 5:00 p.m., it can be incredibly easy to become depressed in the winter. My favorite way to combat this is by bringing in lights! I use a sun lamp in the mornings to get an extra dose of sunshine. Once night starts to set in, I try to switch all of my light to candlelight, firelight, Christmas lights, and lamps (my favorite are Himalayan pink salt lamps!) This adds a wonderful coziness to your home that you can’t get from overhead lights. I have found that the cozier lighting also helps my body wind down from the day. Soon enough, you’ll start to love those winter nights because you’ll be surrounded by cozy lighting.
Learn preservation techniques
If you have a garden, winter is a fantastic time to learn preservation techniques for your fall harvestables! For example, fermenting and pickling various fruits and vegetables is a fun and delicious pastime. Plus, it allows you to get back to your ancestral roots, as preserving food is what many people spent their winters doing! Besides being delicious, fermented foods also have numerous health benefits and are a perfect immune boost for the flu season. You can use grocery store fruits and vegetables if you don’t have a garden but still want to try preserving your food.
Tackle those home projects
Since you’ll be spending more time inside, winter is the perfect time to refresh your living space and tackle any interior home projects you’ve been putting off. Do a winter cleaning, paint some walls, install some new hardware, reorganize your living room—whatever you think your home needs. I like to separate my tasks by season. Exterior home projects get done during summer and fall, while interior home projects happen during winter and spring. This way, I don’t feel overwhelmed trying to do everything all at once.
Enjoy a warm beverage
There is nothing like sitting down by the crackling fire with a steaming hot cup of tea while watching the snow gently drift down. Try to really focus on the moment. For example, pay close attention to the actual process of making your beverage of choice, and take your time savoring it. Get cozy under a blanket, then just sit quietly or take this time to read or meditate. This habit can do wonders for you and will help you learn to love the winter mornings, nights, or whenever you want to sit down and enjoy a nice warm beverage.
Make more cozy meals
During winter, all I want is to feel cozy and warm. One of the best ways to feel that way is through your food! I try to make a soup every Sunday, and I opt for warm salads over cold during the cold winter months. Not only are warm foods easier for your body to digest during the winter, but toasty, easy-to-eat meals feel more satisfying to consume.
Get outside and release your inner child
I remember loving the snow when I was little, and I’m honestly not sure when that changed. But being sick of feeling this intense sense of dread whenever I could see my breath turn into mist is part of what inspired me to actively change how I approach the winter months. I think it’s super important to bundle up and get outside as much as possible. Leaving the windows closed and running the heat all day makes the house feel stale and musty. Just like with fairer weather, you need fresh air and a healthy dose of vitamin D. Granted, even places with moderate winters will have days where getting outside just isn’t reasonable. But when you can, go soak up as much sun as possible, even if that just means opening the blinds and sitting next to a window.
Another important thing to do when out in the snow is to release your inner child. Enjoy the snow like you’ve never played in it before. Make a snow angel, build a snowman, have a snowball fight! Do whatever you remember enjoying as a little kid, and do it without worrying about what anyone else thinks. Who cares if it feels silly? Soon enough, you’ll be laughing, smiling, and having a fantastic time in the snow once again.
Winter is inevitable in most of the United States. Sure, it introduces various challenges that can put a damper on your spirits. But it doesn’t have to be this dreadful season that ruins a quarter (or more) of your year. If you actively change how you view the oncoming cold, you might find that there is still plenty of magic to be found. Embrace the unique stillness of the season, get cozy, and revel in the chance to take a breath as another year winds down. We hope we have shared something to help you find a new love for the winter, and feel free to share the ways you make your wintertime more enjoyable in the comments below.
Love this!