As I’ve repeated many times, health is more than food. Winter happens to be is the perfect time to practice health beyond food, to slow down, recharge, and prioritize self-care. Some of us love winter dearly, and some of us are searching for ways to keep our spirits merry and bright when daylight disappears so early, and nights are long and freezing. Whichever category you fall into, you can surely find inspiration from these 15 winter self-care ideas that bring comfort, health, and joy. Choose the ones that resonate with you, and remember, self-care isn’t selfish, it’s essential.
1. Create a Cozy Morning Routine
Winter mornings are usually frosty and dark, and having a lovely routine might help making them cozy. Start your day with intention. Light a candle, enjoy your favorite tea, hot cocoa or coffee, and spend a few minutes journaling or meditating.
And please remember to keep it flexible, it’s absolutely okay if you cannot keep up with your routine every day! Not every day will look the same, and your routines need to be flexible in order to feel good.
2. Invest in Soft, Warm Loungewear
Uplevel your winter wardrobe with cozy fabrics like fleece or cashmere to stay warm and comfortable all season, especially if you live in colder areas. Personally, I immediately feel better, happier and more productive when I’m wearing comfortable, pretty clothes – even if it’s just around the house. Having gorgeous, cozy loungewear pieces means so much!
Pieces I would recommend:
- Thermo, Fleece-Lined Leggings: Number 1 winter necessity! Get a couple, in your favorite colors. I’d recommend this gorgeous pair.
- Oversized Cashmere Sweaters: perfect combo of cozy and luxurious, these will pair beautifully with the leggings, and will definitely keep you warm. LilySilk is a beloved classic for a reason! If you prefer pattern, this is the cutest option; who could resist the squirrels!
- Chunky Knit Socks: goes without saying, these are a perfect winter accessorie everyone needs!
3. Experiment with Winter Teas
Hydration is always essential, but during colder months it’s just so easy to overlook! We must make it something we actually enjoy and look forward to! Discover new flavors like chai, spiced apple, or just enjoy good old peppermint. Herbal teas can warm you up and create calming moments throughout the day. If you’d like to give them an extra nurturing kick, look up recommendations in the course Nurturing Female Hormones.
4. Batch-Prepare Comforting Soups
When preparing hearty, delicious soups or stews, cook large batches and freeze portions for lazy evenings. This is low effort gentle nutrition, making sure you have a nourishing meal ready when you come home tired from work and have no energy to cook elaborate meals.
If you’re looking for more personalized strategies to embrace gentle nutrition and make mealtime stress-free, I’d love to help. Together, we can create a flexible plan that works for your lifestyle, and more importantly, I will teach you all the tools you need to create your own wellness strategies in the future. Book a free discovery call to get started on your journey toward a healthier, more intuitive relationship with food.
5. Make A Daily Gratitude List
This might not be the most inovative idea, but it’s a classic for a reason. Reminding ourselves of the many things we take for granted, but could be grateful for helps lift our spirits during the dark months. Each evening, write down (or simply acknowledge) a couple of things you’re grateful for. This simple habit can shift your mindset and help you focus on the positives – which can be a challenge when it’s constantly so cold and dark everywhere we go!
Bonus points if you include the whole family in the process; everyone can benefit from focusing on the wonderful things we have in life! Gratitude journal also makes a thoughtful gift!
6. Set Small, Joyful Goals
Pick a few achievable, fun goals for the season, with no other purpose than to bring you joy! If you enjoy reading or would like to read more, fun goal would be reading a certain number of books, maybe some cute seasonal titles or you could enjoy some inspiring personal development titles (but pick titles that honor weight neutral approach to health, otherwise a fun activity will turn into fear based toxicity which you don’t need.)
Feel free to use my list of favorites for inspiration. Also, Audible membership is a great idea, you can try it 30 days for free here – with Audible you can enjoy your books while cleaning, walking in nature, baking or creating fun DIY ornaments!
Another amazing fun goal would be trying a couple of new recipes.
Obviously 🙂 the best choice would be to try my recipes, such as crowds favorites:
But you can make the recipes more festive too, testing how many sorts of cookies you can handle!
Or you can your sourdough era, that’s a hobby that will never leave you without new ideas to try!
For personal guidance on setting goals that align with your intuitive eating and health journey, let’s connect! Book a free discovery call to explore how gentle nutrition and mindful living can help you thrive this winter.
7. Make Your Own Skincare
Winter can be harsh on your skin, leaving it dry. A good idea is to create nourishing, homemade skincare products to incorporate into your routine.
Using simple, natural ingredients you likely have in your kitchen, you can create masks and scrubs that hydrate and nourish your skin, leaving you with a healthy winter glow. Plus, it’s a fun and relaxing way to pamper yourself during the holiday season!
You could even gift those to your loved ones – nothing shows care as much as homemade gifts do.
Here are two fun, festive DIY skincare recipes to try:
– Honey & Cinnamon Glow Mask
Ingredients:
- 1 tablespoon honey
- 1/2 teaspoon cinnamon powder
- 1 teaspoon plain yogurt (optional, for added moisture)
Instructions:
COmbine all the ingredients in a bowl.
Apply to your face, avoiding the eye area.
Leave on for 10-15 minutes, then rinse with warm water.
Moisturize!
– Peppermint Sugar Scrub
Ingredients:
- 1 cup sugar
- 1/4 cup melted coconut oil
- 4-5 drops peppermint essential oil
- A few drops of red food coloring for a candy-cane look (optional, but why not)
Instructions:
In a bowl, mix the sugar and coconut oil until it looks like wet sand, then add the peppermint essential oil and mix.
If using food coloring, separate the scrub into two portions, adding a few drops of red to one half. Layer the white and red scrubs in a jar, giving it a candy cane vibe!
Use the scrub in the shower, gently massaging it onto your skin in circular motions, then rinse off.
9. Declutter Your Space
Winter is the best time to slow down and focus on your living space since it’s so cold outside. You can use this as an opportunity to create a relaxing, clean environment that supports your mental well-being.
Use the colder months to declutter your home; it’s an lovely way to refresh your space, connect with your home, reduce stress, and create an atmosphere that feels relaxing and productive.
The best way, of course, is to start small by tackling one area at a time, whether it’s your closet, kitchen counters, or bathroom. Maybe even just a drawer – a daunting task of decluttering the whole house seems more managable if you break it down to the smallest parts.
Donating or recycling items you no longer need can help both your physical and mental load. Doing good feels good!
When you’ve let go of all the things you no longer need, you can consider organizing your space with baskets or drawer and fridge organizers to keep things aethetic and accessible. You can also get fancy with some cute organizers like this cereal dispenser or storage containers – I have them all around my kitchen, for everything, not only are they functional, they’re also gorgeous and I find it truly calming to open my pantry and have all my foods neatly organized instead of having 100 different clipped bags! I also use these.
Watch some inspiring videos on Youtube or TikTok, there are lots of people sharing delightful organizing tips!
10. Homemade Gifts for Loved Ones
There’s something truly wonderful about receiving a gift made by a loved one. This winter, consider making homemade gifts for your loved ones; a personal touch adds special meaning to the holiday season. Consider crafting a batch of candles, preparing a batch of homemade body scrubs, or baking treats. These cozy, loving presents are perfect for showing your love and care.
Some more fun ideas would be preparing homemade bath salt mix, or baking mix in a jar (simply layer the dry ingredients in a mason jar; could be for cookies, granola, brownies…)
11. Practice Gentle Movement
Winter can sometimes make it harder to stay active, especially when the cold weather tempts you to stay under a warm blanket. However, gentle movement can be a wonderful way to nurture your body and mind without feeling overwhelmed or pressured. Unlike intense workouts that diet culture tirelessly promotes, gentle movement focuses on restoring energy, improving flexibility, and enhancing your overall sense of well-being.
WIth gentle movement, exercise doesn’t necessarily have to leave you sweaty and breathless in order to “count”. All movement is beneficial for health!
Sure, you can enjoy vigorous exercise in all its glory, but sometimes you might feel like that’s too much, and gentle movement teaches us that’s perfectly fine. You can still go for a walk, or some yoga or explore new ways of movement.
Here are some ideas to inspire you:
Dancing Around Your Living Room
As I’ve said, movement is beneficial even if it’s not a “structured” workout. Put on your favorite playlist and shake it off! Not only is this a fun way to move your body, but it also releases endorphins, improves your mood, and gets your heart rate up.
I’d highly recommend making little dance parties your daily routine.
Stretching Routines
A few minutes of stretching can work wonders for relieving stiffness, and helping you feel more connected to your body. Try stretches that target areas where you commonly hold tension, like the neck, shoulders, and lower back.
And I must once again suggest you try foam rolling. It’s fun! And very effective.
If you want to include more movement into your lifestyle in a gentle way that complements your intuitive eating and health journey, I’d love to guide you. Book a free discovery call to explore personalized, gentle wellness strategies that help you feel strong, balanced, and nourished all year long! It’s a gift you deserve to give yourself!
12. Host a Virtual Movie Night
Winter is the perfect time to bring loved ones together for cozy evenings, and this should be the case even if they’re far away. Hosting a virtual movie night is an easy and fun way to connect with friends and family while enjoying your favorite (holiday) movies. You can still spend time together, relax, have fun, and create memories!
You can sign up for Amazon Prime here and enjoy 30 day free trial; gives you enough time to watch some fun movies with your besties and decide if it’s something you like.
My favorite thing about this is that you can make it as elaborate as you’d like – create funny digital invites with themed snacks suggestions, make your space cozy with some blankets and candles, have breaks to discuss the movie and laugh together.
13. Keep a Seasonal Mood Board
You can do this digitally or physically; both versions are fun and have their benefits. Of course, digital version is easier to set up, all you need is Pinterest and maybe Canva if you’d like to have it all edited together. On Pinterest, you can create fun collages, adding all the pics that set the mood.
Use your mood board to showcase the beauty and inspiration of the winter time; it’s easy to get caught up in complaining about having red, frozen noses (only me?), but winter offers some of the best events of the year, and it gives us the chance to organize our lives and go inwards!
Choose the photos that inspire you, such as beautiful snowy landscapes, family photos, loving affirmations, quotes that remind you of your goals, self-care rituals, desires you’d like to manifest, things you’re grateful for in the winter… The list goes on!
Put your board up in your office, or as a desktop/phone wallpaper to keep yourself inspired and remind yourself of the winter magic!
14. Go for a Nature Walk
There’s something magical about spending time in nature during the winter months. The crisp air, the soft crunch of snow or leaves beneath your boots, and the calm landscapes (with little to no people:) create a sense of peace. A mindful nature walk is not only an great way to get gentle exercise but also a chance to clear your mind, get some natural light, and connect with the Mother Nature, even if it’s cold.
Make sure to dress warmly, in layers, and don’t forget mittens or gloves and a scarf; here is an elegant, adorable option and this one is perfect for you if you prefer simple scarf that will keep you 100% warm.
Also, invest in a good pair of boots – even the most winter loving among us wouldn’t have fun walking in nature with frozen, wet feet!
A classic option would be Uggs, like these with a bow – just too cute!
Another classic are definitely Doc.Martens; they require a bit of an adjustment time, but they do keep warm and dry, and I love them. They Offer a wide variety of different styles, so you’ll surely find something that fits you. And, most importantly, they last for years. You can see my beloved pair featured in many of my TikToks!
If you would like to enjoy an elegant, luxurious and sustainable boot that will last you a lifetime, I’d recommend this gorgeous pair from Fairfax&Favor.
Bonus tip: bring a thermos of your favorite hot tea, coffee, or even hot cocoa (with holiday spices) to enjoy along the way.
15. Book a Discovery Call for Intuitive Eating Coaching
Winter is often a season of may delicious treats, comfort foods, and, unfortunately, guilt or stress around eating for many. The holiday treats, cozy meals, and seasonal family gatherings can make it difficult to navigate food choices without feeling overwhelmed or stuck in restrictive patterns. But what if this year, you chose differently and approached winter with a sense of freedom, joy, and nourishment?
If you’ve been struggling with food guilt, emotional eating, or the pressure to “make up” for enjoying holiday treats, intuitive eating coaching can provide the guidance and support you need to break free from diet culture and truly enjoy this holiday season. Through personalized coaching, I help you:
- Heal Your Relationship with Food: Let go of the guilt and learn to eat in a way that satisfies both your body and soul.
- Embrace Food Freedom: Find the joy of eating without rules or restrictions, while still honoring your health and well-being.
- Navigate Emotional Eating: Understand and address the emotions tied to your eating habits without shame, and learn more ways to cope with your emotions.
- Find Gentle Nutrition That Works for You: Incorporate nourishing foods that you love, without rigid guidelines or meal plans. Learn how intuitive eating is truly the way to nurture your health, while still enjoying all your favorite holiday foods.
Intuitive eating is about creating a peaceful, balanced relationship with food that feels natural and sustainable, because I want you to create a lifestyle that works for you forever, in any circumstances.
This winter, why not prioritize your health in a way that feels empowering and kind? My free discovery call is an opportunity to discuss your goals, challenges, and how I can help you embrace a balanced, joyful approach to eating and self-care.
Take the first step toward food freedom and a happier, healthier winter. Book your free discovery call today and let’s create a plan that aligns with your unique needs and lifestyle.
I’m very excited to hear from you!
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Nina Kaufmann 
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