Self Care During The Winter | Guest Post By Samary of Path 2 Purpose

The days are short, yet winter is long. With the colder temperatures and with our evenings in darkness, it can be easy to fall behind with our health and wellbeing this time of year. Today I am sharing a guest post about self-care during the winter, written by Samary, the psychotherapist and life coach behind Path 2 Purpose. Although the photo above is by yours truly, the words and photos below in this article belong to Samary (photos from Adobe Stock). This time of the year it is so important to remind ourselves to live our best and healthiest lives despite the weather, which is why I am bringing you guest posts all winter long to inspire your loveliest life.

Self-Care During the Winter

January and February can be challenging months for many of us. We are coming off the holiday “high” and fully transitioning into winter. So here is the thing about winter, it’s all nice and fun for the first snowfall, maybe second, but once it continues to be bitter cold and sunset sets around 4:00 p.m. it creates a sense of isolation. No one really likes to be out of the house after work, social life, self-care and overall wellness, ALL take a toll. It’s real. Have you ever heard of Seasonal Affective Disorder (also known as SAD)? No? Read more about it HERE. No, not everyone that goes through this “funk” has SAD, but most of us are affected by the seasonal change in our own way.

For those who get into The Winter Funk here are a few tips that may help with getting out of it:

ROUTINES – Keep your routines, whether is working out, meeting friends for dinner, date nights, taking the kids out every Wednesday, continue to do that. Routines will keep you structured and looking forward to your activities
PLAN – Following up with the routines is making plans. Plans to go on vacation, plans to do something you enjoy. Just Plan.
SELF-CARE– Practice self-care (this goes back to your routines) BUT whatever you like to do for self-care, continue to do it! Manicures, pedicures, massages, bubble baths, yoga, meditate, the list is endless, continue to show your mind, body and soul some LOVE.
ENJOY– We forget to enjoy life, enjoy the seasons, the moments. Find something that that brings you joy and happiness and focus on the positive versus the the negative (this is a tip for all year)
ASK– If you are struggling through this time, ask for help. Ask your significant other, family, friends, co-workers, whoever is in your life and can be a resource, let them know you are struggling and need help.