Although the new year is marked by new pledges and fresh starts, it’s far from the only occasion in which we focus on self-improvement. For many of us, making room for reflection and new growth toward the end of the year is just as important as starting on Jan. 1, but when the dead of winter burdens our schedules and normal routines, it’s easy to feel a bit removed and off-key.
Winter’s shorter, colder days can add the kind of stress that zaps energy, triggers brain fog and increases the risk of illness, but even so, doctors and mental health professionals say this time of year can be quite valuable. The benefits of being intentional about plans for self-care now—not putting them off until January—build a solid foundation that can greatly minimize the strain of these challenging months.
Ahead are six expert-approved self-care strategies for being your best self today and for the whole of winter.
Plan to connect with others
In most cases, when we hear the term “self-care”, we often think about things we do solo like getting a mani/pedi, reading a book or treating ourselves to a gift. But, experts like Integrative Medicine Physician Dr. Tiffany Lester—she has practiced a holistic approach to health for over a decade—emphasizes how carving out time for community care (it focuses on efforts to mobilize individuals to support one another) is just as vital for healing and improving our mood, especially when the weather is unpleasant.
Activities that allow for connections with those we care about—planning adult playdates, cooking a healthy meal where heart-focused conversations are encouraged or just checking on your people, for example—can refresh the body and mind and create a space of joy and satisfaction.
In a recent Instagram post, Dr. Lester explains: “I honestly wish we could throw the whole term self care away. It puts the burden back on us, as the individual, to figure out how to bring ourselves back up to sea level when we are already drowning,” she reveals.
Make sleep hygiene a priority
Whether it’s dealing with how winter affects our daily routines or adjusting to losing an hour in November (when artificial lights tend to interfere with the natural influence of daylight on our sleeping patterns), there could be many reasons why getting a solid night’s sleep during colder months is tough. This is why clinicians say a focus on establishing healthy sleep habits, aka sleep hygiene, will serve us well.
Maintaining a regular wake-up time, managing stress and avoiding blue light from cell phones, computer monitors and tablet screens before bedtime are just a few of many ways that not only design a successful regimen for better sleep but also promote good mental health and a thriving quality of life.
Eat to support healthful rest
According to the National Sleep Foundation (NSF), food choices have a direct effect on good rest. Their research shows that diets low in fiber and high in saturated fat and processed sugar drastically decrease amounts of the deep, restorative sleep our bodies need to remain healthy.
Adopting nutrient-rich, whole foods that include spinach, nuts and soybeans – they increase levels of the “sleep hormone” melatonin – are effective in promoting rest.
NSF data also revealed that excessively low sodium levels have been linked to restlessness and difficulty sleeping. Foods enriched with electrolytes (like magnesium, calcium and potassium) provide the hydration that the body requires to nurture better sleep.
Use meal prep to make life a little less hectic
It’s easy for colder months to wipe out the stamina needed to plan and cook healthy meals, especially at the end of busy days. Nutritionists say a little meal prep on Sunday might be the solution to less harried, guilt-free moments on Wednesday. They say doubling or even tripling up on a recipe early in the week provides the kind of energizing “grab-and-go” fuel that drastically cuts down on time-consuming planning, cooking and cleaning.
Utilizing appliances such as crock-pots and pressure cookers to pre-make meals that stick to your ribs, like soups and stews are not only convenient and become more flavorful as time passes, but they are also easy ways to bolster our immune system and make us feel more prepared when it’s cold out.
Rethink your exercise routine
Sometimes getting stuck in a rut can make you feel a bit down, especially when the weather isn’t in mood-boosting mode. If that’s so, then psychologists say revamping your workout routine is a good way to emerge on the other side of winter feeling fit, healthy, and with an increased sense of well-being. Small changes like modifying your gym time or shifting outdoor, summer-like activities to indoor spaces (transitioning from warm-weather jogs and bike rides to treadmills and spin classes) can make you feel less weary and ill-tempered.
Try a meditation app
The Winter Blues is a real thing, and when winter’s shorter and darker days are upon us, it’s normal to feel a bit sad or anxious. As we know, daily meditation and prayer—even when brief —is a wonderful way to elevate our spirits. But research shows how supporting those efforts with a meditation app or enlisting in a streaming mindfulness class can work wonders to quiet the noise in our heads, carry a healthy attitude and give us a fresh start throughout the season.
