Winter Self-Care Ideas for Women to Feel Like Yourself Again

It's barely 5 o'clock, it's already dark outside, and your fuzzy socks have been on since lunch.

Winter makes me want to curl up under a blanket and hide until spring. A little hibernation is lovely. The trick is filling those long, dark evenings with little things that make you feel warm, cared for and like yourself again.

One of my favorite winter rituals is apple cinnamon steel cut oatmeal in the crockpot. I never hold back on the cinnamon and brown sugar, and waking up to that smell on a cold morning makes the whole house warm and happy.

So I rounded up my favorite winter self-care ideas for women. They're easy, they cost very little, and most take 20 minutes or less. Grab a warm drink and let's go!

Before you grab your phone, make a warm drink and hold it with both hands for a few minutes.

Tea, hot cocoa, warm lemon water or a cinnamon latte, pick whatever warms you up. Stand by the window, watch the frost on the glass and take a few slow breaths.

Five slow minutes like this makes the whole day start a little calmer. So good!

Oh, and by the way! If you'd love an easy way to start your winter mornings feeling more like you, my free Magical Morning Formula walks you through 7 simple steps.

Winter days are short, so soak up the sunshine while it's there.

Bundle up after lunch and take a 10-minute walk around the block. Fresh air and daylight make such a nice little reset, and you'll come back with rosy cheeks.

Can't get out? Sit by your brightest window with a mug of hot cocoa instead.

Pick one chair and add your comfiest throw, a pillow and a small lamp. Keep a basket next to it with a book, hand lotion and a lip balm.

Now you have a little spot that's all yours, ready whenever you need ten quiet minutes.

Ten pages before bed? Yes, please!

Dim the lights, light 2 or 3 candles and run the water nice and warm. Add Epsom salts or a few bubbles if you have them.

Bring a book, play relaxing music and stay for 20 minutes. Ahh, bliss.

No tub? A long hot shower with a eucalyptus bundle hanging from the showerhead is a lovely swap.

Cold air and indoor heat can leave skin dry and tight, so winter is the time to switch to richer creams.

Use a thicker moisturizer at night, keep hand lotion by the kitchen sink and tuck a lip balm into every coat pocket. A small humidifier by your bed is a nice touch too.

Do it slowly, and give yourself a little hand massage while you're at it.

Winter is the perfect excuse to make your loungewear extra special.

Pick a chunky knit sweater in a color you love, warm socks and maybe a pair of little gold earrings. Getting dressed up for yourself, even at home, is such an easy feminine energy boost.

Want more ideas like this? My post on how to be more feminine has plenty.

When the sun sets at 4:30, let that be your signal to slow down.

Light a candle on the kitchen table, turn on a lamp or two and switch off the big overhead light. Warm lamplight makes your whole home glow.

Sugar cookie and anything with vanilla are my favorite winter candle scents. They make the whole house smell like a bakery.

Winter is perfect journaling weather. Keep a notebook and pen in your reading corner and write for 10 minutes with a warm drink.

Try these winter journal prompts:

• What made me smile today?
• What does my body need this week?
• What am I looking forward to this winter?

Want more? Grab my daily self-care journal prompts, or try these <a href="https://serenityinsayings.com/christmas-journal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Christmas journal prompts</a> over on Serenity in Sayings for the holiday weeks.

A pot of soup on the stove is the most comforting thing on a cold afternoon.

Pick an easy one, like chicken noodle, tomato basil or butternut squash, and make enough for 3 or 4 lunches. Future you will be so thankful.

Put on a playlist while you chop and it turns into a little self-care hour of its own.

Cold weather makes it tempting to stay curled up on the couch all day. A short stretch helps you wake up and loosen up.

Roll out a mat in the living room and try a few easy moves: reach overhead, fold forward, roll your shoulders and finish in child's pose.

Ten minutes is plenty. Put on your favorite song and go!

Pick one evening a week that's just for you and put it on the calendar like any other plan.

Sheet mask, fuzzy socks, a favorite movie and a bowl of popcorn. Paint your nails a deep winter red and climb into fresh sheets early.

It gives you something sweet to look forward to all week. Need more ideas? Here are the self-care essentials you already have at home.

Winter skies can look a bit gray, so bring a little life indoors.

A $5 grocery store bunch of white tulips or roses on your nightstand makes such a difference. Evergreen clippings, eucalyptus or a pot of paperwhites are lovely too.

Swap them out every week as a little gift to yourself.

Long nights are made for good sleep. Pick a bedtime and start winding down 30 minutes before it.

Dim the lamps, put your phone on the charger across the room and read a few pages or write in your journal. Flannel sheets and warm socks are a winter must.

You'll wake up rested and so much more like yourself.

Winter brings a lot of invitations, errands and to-do lists. It's ok to say no to some of them.

Sit down with your planner and a cup of tea and mark a few evenings as "just me" nights before December fills up. Then keep them like any other appointment.

If you love planning your goals and habits in one place, <a href="https://vitalityinvision.com/letsgoal" target="_blank" rel="noopener noreferrer">Let's Goal</a> makes it easy.

Make the season fun with a list of little things you want to enjoy before spring.

Think ice skating, a warm café date with a friend, baking cookies, a snowy walk, a new book series or a movie marathon in pajamas.

Tape it inside your journal and check things off as you go. It's such a fun way to enjoy the season.

Short on time? Here's a simple winter self-care routine to try tonight:

• Minutes 1 to 2: Light a candle and switch on a lamp.
• Minutes 3 to 7: Make a warm drink and put on relaxing music.
• Minutes 8 to 12: Wash your face and smooth on a rich night cream.
• Minutes 13 to 17: Write 3 lines in your journal about your day.
• Minutes 18 to 20: Stretch, pull on warm socks and climb into bed.

Save this one for those dark winter evenings when you need a little reset. And if you want a fresh routine for every season, my 30-minute self-care ideas are a great next read.

Winter is a season made for slowing down and taking good care of you. Pick one or two ideas from this list to try this week, then come back for a few more.

You deserve a warm, restful season. Bookmark this post so it's ready on the next dark evening.

This post is for general self-care ideas and isn't medical advice.

And if you love the look of this blog, you can grab my template right below.