The Ultimate Winter Self-care Guide
Winter can have a harsh impact on all aspects of our health, leading to the winter blues and possibly its more severe form, Seasonal Affective Disorder.
This leaves us questioning how to take care in the winter season or how to stay happy during the winter months? 🌞 While yes, self-care tips are helpful, they will do you no good if they're not implemented consistently throughout the harsh winter months.
In this guide, we'll walk you through the fundamentals and importance of self-care during winter, offer a few winter care tips, and a step-by-step method of implementing your custom winter self-care routine and plan.
What is self-care and why is it important?
Self-care is the act of taking care of one's mental, emotional, and physical well-being. This vague term has many applications as it can be as simple as brushing your teeth and exercising or as complex as seeking cognitive behavioral therapy. In short, self-care is the act of being mindful of your own needs and fulfilling them.
Self-care is vital to your overall health. It acts to relieve stress and ensure your mental, emotional, and physical well-being are intact. Poor self-care can lead to poor health and a depleted quality of life.
The foundation of self-care lies in understanding your body's needs. This means being self-aware of your physical, emotional, and mental needs.
Step 1. Identify your challenges and how you can solve them
Before you create your survival plan, it's crucial to identify the key challenges and struggles you typically face during the colder months. Doing so will give you the fundamental problems to focus on alleviating.
No one's struggles are the same. Some might struggle with their energy levels and sleep, while others may have a more intense experience and face mental health struggles. Start by asking yourself, "what do I struggle with during winter?" Here is a list of common challenges:
- Low energy levels
- Poor sleep quality
- A lack of motivation
- Poor diet
- Depleted mental health
Check out our blog post '7 Tips to Beat the Winter Blues'.
Step 2. Create your personalised self-care check list
Now that you know what you struggle with and have an idea of what will help, it's time to put those tips into action. Your daily self-care checklist will include the key tactics you identified in step one to fight your winter blues.
It will be your "go-to" and give you structure and ensure you're taking the necessary steps to overcome your challenges. Not only that, but it will make things a lot easier on those days when your winter woes are at their peak.
A self-care checklist serves as a guide to help you maintain your designated habits. It is meant to help you monitor yourself and see whether or not you are complying. It is also intended to help you track your progress and revise your plan accordingly if needed.
It's important to note that your initial checklist might change as you go through it. You might notice some of the things on your list aren't adding value, or you don't have any interest. Be aware of any items on your list that don't fit well and replace them.
Here are a few "dos" and "don'ts" when making your checklist:
- DO include your sleep schedule. It's a universal rule that you should get 7-8 hours of sleep per night. Ensuring healthy sleep habits is a core area of self-care. Our selection of relaxing products will help you to unwind after a long day.
- DON'T add too many items to your list. It's best to start small and add as you go. Adding too many things can leave you overwhelmed.
- DO consider your work hours. If you're a morning person, it might be easier to tick off items in the morning and vice versa. Mindful Morning Self-care Box is designed to help you create a morning routine that sets the tone for an inspired day, every day.
- DON'T keep doing items that don't help. Your self-care routine will change. Specific tactics might work for a while and stop working with time. Don't be afraid to throw items out.
Self-care can vary depending on the person. Your winter routine might focus more on fitness while another person reads and writes. Everyone's needs, schedule, and lifestyle will vary. So will their self-care routine.
Create a Wellbeing Box unique to you. Pick and mix your favourite self-care essentials that will nourish your mind, body and soul.
Step 3. Create your calendar of winter activities
As days grow colder and become shorter, it can be almost instinctual to hibernate. One method of combatting these feelings is to plan out your entire winter, or at least a significant portion of it. Creating a calendar of winter activities can give you structure and make things easier to handle.
Here are a few ideas to help:
- Plan a weekend getaway
- Go to the spa
- See a movie with friends or family
- Volunteer in your local community
- Check things off your bucket list
- Try some DIY home decorations
- Join our #selfcareclub and subscribe to our Monthly Wellbeing Subscription Box and we will remind you to find some time to relax, connect with yourself and put your mental health first.
If your motivation depletes during winter, make sure you add one-time or monthly tasks. This might be housework (such as cleaning), doctor appointments, and future events/obligations. Add these to your calendar to keep yourself organised and motivated to stay on top of your to-do list.
Check out our blog post '7 Ways to Look After Your Mental Health this Winter'.