-Embrace these short days. Curl up with a book, a candle, and something delicious. Revel in the dark depths of the season -so beautiful, black, and so utterly without expectation. -Richard Street
Winter may be one of my favorite seasons to experience. The official start of winter starts this Saturday and coming with it also, our shortest day of the year. While I do love every season for its own reason, wintertime gives us a chance to experience the delicious feeling of cozying up into our homes warming both our environments and our mood. While winter can be a hard season for many due to the lack of sunlight, the possibility of “cabin fever” from staying home too much and a possible lack of energy, there are ways that we can ease into winter and to start the season off in a beautiful way so that we may look forward to the next few months as a time to savor. Here are a few ways that you can ease into winter and enjoy the season that brings with it a time to rest and rejuvenate.
-Give Yourself Grace
In the winter our energy is naturally less than that of the warmer months. Especially after Christmas when all of the holiday excitement has passed. If you find that you are doing things like doing less workouts, having a few more treats, opting to stay home instead of going out when the weather is frigid, then just know that you are not alone. Give yourself grace in knowing that it’s just a season and it’s okay to take this time to take care of yourself in a way that feels good to you during this colder time of year.
-Indulge in Comfort Foods
Roasts, casseroles, soups, creamy pastas, and baked goods can help you to ease into the cold months in a comforting and nourishing way. You can find many recipes online for winter comfort foods or pick up a cookbook like this one or this one to give you ideas. Whatever your comfort food may be, have fun cooking them up over the weekends as a way to nourish yourself during the winter months.
-Light the Candles and the Fireplace
While you may be doing this already, the reason why I mention this as a point is because during the winter months it may be easy to not make an effort when our energy is low. But when we take the time to do these small things for ourselves as consistently as possible, it becomes easier to form these actions into a habit that we naturally do. The warm glow of the candles and/or a fireplace not only sets the environment for absolute comfort, but it creates a feedback loop to ourselves each year that winter is a beautiful season to be savored, not dreaded. We will have our memories from the previous winters to confirm this bias and will naturally be delighted once winter comes around again.
-Enjoy a weekly bath or sauna
If you have access to a bathtub or a sauna, take advantage and make the effort to enjoy their warmth. If you have a bathtub then there are so many ways to make it luxurious too. Use a silky bath bomb, bath oils, bubbles, take a book, light a few candles, make a seasonal drink and use this time to simply enjoy being submerged in the hot water.
-Make time to visit your favorite cozy places
During the winter months I love to visit cozy places such as bookstores, antique stores, cafes and museums. It can be so tempting to want to just stay home, especially when it’s colder than normal, but getting out and doing things (besides errands) can help you not feel not so cooped up in the house. While we may love to be home when it’s cold (me included), getting out will help you to still experience those things that you enjoy. Many times, people dread winter because they often feel like they are stuck at home due to the colder weather.
-Have a few winter-themed television/movie nights
There are so many good movies and television shows that take place in winter/holiday time and having a themed movie night cozied up at home can also spark inspiration for even more ideas on how to ease into winter. Watching winter themed movies in a fun way to get excited for the upcoming season and to glean ideas for yourself as well.
-Purchase an electric blanket or heating pad
Eventually you may have a few days that are going to be simply too cold to be outside and you plan to stay home and enjoy a movie or hobby. To make this experience even more comforting consider investing in an electric blanket or a heating pad. You’ll be able to wrap up in pure warmth that may even put to sleep into a good winter’s nap. If you find that your house may be a bit cold in the winter even with the heat on, an electric blanket/pad will help keep you cozy all season long effortlessly.
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