5 Self-Care Tips for the Winter That Never Fail
Between the cold weather and shorter days, it’s easy to fall into bad habits during the winter. If you tend to not look and feel your best during the colder months, read these self-care tips for the winter season!
Self-Care Tips for the Winter
Winter might not be your favorite season for a lot of reasons. Maybe you dislike the cold, the shorter days, the dryness, or feeling more tired throughout the day. These are all common for people during the colder months, but they don’t have to be! Taking proper care of yourself in the winter with these tips will have you feeling much better mentally and physically throughout the cold season.
Mood-Boosting Exercises
Lots of people feel that because the weather is colder in winter, they have less opportunities to comfortably exercise outside, or enjoy activities that they normally would. However, there are still a ton of exercises you can do at home or just in the backyard to boost your mood and return some of your energy levels to their previous highs! Believe it or not, simply turning on your favorite music and having a dance party with your friends or kids at home is proven to boost your mood and raise serotonin levels. Actually, any type of exercise that you can get in at home or close to home in the winter months is, of course, good for your body, but also good for your mind. Invest in a treadmill, a gym membership, or simply go for jogs and walks outside to keep your energy levels up!
Habit-Shifting
We tend to develop habits in the winter that are not always the most healthy or productive for us. Research shows that it takes about two months to completely form a new habit, so repetition is key. Some great self-care habits for the wintertime include moisturizing your skin after showering, washing your sheets and linens regularly, writing in a gratitude journal and spending less time on your electronic devices. You can put sticky-note reminders over your house to remind you to complete your habits, such as on your bathroom mirror, your desk, or even in cabinets and drawers. If you’re trying to break a bad habit like biting your nails, sleeping in late, or letting your space get dirty, a key tip is to replace these behaviors with healthy ones. Paint your nails at home or go to the salon, set an uplifting alarm of your favorite song, or reward yourself with a sweet treat every time you clean your room!
Eating Healthy
The fuel you put in your body is incredibly important for your mood, energy, and of course, your physical health. The cold weather always makes us want to cuddle up with comfort foods that are typically high in sugar and fats, which will make you even more tired than you already are. While you can (and should) still enjoy your favorite winter comfort foods, make sure that you are also balancing them with some energy-inducing super foods! Things like oatmeal, bananas, and yogurt are great ideas for breakfast foods that will keep your energy levels and spirits up throughout the day. For lunch and dinner make sure that you’re getting enough protein, which you can easily do with some nice seafood. Fatty fishes and shrimp are actually proven to raise energy levels, and reduce other health risks too!
Taking Vitamins
Since there’s a greater chance of getting sick with a viral cold or infection during the winter, a good tip to take care of yourself is to take vitamins and other supplements to keep you in the best shape for dealing with all of winter’s challenges. The main cause of general tiredness in the wintertime is due to a lack of sunlight, which causes our bodies to naturally produce more melatonin. We recommend taking Vitamin D, since your body won’t produce as much of it with less exposure to sun. It can also strengthen bones and improve resistance to diseases. Vitamin C is a great option as well, as it will boost your immune system and make any sickness you get a bit less severe, or it could ward it off all together. Vitamin E can help you retain water and keep your skin clear and soft, and Vitamin B helps you regulate your body temperature and keep you energized too. You can find out more information here about these supplements and how they can help you this winter!
Air Purification
Another tip for fighting off bacteria and viruses this winter is to make sure that you have an air purifier in your home. Air purification is helpful in filtering out dirt, viruses, stale air, and mold before they settle and become an issue, as well as cleaning the air that you breathe every day. Not only will this prevent you and your family from catching colds, it can help those who are prone to allergies from reactions and irritations. Air purification solutions such as humidifiers can also help keep the air in your home from drying out your skin and your hair.
Contact Us
With over 35 years of serving the Loxley and Baldwin County area, Swinson Air Conditioning is the name to know when your home’s HVAC system needs attention, or if you’re ready to invest in the health of your home and family with an air purification system. Give us a call at 251-990-0998 or email us at [email protected].
Swinson Air Conditioning is your local HVAC service provider in Fairhope and Daphne, Alabama.