Inside: For many of us, winter can be a hard season. I’d like to share in this blog post some of the things that I have learned to do to enjoy and THRIVE in the winter.

I have an unpopular opinion and that is, I love winter. I enjoy the cold and snow, the chance to turn my heart and mind inward and focus on my home and family. There is so much coziness and beauty in this season.

However, I do struggle with seasonal anxiety and when the rush and excitement of Christmas is over, I can fall into a sad and dismal place if I am not intentional.

Over the years of living in harsher winter climates (hello, Wisconsin!) where it gets dark early in the evening, becomes bitter cold, and there is snow on the ground for many many months, I have learned a few things that help me to enjoy and flourish in this season. I’d love to share them with you.

Lean into Rest

Days in winter are shorter, with longer hours of darkness, often pulling us to more rest and down time. I love to think of winter as a time to replenish and refuel from the preceding seasons.

Just as the ground rests in winter, restoring and replenishing the soil for the good work of growing plants and crops in the spring, so our bodies need times of rest and replenishment as well. Taking the winter to refresh and rest our bodies can be such a life-giving rhythm.

Rest, for you, may look like more sleep, but rest may also look like doing activities that are enjoyable for you. Think of rest as not just the ceasing of work, but of doing the things that fill our soul and heart with joy. That will look different for each person, but winter is such an amazing time to get extra rest.

Read a Good Book

Few things are cozier, in my opinion, then reading a good fictional book with a warm cup of tea on a long winter night. Maybe fiction isn’t your jam, is there a subject you have been wanting to learn more about? Now is a great time to squeeze in a little extra reading. In this blog post, I share some of my favorite mama and homemaking books if you need some ideas.

If you have children, I encourage you to check your local library for snow and winter themed picture books, these are some of our favorites. There are so many wonderful ones out there and there is something so special about snuggling under a pile of blankets and reading picture books with your kiddos.

Cozy-up Your Home

One of the most important things you can do to thrive in winter is to prepare your home. This doesn’t mean you have to have absolutely everything perfect or spend lots of money. You will be spending much more time at home and making a few simple changes or additions to make it more comfortable and enjoyable will go a long way towards helping you thrive in this season.

Here’s a few simple ideas:

• Add textures to your rooms, such as chunky blankets or throw pillows with patterns or textures on them.
• Light candles – Candles are one of my favorite ways to add some simple coziness and warmth to any space.
• Play soft music – Calming instrumental classical pieces add such an element of inviting welcome to any home.
• Set beautiful, life-giving books around your home. This is such an easy way to decorate and invites people to sit and read.
• Bake something – Throw in a batch of chocolate chip cookies or fresh bread. It truly brings such coziness and makes your house smell amazing.

I believe that when our homes are cozy and inviting we WANT to spend more time in them. It’s worth putting a little time and effort into our homes.

Eat Nourishing Meals

Winter is a great time to clean out the freezer and make all of those comfort food casseroles and soups. I’m convinced one of the reasons people are sick more in winter is because we are outside less and eating far more sugar than we do during the warmer months.

Preparing nourishing meals for your family doesn’t have to be complicated, but there are few things more enjoyable than sitting around the table with your loved ones and sharing a good meal like this chicken and wild rice soup or sausage orzo.

Prioritize connection

One of the things that can be hard about winter is that we are often isolated more from people. This can contribute to feelings of loneliness and even anxiety.

Be intentional to prioritize times of connection. My family loves to play games. Even with a preschooler, we love to pick an age-appropriate game or puzzle and spend the evening playing together. It’s so easy to just watch a show, but winter evenings are such an amazing time to be together and deepen relationships.

Reach out to friends and others in your community too. Perhaps there’s a couple in your neighborhood that you could invite for a meal or have a young mama and her kiddos over for coffee and snacks. Making time for people and creating those connections will add a layer of richness to your winter.

Learn a New Hobby

Winter is a great time to learn a new skill. Those long winter evenings are perfect for working on a craft project, or picking up a new hobby. Maybe you would like to learn to crochet or watercolor paint or maybe you already have a hobby that you just don’t get to very often.

Want to learn to bake bread? Winter is a great time to work on that too! This is my favorite simple sourdough recipe, it really isn’t scary!

Another fun thing is arm crocheting. Check out this video and make your own chunky knit blanket to add those extra layers of coziness and warmth to your home.

Deep Clean and De-clutter

It seems like every year just before the holidays, and then again in January I get the urge to declutter and get rid of things. Long days inside are a great time to clean out closets, declutter, organize, and donate things that are no longer needed.

One simple way to do this is to go room by room, and spend 15-20 minutes each day sorting and organizing. Make piles of things that you don’t use or wear often. Decide what should go in the trash and what can be donated. It’s such a satisfying feeling to have things cleaned out and freshly organized.

Refresh and Rearrange

Winter is also a great time to refresh rooms in your home and check those little house projects off your list. Maybe a fresh coat of paint and some new curtains in the living room or maybe painting the kitchen cabinets, whatever that little project is that you just keep putting off. Now is a great time to get to it!

Winter is also a great time to play around with your decor. I always like to challenge myself after taking down the Christmas decorations to see how I can switch things up. Shop your house and try switching out pieces from different rooms, rearrange furniture, and change up the lighting. You’d be surprised how much these small changes can make a difference.

Plan for Summer

If you’re anything like me, the long days of winter can leave me aching for spring, more sunshine and time outside. I like to use the long days of winter to plan my garden and think through outside projects that I want to get accomplished.

I get so excited to look through seed catalogues and begin plotting out my garden plans for the coming spring and summer. Somehow, thinking about warmer weather helps make the cold more bearable.

Get Outside

Sunshine and fresh air are known to improve mood, lower anxiety and stress, boost the immune system and so much more. We aim to get outside everyday, even if it’s just a short walk, and I’ve never regretted it. If you’re in an area with opportunities for winter sports – take advantage as often as you can.

Invest in some good winter gear so that you can be outside in the cold. It truly is worth it and being outside regularly in the winter can help you beat the winter blues and keep you from feeling as if you are stuck inside.

Winter months can be hard, but they can also be enjoyable if we are intentional about creating rhythms and rituals that will nourish our families. I hope these tips for thriving in winter will be helpful to you and that you can implement some of them into your home today.

What helps you enjoy and thrive in the winter months? I’d love to hear your ideas!