9 Proven Ways to Boost Your Mood During Winter

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Having a sad girl winter? You’re not alone!

The winter time can be tough for a lot of people. Colder weather, shorter days, and less sunlight can have a huge impact on mood and energy levels (cue me staring at the window crying at the snow).

I know my mood personally suffers during the winter months. I feel more tired, less motivated, and tend to get down during this time of year.

Alright, let’s be honest I’m tired all year round. But if possible even more so during the winter.

However, over the years, I have built up a toolbox of coping strategies to deal with these low feelings during winter.

Quick disclaimer: This list is merely a collection of personal strategies and is by no means meant to replace the professional advice of a therapist or doctor. If you are dealing with persistent sadness or depression, I encourage you to speak to a medical professional. These strategies can be used in conjunction with medical or mental health treatment.

So here it is, my list of nine specific ways you can boost your mood, wellbeing and happiness during the winter season. 

1. Walk outside every day

Going for a stupid daily walk for my stupid mental health.

But seriously, it works!

That’s why number one on my list of ways to boost your mood during winter has got to be walking outside every day. Last year, I would have never considered walking outside in winter as a regular part of my routine. After all, the weather is cold and crappy. Are we supposed to stay inside all day?? Wrong!

This winter, I made a point to try and walk outside every single day. Sun or no sun. Obviously on very rainy or stormy days, I skipped my walk. But if it was possible to walk outside, you bet I was doing it. This addition to my daily routine has been the number one reason my mood has improved significantly this winter compared to some other years. 

It sounds like such a little thing, but it can have a huge impact on your mood and the direction your day takes.

Being outside in nature and the fresh air is scientifically proven to lift your mood. Add in some exercise from walking and you have a lot of happiness-boosting chemicals flowing through your body. Plus, just getting outside of the house and changing up your scenery can have a positive effect on your mood.

My favorite way to pass the time while walking is to call friends or family and to listen to my favorite podcasts. If you like true crime, you might be interested in trying out some true crime podcasts. Fair warning though, you might get hooked.

2. Light therapy for a great mood-boost in winter

Have you ever heard of a happy light? Light therapy lamps (or happy lights as they’re sometimes known) are lamps that imitate natural sunlight. When you expose yourself to this light, you trick your body into believing it is being exposed to natural sunlight.

Ah yes, close your eyes and pretend you’re in a tropical oasis somewhere. And not at your kitchen table eating oatmeal in the dark.

Using light therapy can actually help to alleviate a lot of the symptoms of seasonal depression during the winter months, when there is little natural sunlight to be had. I personally use a light therapy lamp during the winter on dark or overcast days. And I really do think it works.

My doctor told me she even prescribes people light lamp therapy for their seasonal depression, it’s supposed to be that effective. She recommends using the lamp for thirty minutes when I first wake up, keeping it ten feet away from my face.

I personally use this lamp from amazon and I really like it. It’s light-weight, compact, not bulky and easy to use. It has multiple brightness settings and even has a timer feature.

If you tend to feel low in the winter because of the lack of sunshine (and margaritas on the beach), I definitely recommend giving a light therapy lamp a try to boost your mood during the winter months. Who knows, it might be a total game changer for you!

3. Look forward to winter events

One strategy I use all year round, but especially during the winter months, is to mark down special events throughout the season and make a point of looking forward to them. Alright I know it sounds really simple and dumb, but hear me out. This has made a huge difference for me when I’m trying to survive the winter.

When another winter month stretches out in front of me, I mark down in my calendar all the holidays, events, and celebrations going on that month. When you think about it, there’s actually some really fun things to celebrate in winter time.

Winter events to look forward to

These events include Christmas and Hanukkah (obviously), New Years, the Superbowl, Valentine’s Day, the Winter Olympics (depending on the year), and The Oscars. Of course you can add to that list whatever personal events are happening during that month for you, whether that be birthdays, weekend trips, family weekends, quarter life crises (gotta schedule in a few), girls’ nights, weddings, etc.

I try to make sure I get excited for each of these events, making it special in some way. For example, for Valentine’s Day, I like to get my friends and family cards and chocolates. The whole week before, I spend time writing out little cards and finding cute boxes of candy to give out. It really helps to pass the time in the middle of winter. 

Or if you want to make Valentine’s extra special with your girl friends, I recommend having a Galentine’s Party. You can check out my post on Galentine’s Party Ideas for a bunch of ideas for your Galentine’s gathering.

Another way you can keep busy in winter is by trying out new appetizer recipes for the Superbowl (actually doing that this week wooo). You can take time on Pinterest to research the kind of snacks you want to try out and impress everyone at your Superbowl party with your delish dishes. 

Getting excited and invested in winter-time events will be sure to boost your mood during the long winter!

4. Socialize often

This is something that’s really important to me personally. Spending time with loved ones is probably the number one way I look after my mental wellness and stay happy. 

Though it can be tempting, the worst thing you can do during the winter months when you’re feeling down is to isolate yourself.

I know. It’s soo easy to lay in bed every night eating cheez-its and watching tiktoks about Amish people doing things (gotta love Amish tok). But try to resist the urge to do it every night. 

To really boost your mood in the winter, try and keep your social calendar as full as possible. And that doesn’t mean you have to go out every weekend. Invite a friend over for a movie night. Go and get coffee with your cousin. Have a game night with your siblings. Have a crying session with your bestie (don’t do that).

Arranging these social engagements ahead of time will keep you busy, give you something to look forward to, and will ensure you never go too long without social interaction.

It’s all too easy these days to coop yourself up in your house and keep to yourself. But get out there and see people! Trust me, it will do wonders for your mood and happiness. 

5. Focus on self-care to boost your mood

Self care: sitting on my couch with a glass of wine watching My 600 Pound Life, right? This has to be considered some form of self-care?? Gotta relax somehow.

While this certainly counts as a form of relaxation, self-care more so involves incorporating activities or habits into your routine that really improve your wellbeing. Some of my favorite forms of self-care are journaling, meditation, healthy sleep habits, exercise, and making healthy food choices.

Don’t get me wrong. I definitely do not do all of these on a regular basis. (Who am I, a wellness god?)

But every day I do try to be conscious of at least one of these practices.

Some ideas to incorporate self-care into your daily routine:

• Starting the day with a healthy homemade breakfast can help get your day off to a good start. Ending your day with a homemade dinner full of veggies can make you feel better about yourself. I’m actually working on eating more veggies and vegetarian meals right now and it definitely feels good. 
• Jotting down some of your feelings or writing down things you’re grateful for can shift your mindset to a more positive one. 
• Using a meditation app like Headspace can keep you calm and make you more resilient to stressors in your day.
• Reading a book before bed instead of scrolling on your phone can set you up for a better night’s sleep (I know, none of us actually do this but we can keep saying that we will).
• Going for an extra long walk or actually starting that exercise routine you’ve been pushing off (cough cough, me) can boost your endorphins hugely and have a massive impact on your mood.
• If I’m not feeling in the mood for intense exercise, then I do some yoga. For me, yoga doubles as exercise and meditation. So a win/win for mental health! Yoga has actually been clinically proven as an effective treatment for depression and anxiety.

Get yourself a quality wellness journal for mood-boosting benefits

If you’re looking for some guidance or structure for your self-care routine, worksheets and journals can be a great place to start. These wellness journals are a great way help to keep you on track for your self-care goals.

Winter is a great time to step back and consider what you are actually doing to fuel your body and mind with positive energy. So get on that self-care wagon! You’ll be happy you did.

6. Keep busy to boost your winter mood

One of the best ways to avoid feeling down in the winter is simply to keep as busy as you can. Too much down-time can lead to boredom, overthinking and sadness.

There are actually a lot of things you can do to keep yourself busy and stimulated all winter long, including visiting breweries, hosting murder mystery nights, and planning weekend trips with friends.

For a list of tons of ideas for winter activities, check out my post Ultimate List of Fun Things to Do in Winter. These ideas will keep you having fun all winter long. You’re bound to find a few things on that list you’ll want to try out.

Another idea to keep you busy during the winter is taking up a new hobby. Always wanted to get into gardening? Prepare for Spring by reading up seed-starting and growing your own garden. Starting a garden requires planning and preparation as early as January and February. Plans for Spring growing can definitely help keep you going through the cold winter. 

Not ready to go full-gardener this year? No problem. Take some time to shop for beautiful houseplants and decorate your home with them. Your new greenery will no doubt boost your mood. Plus, I find tending to indoor plants and herbs (aka trying as hard as I can not to kill them) to be very therapeutic. 

7. Get creative

To really boost your mood in winter, consider engaging in some kind of creative activity. For me, doing something creative always makes me feel better. I feel productive and it feels good to be doing something expressive. A lot of people use creative outlets as a form of therapy. Creativity can be found in a range of activities, from writing to art to cooking and baking. I enjoy watercolor painting myself and there are lots of beginner-friendly lessons on YouTube if you’re looking to give watercolors a go.

Adult coloring books are another option to engage your creative side. You can find all sorts of coloring books and pages these days. This coloring book from Amazon is themed around wildflowers and gardens.

8. Embrace the concept of Hygge

The concept of Hygge is something I’ve only become familiar with in the last couple of years. This concept is Danish in origin and has gained popularity in the US in recent years.

Basically, hygge is the idea or quality of warmth, coziness, and contentment. The word “hygge” actually comes from the Norwegian word “hugga,” meaning to comfort. This word is related to the English word “hug.” Very fitting! 

There are many ways to incorporate hygge into your life during the winter time. One way to do this is to enjoy the simple pleasures in life. This might be lighting your favorite candles, brewing and savoring a hot cup of tea, reading a good book, enjoying a baked treat, or spending time with people you love.

If you want to learn more about the feel-good concept of hygge, you should read The Little Book of Hygge: Danish Secrets to Happy Living.

Winter is the perfect time to truly practice and embrace the coziness of Hygge in your life. 

9. Enjoy great shows, movies, and books

Last on my list of ways to boost your mood during the winter is to find great shows, movies, and books to enjoy. Take advantage of your extra indoor time this winter by indulging in all the entertainment options available today.

Winter is the perfect time to snuggle up inside and try a new show or the latest psychological thriller novel. On my watch list this winter is Peaky Blinders, Ozark, Before the 90 Days (guilty pleasure show, don’t judge) and The Great British Baking Show. 

On my winter book list is The Silent Patient, a psychological thriller I’ve been wanting to read and The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss.

As for movies, I love spending a cold winter night curled up and watching a great movie. This winter so far, I’ve really enjoyed The Invisible Man, The Woman in the Window, and The Rescue (an inspiring documentary on Disney Plus I highly recommend). 

If you’re looking for more book and movie recommendations, follow my Entertainment Pinterest board where I save tons of book and movie lists for all moods, genres, and times of year. 

Final thoughts

Well, there you have it. Nine strategies to help boost your mood during the winter months and get out of that cold weather funk. I hope you find these strategies useful this winter. Let me know if you use any of the same mood-boosting methods yourself!