How to Make Winter Better: Tips and Tricks
A few weeks ago, as the Christmas holidays were winding down, I got this DM on Instagram:
“Idea for you/question if you already have any content like this. January and February are hard for me. We’re in Utah, not big winter sport skiing etc people. These gray cold months feel so draggy with very little to look forward to. Been brainstorming little things to do/celebrate/make new traditions for my family. . . . curious if you have anything to help us through the long winter.”
I wrote a post a few years ago with five ways I’ve learned to enjoy winter more (you can see that post here if you’re curious), but I wanted to get more suggestions so I turned to my Instagram community and posed the question there!
Here are some of the many good suggestions for winter activities and ideas to help make January and February a little less gloomy.
Embrace Winter for What It Is
Many of you shared such wise perspectives about winter being a distinct season built for coziness and rest and that fighting against that isn’t nearly as useful as embracing a slower, quieter pace during these dark winter months.
One reader said “I’ve learned to cope by allowing myself to live in the winter differently than I do in the summer… If it’s dark I’m ready to call it a day – even if that’s at 3:30 pm.”
Others mentioned that lower energy is normal in dark months and that this is the time to focus on puzzles, books, games, and togetherness instead of “doing more”
Another reader said, “Remember that spring is the earth’s “real” new year” while another mentioned that “Trying to make it through winter by forcing myself to do more would not work.”
Cozy Up Your Home (and Keep the Lights On)
So many of you said that light and a cozy home makes the biggest difference in winter. Here were some of my favorite suggestions.
- Keep twinkle lights, candles, and flameless candles on timers through February or March. Also have you heard about lamp o’clock from Chris Loves Julia? She has her lamps turn on at dusk every night to give her house a cozy feel.
- Use winter décor (not Christmas) to keep things feeling special and cozy, like stars, snowflakes, silver, soft blues and winter greenery
- Have candlelit dinners – daily or weekly – to help romanticize winter evenings
- Add cozy blankets and use the fireplace if you have one (we had some sticker shock at the price of our fireplace when we had it installed during our remodel but we’ve used it constantly for the last 4 years – worth every penny!).
- Make a winter music playlist
Lean Into Books, Puzzles, and Slow Evenings
Winter is perfect for reading and quiet together time, and many of you fully embrace that (I am too – one of my goals for January is to work on a puzzle every day!).
- Keep a puzzle out at all times. My favorite way to do this is using a puzzle board. That way I can move it anytime we have company over, need that space for game playing or anything else. One reader said “We pull out puzzles, games, movies . . . it started as ‘fake it till you make it’ but now it’s genuinely happy.”
- Family reading time (you can do read-alouds or have everyone read their own books)
- Create a cozy winter reading list. I love this idea so much!
- Weekly movie nights. We also have special winter shows we look forward to like All Creatures Great and Small which is the perfect cozy show for January and February!
- Winter crafts and art projects (something simple like snowflake cutting). Or check out these dot by letter books my girls have been loving!
- Winter-themed library books for adults or kids.
- Save buzz-worthy reads, movies, or shows specifically for January and February. The reader who suggested this said “It’s an exciting reward at the end of the day and makes the post-holiday letdown easier.”
Warm Drinks + Comfort Food
Food and drinks were a huge theme, especially warm, comforting ones.
- Set up a hot drink station with: tea, cocoa, cider, coffee, electric kettle, and fun mugs.
- Make a nightly cup of tea
- Pull out all your comfort food and soup recipes.
- Weekly cozy dinners (Sunday works well!). One reader said “Arranging place settings and sitting down at our dining table helps me look forward to slow winter dinners.”
- Do “charcuterie dinners” where everyone builds their own plate (no cooking, no arguing)
- Make themed dinners for events like the Olympics opening ceremony (food from the host country!)
- Special Valentine family meals (pancakes, waffles, whipped cream, sprinkles, balloons)
- Plan soup-and-pie nights with friends
January: Fresh Starts and Learning
Several of you shared that winter is when you start new skills and make fresh starts.
- “New year, new skill” (crafts, hobbies, chess, quilting, art, juggling). I have a post here with tons of great inexpensive hobbies here or hobby ideas for adults that recharge here!
- Use Christmas gift kits intentionally in January. This is genius! A reader told me “We gift supplies to learn a new skill at Christmas and save them to start in January. . . we sit together 2–3x/week.”
- Proper Mountain Women’s Club – so many of you raved about this and I immediately signed-up! You can earn merit badges for any topic and skill you want to learn or take-on. It’s like girls scouts, but for women. Use my code EVERYDAYREADING for $10 off.
- Focus on indoor exercise: swimming, trampoline parks, dance challenges
- Favorite Things parties or friend craft/sewing days. I’m a firm believer of NOT having a favorite things party in December – spread the fun out into the months with much less to look froward to.
- In Olympic years have an opening ceremony dinner and daily watching
February: Love Notes, Kindness, and Connection
So many of you have beautiful February traditions that are also incredibly simple.
- Daily heart-shaped Post-it notes with affirmations for each family member
- Include self-love notes (kids often love this addition). A mother told me “I’ve been doing the heart notes since they were 5 . . . they stuff them in their memory boxes.”
- Valentine breakfasts or dinners. I have a whole post of Valentine’s Day traditions here!
Extending Love Beyond Your Home
We all think about serving others in December, but January and February are such a great time to show up for people, when everyone’s a little tired of winter and could use a boost.
- February neighbor gifts instead of December. I love this idea! Everyone needs a pick me up come mid February! One commenter told me “Another bonus… no one feels the need to give us a gift in return.”
- Service traditions like baking or making popcorn for friends and neighbors is a great way to make time at home more fun and get out into your community!
- Send Valentine cards instead of Christmas cards.
- Invite friends and neighbors to dinner. Hosting is something I really love doing – having people in your home really makes them feel like they’re part of your circle. My favorite recipes to feed a larger group here!
Give Yourself Things to Look Forward To
After all the fun of the holidays, January and February can feel really bleak – plan something fun for those months! I love the parent that said “We make a visual winter calendar of treats or activities to look forward to.”
Host Something (Even If It’s Simple)
- Favorite Things party in January or February
- Dreary winter potluck + games after kids’ bedtime
- Monthly or weekly game nights
- Ladies’ craft + chocolate nights in February
- Galentine’s parties
- Rent out a movie theater with friends and watch a happy movie
- Hot chocolate night with neighbors
- Reading parties (all about a book swap party here), puzzles on the table, fires if possible
Celebrate Silly or Random Holidays
This was a very popular suggestion – here are some that came up frequently! A mom said “We look up random National Holidays and celebrate them – super silly, but the kids get SO excited.”
- Ice Cream for Breakfast Day (Feb. 7)
- National Tater Tot Day (Feb. 2)
- World Compliment Day (March 1)
- National Bubble Bath Day (Jan. 8)
- National Hat Day (Jan. 15)
- National Chocolate Cake Day – kids can each make and decorate their own! (Jan. 27)
Movement & the Outdoors (Even Just a Little)
Almost everyone said that getting outside and moving your body helps, even if you don’t feel like it and I agree 100%
- Walk outside every day, even if it is cloudy or cold. I had a goal a few years ago to get outside every day regardless of the weather and it helped boost my mood so much! A reader said “I buy the nicest winter clothes I can afford. Things like nice wool socks, thick wool underlayers, a great coat. Those things make getting outside in the winter feel easier.”
- Bundle up for short outings or nighttime walks
- Winter hikes, ice skating, sledding
- Indoor playdates and children’s museums
- Take up a winter sport – I learned to ski a few years ago, and I will say it does make me so much more excited for the winter!
Protect Your Mental Health in Dark Months
Some of the most powerful advice was about adjusting expectations. I am a huge believer in this!
- Give yourself permission to slow down. A reader told me “On days when everyone is posting ‘new year’ content and I am just surviving, I appreciate this.”
- Treat winter as a season of rest, not productivity
- Do high-energy projects in summer, not winter
- Use winter for planning gardens, trips, finances, goals
- Try light therapy lamps (many of you swear by them)
- Take fitness classes or exercise with others for motivation
- Try a technology reset. Someone said “I try to go screen free (no TV, Kindle is fine and phone without social media is fine) in January. It started as a fast, and now it’s really just a great reset. I read so much, get organized, and it feels so peaceful/restful.”
Plan Trips or Mini Getaways
Even if you don’t go far, having something scheduled helps a lot.
- Plan a warm-weather trip or any trip or event. We have planned a small winter escape trip for the past few years and it makes a huge difference to have something to look forward to on the calendar. That sunshine for a few days makes the rest of winter feel more bearable!
- Take a mini vacations or weekend away. So many people said that it makes winter easier when you have something warm and fun to look forward to!
Any other suggestions on ways and things to do in winter that make it more bearable?
Can’t wait to hear more about the Proper Mountain Women’s Club. Sounds interesting!
Last winter I read the book “How to Winter”. It had many of these suggestions in it, and changed my entire perspective on winter! I now plan to re-read the book every January!