After the holidays are over, the winter months seem to drag on. Many people spend their winters feeling cooped up, complaining about the cold, and counting down the days until spring arrives.
But, instead of wasting away your winter by feeling gloomy, learn how to celebrate it. By celebrating the season, you can boost your mood and be more productive.
Check out these 4 ways to make the most of winter.
Get outside
Obviously, if you want to enjoy the winter to the fullest, you need to get outside! Getting outside and doing some winter activities will help you maintain an active lifestyle and help you learn to love the great outdoors and the winter season.
Here are some outdoor winter activities you can try:
- Ice skating
- Snowshoeing
- Tobogganing
- Ice fishing
- Skiing or snowboarding
- Building a snowman
Even simply taking regular walks through a beautiful snowy landscape will do.
Plus, by getting outside, you can soak up the limited sunlight during winter, which will help prevent seasonal affective disorder (SAD). According to the Mayo Clinic, even on cold or cloudy days, outdoor light can help with SAD— especially if you spend some time outside within two hours of getting up in the morning.
Pick up a new indoor hobby
On the other hand, if you prefer to spend the winter months bundled up inside, pick up a new indoor hobby. While cozying up on the couch and watching TV is okay, you don’t want to necessarily spend the entire winter doing that. If you pick up a new indoor hobby though, it can boost your self-confidence, reduce stress, and it helps you structure your time.
There are a ton of fun and interesting indoor hobbies you can try, like:
- Reading
- Painting
- Crocheting
- Starting a blog
- Cooking a new recipe every day
- Taking an online course to learn something new
Picking up a new indoor hobby will give you purpose during the winter months. Try out a few different hobbies and find out which ones you love—it could turn into a lifelong passion.
Get a head start on spring cleaning
Spring cleaning is a great opportunity to spruce up your space and get organized. But why wait until spring? Start your spring cleaning during the winter to make the most of the season, while staying warm inside. Plus, cleaning can make you feel better overall. According to research, women who described their living spaces as “cluttered” or full of “unfinished projects” were more likely to be depressed and fatigued than women who described their homes as “restful” and “restorative.”
So, use the winter months to clean and organize so that you can describe your home as “restful” and “restorative.” Then, when spring comes along, you can get outside and enjoy the warmer weather knowing that your spring cleaning has already been completed.
Practice “hygge”
Have you ever heard of “hygge” before? The term “hygge” is a Danish concept that involves creating a warm atmosphere and enjoying the good things in life with good people, especially in the winter season, according to Denmark’s official tourism site.
Practicing hygge is a great way to make the most of winter. And practicing hygge is pretty easy too, it involves doing things like:
- Creating a cozy atmosphere with blankets and candles
- Bringing nature indoors with plants
- Gathering with friends and family
- Drinking hot drinks like tea and coffee
- Eating delicious yet humble food like stews and soups
In recent years, the concept of hygge became popular around the world with the international best-seller, The Little Book of Hygge: The Danish Way to Live Well by Meik Wiking. Consider picking up a copy of the book from your local library so you can learn more about how you can bring hygge into your life this winter.
Learn to love winter
Winter doesn’t have to be dreary. With these 4 ways to make the most of winter, you can learn to love this chilly season, whether you’re enjoying the outdoors or you’re cozied up inside.