How to Beat the Winter Blues: Experts’ Tips to Warm Your Mood All Season Long
See the fun 'February Feast' trend shown to ward off winter-induced loneliness
Brr. The cold weather doesn’t just cast a pall over the landscape, it also chills our mood. No wonder a staggering 90 percent of us feel at least some sadness brought on by the season’s shorter, darker days. The good news is there are simple steps we can all take to lift our spirits this time of year. If you’re wondering how to beat the winter blues once and for all, keep reading for study-proven advice we promise will boost your energy levels and bring a smile to your face.
How to beat the winter blues with simple strategies
Here, experts share easy ways to shift your perspective on winter and find the sunny side of the much-maligned season—literally and figuratively.
Let there be (a.m.) light
“Even brief exposure to bright light shifts our circadian cycle earlier, which can offer relief from winter symptoms like lethargy, sadness and cravings and enhance deep sleep,” says psychologist Michael Terman, PhD, President of the Center for Environmental Therapeutics and co-author of Reset Your Inner Clock: The Drug-Free Way to Your Best-Ever Sleep. “If it’s sunny, get outside for a 20-minute walk without sunglasses.” Or consider buying a bright light box and sitting in front of it for 20 to 30 minutes every morning.”
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Be on the lookout for genuine joy
“Simply asking yourself, ‘What special thing can I do this season that I don’t do other times of the year?’ has a profound effect on your mood,” says health psychologist Kari Leibowitz, PhD, author of How to Winter: Harness Your Mindset to Thrive on Cold, Dark, or Difficult Days. She happily put this theory to the test while living north of the Arctic Circle. “There’s always something folks can find, from ice-skating to savoring their favorite hot stew. Widening your perspective shapes what you notice so you see more positives, increasing your well-being.”
Indeed, discovering ways to celebrate the season can ease cabin fever. “I’m seeing a trend called ‘February Feast,’ where friends share a warming, nourishing meal together,” says Leibowitz. “You could do something similar around Valentine’s Day, for example, and have a cookie party. Giving yourself something to look forward to is so meaningful.”
Engage in ‘winter-positive’ talk
The power of language to shift our perspective can’t be overestated, says Leibowitz. For example, the Sámi, indigenous people of northern Europe, have eight seasons, including spring-winter at the tail end of winter. “Giving this sub-season a special name helps them see more joy, like the birds returning.” Winter-positive talk is powerful indeed. “Rather than saying, ‘It’s nasty out,’ just shifting to something like, ‘It’s great soup weather’ helps you engage with the positive aspects of winter.”
Warm your mood with ‘weak ties’
A whopping 70 percent of us feel more isolated in the winter. “But even small gestures, like complimenting someone, make us feel more connected,” says social psychologist Sonja Lyubomirsky, PhD, distinguished professor and vice chair of psychology at the University of California, Riverside, and author of The How of Happiness.
Winter-perfect news: you don’t necessarily have to reach out in person. “We did a study on the effects of Zoom, and just a few minutes on a virtual gathering had a huge effect on people’s happiness,” she adds. “Regular chats not only help heal loneliness—they make us feel physically warmer.”
Tap the ‘fantastic four’
We reap the most mood-boosting benefits from four specific types of activities, reveals neuroscientist Alex Korb, PhD, author of The Upward Spiral. “We need to find activities that are enjoyable, meaningful, social and physical.” Bundling up and walking in nature with a friend, for example, can be all these things at once. Just sprinkling in activities that touch on these facets will make your day brighter, no matter how dark it is outside.
Jot down mood boosters
When Leibowitz couldn’t visit her mother a couple of winters ago, she found comfort by jotting down what matters most to her. “This helps you find ways to lift your spirits,” she says, revealing that she wrote “fun” and “connection.” “That clarity helped me come up with a game my family could play on social media: I made up silly questions, like ‘What’s your second favorite animal?’ and we guessed one another’s answers. Your values are a compass, pointing you in the direction you need to go to feel more joy.”
Sink stress in a hot bath
A lot of cultures, like the bath-loving Japanese, chase away the winter chill with a hot soak. Indeed, Leibowitz says hot water stresses and strengthens the cardiovascular system, in the same way a workout would, giving us the benefits of regular moderate exercise. Even enjoying a warm shower or foot soak before bed helps lower your core body temperature, triggering the release of the sleep hormone, melatonin, which makes it much easier to drift off to dreamland.
Embrace a relaxing ritual
“We often think that for something to be healthy, it has to be effortful or even painful,” says Leibowitz. “But healthy does and should feel good.” She encourages us to create our own “warming rituals,” from curling up with a good book and a hot cup of tea to placing a hot water bottle on our lap to relaxing by a roaring fire. In the end, cozy is just another word for happy—and embracing what it means to you will help you beat the winter blues for good.
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