Wintertime calls for donning your warmest coat, protecting your garden with heavy duty tarps, and hunkering down with delicious comfort foods. One aspect of winter precautions that’s often overlooked might just be the most important of all: your mental health. Practicing self-care is essential to keeping well during the long winter months spent indoors and is easy to achieve with the right solutions on your side.
Meaningful Meditation
Meditation and mindfulness exercise are widely regarded as the most effective ways of cultivating self-care. Setting aside just a few minutes each day to sit down and meditate encourages your mind to slow down and achieve focus.
First make sure your meditation time is the same designated time every day, set specifically for meditation. You will want to move to a quiet spot in your home that’s free of distractions. Ask your family for some privacy, dim the lights, and sit either in a lotus position or in a comfortable high-backed, armless chair.
Unfamiliar with the process of meditation? There are a number of apps available that can help guide you through your mindfulness journey. Once your session has come to a close, your mind will be clear and you’ll be ready to take on the to-do’s of the day, from tidying up the house to putting on your outdoor table covers.
Spectacular Spa
This winter, no one wants to face the cold to get some pampering at the local spa. Thankfully, recreating a spa self-care experience at home is simple, fun, and cost-effective all without having to leave the warmth and comfort of your home sweet home.
From foot scrubs to face masks, there’s no limit to what you can DIY for spa night. Many of these recipes don’t even require a special trip to the store as most of the ingredients can be found in your pantry. All you need for a DIY foot scrub is:
- 2 cups brown sugar
- A few drops of peppermint oil
- ½ cup coconut oil
Mix together the ingredients and rub it on your feet and calves. Let it sit for a few minutes before rinsing and then applying a soothing lotion. Voila! You’ll be feeling more relaxed and pampered in no time.
Do the Write Thing
Keeping a journal is one of the most popular ways to exercise self-care thanks to its creative potential and activation of the subconscious. Writing in a journal allows you to express your emotions and get your thoughts on paper, leaving you with both a clear mind and a sense of peace.
You can take pen to paper whenever the urge strikes you, but keep in mind that self-care experts suggest writing in the evening, when you have the time to reflect on the day’s events and make any new observations. The most important thing is to establish a routine – much like meditating.
A reading nook or sunroom is an ideal spot for journaling on winter evenings. Surround yourself with pillows, cozy blankets, and candles to create a fully immersive self-care experience.
Gratitude Check
Proper self-care involves more than just pampering yourself. The active practice of gratitude will make a significant difference in your mental health in the height of winter.
Making a conscious habit of gratitude starts with a simple task: observation. Taking time to pay closer attention to the world around you, from your interactions with others to simple moments of serendipity will help you gain a stronger sense of appreciation for the little things that make life special.
A simple “thank you” can make someone’s day and boost their mental health as well as your own. Try and make a habit of spontaneously thanking friends and family and see how much they appreciate it!
Lovely Letters
The cold winter months have the unfortunate side effect of bringing socialization to a halt thanks to unpleasant weather. Maintaining regular contact with loved ones is crucial to maintaining your mental health.
While you may not be able to pull off the table covers and throw a backyard dinner party this winter, there’s plenty of options available for you to keep in touch with friends and family all season long.
Writing letters is a charming way of staying connected while embracing your creativity. As cold winter evenings bear down on your heavy duty tarps in the backyard, cozy up indoors and write letters to your loved ones that live far away.
Taking time to write out a thoughtful correspondence will help you relax and remind you of all you have to be grateful for.
Get Into the Zen Zone
One frequently overlooked aspect of self-care is the space in which you practice it. The weather may be too chilly to pull off the fire pit covers and spend a relaxing evening outdoors, but you have the perfect opportunity to transform your home into a relaxing retreat fit for a self-care king or queen.
Aromatherapeutic candles, essential oil diffusers and ambient noise machines are just a few of the accents you can add to foster an environment of self-care and relaxation.
When the weather warms up in Spring, you can pull out your outdoor meditation accessories like wind chimes and yoga mats for an outdoors self care paradise.
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