How To Stay Well During Winter Months in a Cold Climate – Out of the Ordinary Tips!
As therapists, we get asked a lot about how people can maintain or restore wellness during the winter season here in MN. First you can refer to the blog we wrote last year, which has some fun winter wellness tips. We also briefly list some of the core practices to help you maintain wellness directly below. Finally we list some “out of the ordinary” ways that we have seen ourselves or others find wellness during the cold months.
Standard Winter Wellness Tips:
- Drink plenty of water
- Manage your stress
- Get enough sleep
- Dress appropriately in cold weather
- Maintain an exercise routine
- Wash your hands
- Consider taking vitamins
- Get some sunlight
Now for the out of the ordinary ways to find wellness during winter months:
- Digital Detox – Don’t just sit and stare at a screen all winter long.
- Allow yourself to be bored without looking at a screen. See what you do with this free time!
- Find a fruit or vegetable you’re not used to eating and look up a fun recipe. If that doesn’t feel fun, invite a friend or family member over to cook with.
- Bake a festive treat and share with your friends or neighbors.
- Laugh out loud – it sounds silly to laugh at nothing, but give it a try and you’ll notice how good it feels to have that physical release.
- Play a simple game like cards or checkers. Don’t check your phone when you play.
- Run a humidifier in your home. Moisture in the air helps us rehydrate, which is difficult during winter months because of dry air from weather and furnaces. This added moisture can also improve sleep.
- Organize. Pick an old junk drawer, your pantry, or closet and do some organizing to spruce up and declutter the space. Organizing can be a very mindful activity.
- Go through old photos. Make a photo book or scrapbook of photos from a recent trip or time spent with people you love.
- Hum along to the radio – the resonant buzz created when we hum is a sign of safety to the body.
- Figure out a new hobby you could get into. Over time, this will increase dopamine in the brain, as well as increase neuroplasticity of the brain due to making new neural connections. It’s a win, win!
- Go play in the snow. I know, everything inside of you says no. Get the right cold weather gear on, and sled down that hill, make a snowperson or go tubing. You might laugh and enjoy yourself. Then warm up with a hot beverage.
Here’s to you finding joy in some out of the ordinary wellness tips this winter season!
Blog written by Sentier managers: Sarah Souder Johnson, Tana Welter and Megan Sigmon-Olsen
