Self-Care Practices to Protect Your Peace This Winter
Written by Robin Schleusner
As December begins in Madison, so do colder temperatures and dreary weather. With this, the winter blues begin to take hold of many of us, myself included. The temptation to stay inside, isolate yourself, and let go of self-care is stronger than ever during these upcoming winter months. However, by establishing a new regime of self-care this winter and maintaining it, the effects of the winter blues can be minimized.
Many practices commonly included in a self-care routine often become more difficult to do regularly during the winter. For example, outdoor walks are incredibly effective in boosting mood due to the exposure to fresh air. With colder weather, daily walks outdoors can become much less pleasant. It is important to maintain these walks because of their proven benefits to mood. (Seasonal affective disorder, 2023).
This fresh air can also come in the form of fun winter activities, such as ice skating or skiing. In fact, being active and including friends in these activities can help to excite the mind, provide physical activity (which boosts dopamine) and uphold a strong social support system (Seasonal affective disorder, 2023). All of these can help to get ahead of the winter blues and make for a more peaceful winter.
Picking up hobbies are a great way to keep your mind occupied and active, so that you have something you are excited to do when you otherwise would feel unmotivated. Baking, crafting, and journaling are only a few of these hobbies, but the overall idea is to find something you enjoy doing so that it motivates you to be engaged (10 tips to beat the winter blues, n.d.). These hobbies can also be made a social activity by getting friends together and further fostering social connection.
Something else to consider adding to your self-care regime this winter is the idea of “look good, feel good.” This mantra can be incorporated throughout a self-care regime, beginning with skincare. With harsh winter weather, it’s important to adapt a skincare routine to accommodate for new skin-needs by keeping skin moisturized and hydrated. Another consideration may be to include a weekly face mask to this routine to both improve your skin this winter, but also to dedicate time during each week to treat yourself.
Another way to “look good, feel good” this winter is by embracing winter and coziness through fashion. In many cultures around the world with a cold environment, such as Denmark (one of the happiest countries), cold temperatures are taken as an opportunity to have a switch in mindset and make the most of the season (What is hygge, n.d.). In fashion, this means dressing warm, with soft sweaters, mittens, scarves, and big coats. Incorporating pops of color, such as blues and pinks, into outfits are also a great way to add cheerfulness into this winter wardrobe. By embracing the clothing changes that need to be made in the winter, you can ensure that you are dressing both warm and stylish, ultimately resulting in a happier and more peaceful winter.
As we move into these colder, dreary months, it’s easy to slip into habits that dim our mood. But by nurturing these self-care practices consisting of movement, connection, creativity, skincare, and fashion, we can turn winter into something we embrace. Beginning to fend off the winter blues now allows us to enter and experience the season peacefully.
Edited by Isabella Zapata, Claudia Rothberg and Ava Palmieri
Sources:
Seasonal affective disorder, winter blues and self-care tips to get ahead of symptoms | Cultivating Health. (2023, November 29). UC Davis Health. Retrieved November 28, 2025, from https://health.ucdavis.edu/blog/cultivating-health/seasonal-affective-disorder-winter-blues-and-self-care-tips-to-get-ahead-of-symptoms/2023/11
10 tips to beat the winter blues (plus the difference between SAD and reoccurring low mood) | University Health Center | Nebraska. (n.d.). University Health Center. Retrieved November 28, 2025, from https://health.unl.edu/10-tips-beat-winter-blues-plus-difference-between-sad-and-reoccurring-low-mood/
What is hygge | All you need to know about the small joys of life. (n.d.). Denmark.dk. Retrieved November 28, 2025, from https://denmark.dk/people-and-culture/hygge
