Wintertime Self-Care Guide

This time of year can be a mixture of excitement, overwhelm, and stress for some. For others the holidays can bring up emotions like grief, sometimes made worse by the shorter days and colder temps. It’s important to take care of yourself this time of year and lean into your body’s natural desire to go inward.

Our bodies recognize cycles and routines, seasons being part of that. Winter is the best time for comfort, warmth, slowing down, and nourishing yourself. Sometimes when we deny ourselves time to rest, stress can creep in. It's much easier to lean in to the colder, darker months as a time for healing and rejuvenation.

Incorporate some of these tips to feel happier and healthier this holiday season:

Sip on ginger tea throughout the day

Always feeling chilled or suffering from cold hands and feet? Ginger is a warming herb that stimulates your internal fire and revs up circulation. It also helps support digestion and decrease inflammation if you’ve had more food or drinks outside your norm. You can either chop up and boil fresh ginger root (I love the large organic box at Costco), or buy bagged tea (I like Traditional Medicinals brand).

Tip: if you buy fresh ginger, keep it in the freezer. When you are ready to use it, soak in room temp water and apple cider vinegar. This cleans it while allowing it to defrost before chopping.

Get sunshine at lunch

Getting natural sunlight around lunchtime not only syncs your circadian rhythm for better sleep, it also sends signals to fire up your metabolism. If you feel more tired during winter months or even suffer from Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD), getting at least 5 minutes of sunshine outside without sunglasses can help.

Try a hot epsom salt bath in the evening

Epsom salt is a form of magnesium that absorbs into sore muscles to help with tension and promotes relaxation. Plus getting warm before bedtime slightly raises body temp which then drops once you get out of the bath. This temp drop induces melatonin production so you sleep deeper and stay asleep longer.

Keep your feet and neck warm

According to Chinese medicine, cold can enter the body through these two areas and create imbalances that weaken immunity. Avoid walking on chilly tile or hardwood floors barefoot or exposing your neck to cold wind in winter months. Instead, wear cozy socks and scarves.

You don't have to go to every holiday party

Practice setting boundaries and saying no during the holiday season. Planning too many events can cause burnout and fatigue by the time the year ends. Instead, pick and choose what's most important then say no the the rest. Your family and friends will understand and appreciate when you do show up to events feeling rested and social instead of frazzled and exhausted.

Tip: if you struggle with this, make a goal for how many times per week you want to say no to extra activities or unnecessary commitments. Start with twice per week and watch your schedule open up.

Buy new cozy pajamas or sweats

Nothing feels better than slipping into comfy clothes after a long day at work. It turns out there is some science behind this. Having a transition between work and home life like a commute or changing into sweats signals to the brain that your workday is over and relaxation can begin. This is a great way to create a transition if you work from home.

Some of my favorite sustainable and reasonably priced loungewear is from Quince.

Winter can be a peaceful time of connection and recharging with a few simple practices added to your routine. I hope everyone has a wonderful holiday season!