13 Winter Self Care Tips To Improve Your Wellbeing

It’s important to practice self care all year round. Read on for some winter self care tips.

Disclaimer: This post contains affiliate links, meaning that when you click on a link and make a purchase, I will receive a small commission at no further cost to you. All affiliate links will be marked with *. Read full disclosure here.

As we experience colder weather and darker evenings, it’s natural to crave warmth, self care and compassion. It’s important to change with the seasons and your self care routine should reflect that. Here’s some tips to practicing self care in the winter.

Why Self Care Is Vital In Winter

Self care is important all year round, but it’s especially important during the winter. In the winter, more people tend to stay indoors, and a result, you’ll have less exposure to sunlight. Reduced exposure to sunlight is linked to Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), which can cause some people to feel low, irritable and lethargic. Alongside this, many people will exercise less during the winter. We know that exercise releases endorphins, which can help to improve your mood and reduce stress. Therefore, it’s important that you try to get moving as much as possible.

Self care goes beyond taking a bath and listening to the music (although those things can be helpful). It involves taking care of yourself both mentally and physically. It means adjusting your routine to match the season. For instance, how you look after yourself in the winter may look different to how you look after yourself in the summer.

Winter can present more challenges compared to other seasons. Getting outdoors, socialising and doing activities may be harder to achieve during the really cold weather. However, it’s vital that you look after yourself as best as you can. This doesn’t mean forcing yourself to do things that you don’t want to do. But rather, it means listening to your own wants and needs.

13 Winter Self Care Tips

Even though winter can be a struggle for many people, there are ways to make it more manageable. Here are 15 tips to help you practice self care throughout winter.

1. Reduce Screen Time

When you spend more time at home, it’s only natural to spend more time looking at screens. Many of us use our phones, computers, tablets and watch TV. All of this screen time puts a strain on our eyes, leading to headaches, tiredness and irritability. Take regular breaks from your screen and set limits on your devices. If you are forgetful or you find it hard to put your phone down, start setting a timer to go off after 10 or 15 minutes. Once the timer is up, put it down and do something else. Read a magazine, do some stretches or get on with a task.

2. Get Outside When You Can

I won’t tell you to go out for daily walks. For many people, that’s not realistic. And I can understand that when it’s raining heavily outside or it’s minus 4, you might not feel like going out. However, getting outside for any amount of time can benefit you. For some people, this could be a 10 minute walk 4 – 5 times a week. For others, it could be a 30 minute run 2 – 3 times a week. Standing out in the garden and getting fresh air and sunlight can also make you feel better physically and mentally. Whatever you can manage is good enough.

3. Eat Warm and Nourishing Foods

Nourishing your body can be done in more ways than one. It’s only natural that during the colder weather you crave warm foods like soup and stews. Listen to what your body needs. Batch cooking soup can be a great way to eat healthy and reduce time spent in the kitchen. You can keep leftovers in the fridge for a few days and simply heat it up in the microwave or on the hob.

4. Take A Vitamin D Tablet

Vitamin D deficiency is linked to aches and pains, tiredness and depression. PHE and NICE advise everyone to take a daily vitamin D tablet during winter to avoid becoming deficient. It’s not possible to sufficient vitamin D through food alone, which is why it’s so important to supplement.

5. Switch Up Your Skincare

The colder weather can often cause skin dryness, which is why you need to adjust your skincare routine. Add face masks, exfoliators, oils and serums to your daily and weekly routine to reduce dryness and keep your skin nourished. Your lips can often become dry, too, so you should be applying lip balm every day. Green Planet Beauty have a great range of plastic free skincare products * that are natural, sustainable, and great for sensitive skin.

6. Enjoy Hot Drinks

Hot drinks are great for warming yourself up, but it’s also like a hug in a mug. Hot drinks can feel nourishing, soothing and help us to relax. Herbal teas like peppermint, ginger and chamomile are great choices. Drinking a turmeric latte can help to reduce inflammation, which is important during the colder months.

7. Declutter Your Space

As we spend more time indoors, we can become more aware of clutter in our homes. Clutter can make you feel stressed, anxious and unproductive. You can give yourself a boost by reducing everyday clutter in your life. If there’s books, clothes or furniture that you no longer need, consider donating them. You can donate to charity shops or sell them online on eBay or Vinted.

8. Embrace Yoga

If you don’t feel like getting outside, then why not take advantage of your indoor space? You don’t need to have much room to practice yoga at home. If you’re a beginner, you just need a mat or a blanket. You can follow yoga routines on YouTube or print off a list of yoga poses and put it up on the wall as a guide. Yoga can help to improve your mental focus and reduce stress. It’s also a great way to stretch out your body and reduce muscle tension.

9. Enjoy More Alone Time

Spending more time alone is a great way to connect with yourself and listen to your own thoughts. When you spend a lot of time around others, you might find that your own wants and needs get pushed aside. Finding some quiet time in your everyday life can help you to figure out what you need. If you’re an introvert, this is essential to help you recharge your batteries.

10. Connect With People

While alone time is important, it’s also important to connect with others. Just because you’re spending more time at home, it doesn’t mean you can’t socialize. You could pick up the phone and talk to a loved one. Or send them a message on social media. Personally, I talk to a lot of different people through social media and it’s a great way to connect and get different perspectives.

11. Eat Seasonally

A great way to practice winter self care is to eat fruits and veggies grown in winter. Eating seasonally can be hard to practice, but it’s especially good for the mind and body. Fruit and vegetables that are grown and sold seasonally have a higher nutritional content and they usually taste better. For a list of fruit and veggies in winter, this is a great resource.

12. Update Your Space

Your surroundings can have a great impact on your mood and health. You can update your space to reflect the season by lighting a candle, changing the cushion covers and putting blankets on the sofa. In the winter, things can seem dark and dull, so you could put some flowers in a vase to brighten up your space.

13. Read A Book

Reading has many physical and mental benefits. It can help to reduce stress and anxiety, boost productivity, and improve your overall mental health. The more you read, the more it exposes you to new ideas and universes. Reading more books also reduces your screen time, which can benefit you greatly.