Get cozy – 10 cozy self-care activities for winter

Winter can be a difficult time of year. It brings cold, darkness (the sun seemingly never comes out), and often sadness or loss of motivation. According to the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) in their article on Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD; also known as Seasonal Depression),

It is estimated that millions of Americans experience SAD, although many may not know they have this common disorder.

NIMH goes on to explain that women and folks living in northern regions are more likely to develop and experience SAD. Additionally, folks with preexisting conditions such as bipolar disorder, depression, anxiety, and panic disorder more commonly experience SAD.

If you think you might be experiencing SAD, contact your healthcare provider and consider utilizing the Tips for Talking with a Health Care Provider About Your Mental Health provided by NIMH.

With the struggles of winter comes a need for additional self-awareness and self-care. Thankfully, I’ve got a list of 10 self-care activities to get cozy and support YOU this upcoming winter.

1. Journaling

I have mentioned journaling many times on Tess Weekly, but I don’t just write about it to write about it. Journaling has been a transformative and supportive practice for my mental health and well being. All you need is a notebook (digital or physical), a writing utensil, and yourself. To make it more aesthetically pleasing, I add stickers and use colorful pens, markers, and highlighters in my journal.

If you’re new to journaling, check out my post on the different types of journaling and pick one or two that will be most supportive to your self-care time.

If you need some guidance such as journaling prompts, check out the ones that I save and utilize on my Pinterest!

2. Meditation / Breathing Exercises

A great cozy self-care activity is meditation and breathing exercises. Set out a cozy blanket, some pillows, and/or a yoga mat on the floor, pop a squat, breathe intentionally (try box breathing), and release any thoughts you have floating around in that beautiful brain of yours.

If you’re new to meditation, you can find my explanation of meditation and the benefits of it in my article about morning meditation!

3. Reading

Ah… One of my favorite activities/hobbies EVER! And one of my favorites for a cold, snowy day specifically. I love to cozy up in my reading chair or on my couch in front of my fireplace and read a book. Obviously you can add to this experience by making hot chocolate, doing a face mask, or even taking notes on what you’re reading. ‘

Bonus points if you’d choose to read romance, fantasy, or self-care books like I would.

4. Spa Day

This one is especially fun when you have a loved one to do it with. I love using my face mask application tool to slather a face mask all over my fiance’s face. It makes us both giggle, which only adds to our attempt to boost our moods. Your spa day at home is the day to do skincare, shave or wax, take a bubble bath, put some cucumbers over your eyelids, and reellaaxxxx…

5. Cozy Exercise

You’re probably like “girl, what the heck do you mean ‘cozy’ exercise?” I mean comfy, low impact exercise. This can be stretching, yoga (try chair yoga for ultra low impact), pilates, walking on the treadmill, etc. It’s entirely up to you and what you’re comfortable doing at that moment.

6. Cozy Games

This one… this one is me 24/7, any time I get a moment of free time. I LOVE cozy video games. Games like Stardew Valley, Animal Crossing, A Little to the Left, Palia, Sticky Business… pretty much anything with minimal combat that has a cozy vibe.

7. Cuddles (Pets, People, Plushies)

I present you: cuddles with the three p’s. Cuddles with your Pets, your People (loved ones), or your Plushies. According to a blog post by Penn Medicine,

High cortisol levels are linked to depression and a variety of other mental and physical ailments. When you make physical contact with someone you care about, the feel good oxytocin floodgates open at the same time the urge to feel frazzled (cortisol) is subdued, leading to an all-around calmer state.

8. Arts & Crafts

For this article, I specifically tried to exclude screen time from most of the activities. Mostly because I personally don’t feel fully rested and recharged when the activities I indulge in include screen time. However, I like to mix my arts and crafts with TV or music. For example, I love turning on an old Disney movie (like Lady and the Tramp) and coloring in one of my many coloring books. Maybe you crochet or knit or paint or draw. Set aside intentional time to focus on an arts and crafts self-care activity to get cozy.

9. Baking

Okay, I personally SUCK at baking. But baking things from scratch (no matter how they turn out) can be such a cozy activity. Lighting a candle, gathering and mixing ingredients, patiently or impatiently waiting for whatever you made to bake, and then (hopefully) enjoying your creation with some hot chocolate or coffee or milk.

10. Combination / Choose Your Own Adventure

For those of us who can’t just do one thing, or for those who didn’t quite find an activity on this list that fits for you, there is a 10th option. That’s combining several of these activities or choosing your own self-care adventure altogether! Maybe you’d prefer to journal while in downward dog – cool, I’m definitely not flexible or strong enough for that but it’s rad that you are. Maybe you’d prefer to bake and crochet while you wait for the oven.

Ultimately, your self-care practice is entirely based off of your own personal needs and desires. So you do you, love.

 

TATA LOVELIES! TAKE CARE OF YOURSELF <3