30 Day Winter Self Care Challenge to Beat the Winter Blues
This post contains affiliate links and I may receive a small commission (at no extra cost to you) if you sign up or purchase products or services mentioned. Read the full disclosure here.
Last Updated on June 25, 2023
Looking for a good winter self care challenge? These ideas are relaxing, replenishing, and EFFECTIVE for beating the winter blues!
If you’re feeling the winter blues extra hard, you’re not alone! Winter is a time for some slow-down in our mental health and wellbeing–and the lessened daylight sure doesn’t help! This makes winter self care more important than ever.
But that said, winter also brings enjoyable festivities unique to the season. There are so many winter-specific activities we can do to cheer ourselves up or relax.
Beating the winter blues (or at least, alleviating unpleasant moods) is possible with the right self care. And this winter self care challenge is sure to have you in brighter spirits.
So here’s to cozy evenings, joy-filled festivities, and more time to relax!
P.S: If you love challenges, try my 30 Day Mental Wellness Challenge for Serious Self Improvement too!
Are you ready to take the winter self care challenge?!
Why is winter self-care important?
Of course, self care is important year-round, but there are some reasons why we need to be extra gentle with ourselves during winter.
- Winter means less daylight hours which = higher possibility of seasonal affective disorder (SAD)
- Less daylight hours also produce more melatonin, which can lead to low energy and craving sleep more than usual
- Less production of serotonin, which is responsible for mood stability
- Your circadian rhythm is thrown off a bit due to less sunlight. Sunlight helps regulate sleep-wake cycles, so this disruption can also contribute to SAD.
Colder, gloomier weather also tends to make us feel less motivated to be active. So all in all, winter can be an extra challenging time for mental health.
So let’s prioritize our self care this winter with this helpful winter self care challenge to beat those winter blues!
{RELATED POST: Self Forgiveness Journal Prompts – 32 Exercises to Let Go}
Psst…if you struggle with funky mental health this time of year just like I do, you should grab my (free!) anxiety tracker to check in on yourself and monitor your wellness!
Here is the 30 day winter self care challenge.
Physical Winter Self Care Challenge Ideas
1. Exercise–even just for a little bit!
Research shows that even just getting 15 minutes of exercise per day helps reduce your risk of depression and boosts your mood.
This can be as simple as a little stretch, dancing around in your room, or doing strength exercises!
2. Take a warm bath
This is sooo soothing when it’s cold outside or in your house! Research found that taking a warm bath actually reduces your stress and can help you sleep better.
Adding in a relaxing activity like reading a book, listening to music, or meditating while in the bath also helps.
3. Get cozy
I don’t know why I do this, but sometimes I wait until I can’t stand it anymore before I decide to put on layers and make myself comfortable. Don’t do that!
Start the morning off by dressing in warm sweaters, socks, and scarves, or even wrap a blanket around yourself. Starting your day off cozy will help you start the day in a more comfortable frame of mind.
4. A hot cup of coffee, tea, or hot chocolate
Even switching it up from your usual routine can give you an extra sense of coziness and relaxation. For example, if you’re regularly a coffee drinker, try hot chocolate to mix things up and make it special.
Sit with it while you drink it and focus on how warm and relaxed it makes you feel rather than multitasking while you drink it!
{RELATED POST: 45 Mindfulness Affirmations to Immerse Yourself in the Present}
5. Sort your winter clothes
Having an organized closet is a great way to help you feel less overwhelmed. Start decluttering your closet by sorting through which winter clothes you know you love and which ones you want to donate.
It might also be helpful to move your summer clothes to a different side of the closet to get them out of the way!
6. Stay hydrated
I don’t know about you, but when it’s not hot, I don’t feel particularly motivated to increase my water intake.
And this is super common: we tend to drink less in the winter as a result of feeling less thirsty!
But obviously, your body’s need for water isn’t changing just because it’s winter. So make it a point to get the recommended 8 glasses of water per day!
7. Light some winter candles
There are SO many yummy scents for winter candles–peppermint, apple pie, cranberry…so light some festive candles and unwind!
Scented candles are actually known to reduce anxiety, so lighting candles has mood boosting properties too.
8. Bake or cook some delicious winter treats
Baking is always such a joy during the winter! Gingerbread cookies, those sugar cookies with the little Christmas trees on them, pies…the list goes on!
Or if you’re more into cooking, you can make pot pie, stews, soups, roast chicken and potatoes…so many comfort food options!
9. Start scrapbooking
This has been on my to-do list forever! You can start a scrapbook to remind yourself of all the positive memories over the last few years. I think scrapbooking is an awesome way to shift your attention to the positives and away from the negatives!
10. Sit in front of a fireplace and enjoy the warmth
If you have a fireplace at home, lucky you! If you don’t, you can always call up a friend or family with a fireplace and arrange some time to sit in front of it together and enjoy each other’s company.
I love sitting in front of my fireplace and feeling at peace during the winter. Always a great way to beat the winter blues with warmth!
11. Clean up your room
Whether that means decluttering, moving furniture, reorganizing, or redecorating, this never fails to make me feel better!
If your environment is a mess, your mental health state might tend to match. Though it can be daunting to clean up big messes, it always gets easier for me once I just get started.
Mental Winter Self Care Challenge Ideas
12. Get as much sunlight as possible
Since a lot of the seasonal affective symptoms are a direct result of less sunlight, make sure to soak up some sun whenever you get the chance!
If it’s often gloomy where you live during the fall and winter months, make it a habit to go for a walk whenever a sunny day appears.
It also helps to wake up earlier so you can combat the early evening darkness.
Dawn simulator alarm clocks are extremely helpful for waking up earlier naturally and regulating your sleep/wake cycle. They can also help alleviate symptoms of SAD.
A dawn simulator gradually brightens your room in the morning to ease you into a gentle mimicked sunrise. Buy this one on Amazon, adjust it to the time you’d like to wake up at, and it will do the rest of the work!
13. Think about your goals for next year
Reflecting on the previous year and seeing how you can make next year better is so important. It always makes me feel so hopeful and motivated for the new year, so I highly recommend you give it a try!
Looking for goal ideas for the new year? You should check out my post on 22 Powerful and Achievable Goals for the New Year.
14. Take a digital detox
With Christmas time, you might get to have a day or two off, which is a great opportunity for stepping away from the digital world and focusing on you.
You can read, paint, work on fun hobbies, do crosswords, or anything else you might enjoy to relax!
{RELATED POST: Hobbies for Women in their 20s: 100 Fun + Interesting Ideas}
15. Practice mindfulness
Being grounded in the present moment can help you focus on the now instead of everything you might be juggling.
I always recommend Headspace as an amazing tool with so many options for mindfulness meditation. Headspace is a great place to start if you value moments of calm in your life. You can get 14 days free with my link!
{RELATED POST: 12 Morning Journal Prompts to Kickstart Your Day}
16. If winter is really getting to you, plan a vacation somewhere warm
Did you know that the anticipation of something exciting actually makes us happier than experiencing the thing itself?
So the anticipation of planning a vacation can be plenty enough to perk you up!
Last winter was my first “real” winter living in a place that actually has seasons (instead of California 😉), and it’s funny how quickly I yearned for a warm place! Around January, I booked a March trip for Cancun and it was exactly the pick-me-up I needed.
If you’re able to do the same, I think you should go for it!
Hey, are you struggling with your mental health? Or just want to get better at tackling life’s daily stressors? Talking to an online therapist can really help you out. I always recommend Online Therapy because it’s a comprehensive, effective online therapy toolkit based on CBT (cognitive behavioral therapy–the leading standard in psychotherapy) at an affordable monthly cost.
17. Learn a new skill or winter-themed craft for self care
Crocheting or knitting cozy sweaters, embroidery, cooking new comfort foods…the options are endless!
Luckily, these days there are so many great resources right at our fingertips to learn new skills and crafts! Skillshare is an aaamazing website for online courses for these types of things!
18. Work with your slowness, not against it
If winter has you feeling a little slow and lower energy, that’s not always a bad thing.
Slow morning and night routines can help us feel more in touch with the present moment. Prioritize taking it easy and giving yourself plenty of time to wind down at night, and also when you’re getting ready for the day.
{RELATED POST: 15 Bedtime Journal Prompts to Ease Into the Night}
19. Read self-help books
Self-help books, if you can’t already guess, are my favorite type of books. To go along with planning for the new year’s goals, it’s useful to read self-help books in subject areas you’d like to improve in.
Below are some of my all-time favorites if you need some book inspo!
Atomic Habits
Implementing habit change
Subtle Art of Not Giving a F*ck
Shifting your mindset to care less about what doesn’t matter
What Color Is Your Parachute?
The ultimate guide to ideal career type based on personality
20. Rest for your winter self care
Sometimes the most caring thing we can do for ourselves is just to rest. Please always remember to give yourself time to rest, especially if you know you really need it.
Sleep is so important to our overall mental health and wellness. Aim not to neglect it this winter!
Emotional Winter Self Care Challenge Ideas
21. Savor the simple things
Some of the best joys in life come from taking time to appreciate the small things.
If the weather is getting you down, focus on the good things that winter can bring. Such as hot drinks, hot soups, feeling cozy in bed, Christmas time, etc.!
22. Journal to reflect on the season or the past year
Ask yourself: what went well this year? What didn’t? What can you change going forward into the new year?
Has mental health been a struggle for you over the past year or season? If so, you might enjoy my printable mental health journal. It’s got 30+ pages filled with writing prompts for understanding your emotions, reframing negative thoughts, and working through unhelpful behaviors!
Go check it out and add it to your toolbox!
23. Plan a romantic candlelit dinner
If you have a partner, why not organize a romantic candlelit dinner from home with them? Sharing our company with loved ones helps us feel connected and can also boost our mood.
24. Watch a cheesy Christmas movie
Especially something funny like Home Alone–this will surely cheer you up! Take a break from your normal routine and save some time to unwind with a good Christmas movie.
25. Cancel everything you can that doesn’t make you happy
Now is a good time to reflect on your obligations and determine what you can get out of. If something isn’t serving you, you might want to cancel it.
Obviously we can’t always cancel work days and the like, but if you have anything on your plate that isn’t truly necessary, cut it off before the new year!
26. Evaluate your friendships and seek out supportive ones
This winter self care challenge idea is super important. Our friendships can contribute a great deal to our emotional wellbeing. If you lack strong interpersonal connections with friends, you won’t feel supported emotionally. Or, even worse, if you have toxic friends that you could do without, this can severely impact you emotionally.
Definitely evaluate the people in your life that are serving you or not serving you. Don’t feel bad about letting go of friends that don’t lift you up. And don’t be shy about seeking out good quality friends you can confide in!
27. Tune into your emotions. Like, really
We usually have a general understanding of how we feel at any given moment, but that doesn’t always give us the full picture.
A lot of us fall into the habit of pushing away uncomfortable emotions to the point where we aren’t even aware they’re going on in the first place. This is where deep reflection is needed. Give yourself the time to think long and hard about how you’re really feeling. Journaling is a super effective way of doing this, and my printable mental health journal guides you through a deep-dive understanding of your emotions!
28. Back up before you approach burnout
This goes hand in hand with tuning into your emotions. Another common problem you might run into is getting burnt out as a result of pushing yourself for too long. It’s important to check in with yourself often so you can catch those early warning signs of burnout before they manifest too hard!
For example, feeling de-motivated, tired, run down, and disinterested are all signs that you need to take a step back ASAP.
29. Allow yourself to feel your feelings
Sometimes it feels like we don’t “have time” to truly feel and process our feelings. Duty calls–whether it be work, school, errands, or other obligations. Ever been in the middle of a mental breakdown only to freak out MORE because you have no time for a mental breakdown?! Yeah, been there!
But when push comes to shove, you’ve gotta let yourself work through your feelings. You can’t rush them along. They happen when they happen and getting them fully out of your system will actually benefit you so much more with your emotion regulation skills.
30. Get to know your emotional triggers
This is a big one. We all have different triggers, or things that set us off and throw us off our rhythm. There might be certain situations or events that trigger your anxiety. Or maybe certain people that trigger your self-doubt or negative thinking.
Pay attention to what triggers routinely set off a state of negative mental health for you. After you’ve identified your triggers, you can work toward either coping with them or avoiding them if at all possible.
Final Thoughts on the Winter Self Care Challenge
Did this winter self care challenge help you feel a little better about beating the winter blues? Let me know in the comments!
Because winter can often trigger seasonal affective disorder (SAD), it’s more crucial than ever to check in with yourself and prioritize self care! This winter self care challenge is the perfect opportunity to incorporate all aspects of self care into your daily routine: physical, mental, and emotional. Before you know it, you will notice a difference in your mood throughout the winter season.
Take it easy this winter and make sure you’re doing what you need to support your mental health.
Don’t forget your FREE anxiety tracker to manage your self care this winter!
More Self Care Ideas You’ll Love
The Perfect (and Do-able!) Self Love Bucket List
Self Care for Introverts: 16 Ways to Recharge Your Social Battery
24 Unusual Self Care Ideas You Probably Haven’t Tried Yet
33 Best Therapy Worksheets for Teens & Adults (PDF Bundle!)
LIKE THIS WINTER SELF CARE CHALLENGE? PIN IT FOR LATER!
Love these ideas! I love taking baths and getting cozy! I really need to get one of those happy lights haha
Me too! Yesss, I think we could all use one of those happy lights!
Thank you for sharing this! I always get excited for the winter season but don’t always know how to best spend it. This post gives me some great ideas. Appreciate it.
You’re welcome! Winter is one of those seasons where we’re limited in some ways, especially if you live somewhere cold. But there’s plenty of feel-good indoor activities!
It definitely helps to tackle the season with a plan and be in the right mindset. I’ll be adding some cozy candles to my environment this year!
This is such a great list! I love all of the warm and cozy ideas for a winter inside! Thanks for sharing and several of these will be on my self-care list!
I live up near the arctic circle so winter is dark… and long! I haul out a “SAD lamp” I put on my desk which helps and I make sure (weather permitting) I get out and walk every day. Luckily I live by the beach which is refreshing and I can watch the seasons.
But yeh… self-care is paramount and winter is a good excuse to slow down a little and take the pressure off yourself.
Nice post 🙂
Ugh I am DREADING winter, these are great ideas!
I feel you! This is only my second winter in a very cold place! We’ll just have to pep ourselves up with these self care ideas 😉
my favorite one of these is #23… i love watching hallmark movies hahaha 😆
Hallmark movies are great for the winter time for sure!