Each season is associated with certain holidays and practices: lazy pool days in the summertime, admiring the awakening flowers in the spring, trips to the pumpkin patch or leaf peeping in the fall and building snowmen or baking holiday cookies in the winter. According to mental health experts, leaning into these seasonal traditions can be beneficial for mental health.
There’s a reason we mark each season with specific activities. Dr. Carla Marie Manly, clinical psychologist, author of The Joy of Imperfect Love and host of the Imperfect Love Podcast, told Flow Space that participating in these activities fosters belonging and connection. Our traditions are important vehicles for deepening and celebrating relationships with loved ones and our communities, as well as for fostering a sense of belonging.
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“As many traditions—even secular ones—have their root in ancient religious or spiritual practices, it can feel deeply soothing and connective to carry on practices that were important to our ancestors,” she explained. “In this way, the traditions that we follow in the present connect us with the generations that preceded us… In our busy, often disposable-oriented world, our traditions can provide a sense of continuity and permanence that feels richly affirming.”
Plus, traditions such as seasonal activities can “have a ritual-like tone that can be very connective, uplifting and calming to the nervous system,” she added.
For winter specifically, these traditions mostly center around being warm, cozy and connected. This means a lot of indoor rituals and ones attuned to the holiday season. Going into the season with the goal of downshifting will help make its challenges—lack of light, cold weather, lots of activities—more tolerable. Orienting your routines and plans toward spending time with loved ones, taking time to yourself and enjoying when the world is quieter can help you make the most of it and combat holiday stress and winter blues.
“This is the season to kind of retreat and hibernate and embrace the darkness, not be so outside and all of that,” Melissa Divaris Thompson, a licensed marriage and family therapist and owner of Embracing Joy Psychotherapy, told Flow Space. “Embrace the seasonal change and that it’s really about slowing down.”
To do this, fill your days with pursuits that will lend both comfort and joy while allowing yourself to slow down. You don’t need to completely re-do your routines, but adding some seasonally-specific activities can be a treat. Here are 14 ideas for how to fully lean into winter and enjoy the holidays.
Your Checklist To Make the Most of the Holiday Season
1. Decorate Your Space
First, get your space in order to celebrate. Divaris Thompson said shifting your space to fit the season can help you fully immerse yourself and feel more comfortable. Hang some holiday decorations and pull out your softest, coziest blankets. Put a simmer pot on the stove with aromatics like oranges and cloves for a festive scent.
Set the mood with the right lighting: change out harsh white bulbs with soft, warm ones for an inviting glow and scatter around plenty of candles. Light your fireplace if you have one. If you like plants, fill your home with seasonal greenery like pine boughs, branches and poinsettias. Add winter flowers like snowdrops and narcissus to your vases.
2. Attend a Holiday Event
Communal celebrations foster connection. Visit a holiday market or a Christmas tree or menorah lighting ceremony. If your city hosts a holiday festival, go check it out; if there’s a neighborhood famous for its holiday decorations, go there to see them. Attend a choral concert or a production of The Nutcracker.
3. Make a Cozy Meal
Many holiday traditions include food, like cooking a special meal or baking a seasonal treat. Don’t wait until the big event to eat something to mark the season. Pull out your best soup or stew recipe, or use the time indoors to tackle a lengthy cooking or baking project. Brew up a pot of mulled wine or hot chocolate.
4. Do a Wintry Activity Outside
It’s key to get outside—even when it’s cold and dark. Make sure you have plenty of outside time this winter.
“For those who enjoy outdoor activities, winter is the ideal time for mood-boosting activities, such as playing in the snow, walking on leave-filled pathways and browsing along streets filled with holiday displays,” said Manly.
Bundle up and go on a daily walk. If it snows where you live, why not try sledding, tubing or snowshoeing? Head to your local ice rink to skate or walk around to look at local holiday decorations.
5. Take Up an Offline Activity
The holidays are a great time to cut down on screen time and doom scrolling. Build in intentional time for lo-fi activities like reading, crafting, journaling and doing puzzles.
6. Have a Movie Night
That said, a night curled up watching TV and movies can be especially fun, nostalgic and comforting when it’s cold outside. Make movie night a regular part of your schedule this December. Pop some popcorn, throw on your softest lounge set and settle in. All the better if it’s a cozy, winter-set movie. Have a solo night in or invite your friends to join.
Need ideas beyond classic holiday fare? Try one of the best movies or TV shows starring midlife women.
It’s also a great time to head to your local movie theater because there’s a good mix of prestige, awards-worthy films and fun, bigger productions available. Some personal favorites this year are Hamnet and Sentimental Value. Your theater might have special holiday programming, too.
7. Plan a Wintry Date Night
Planning a date night attuned to the season can help shake up your routine in a fun way. This month, make sure date night includes a seasonal outing. Try ice skating, grab hot cocoa and look at light displays or spend the evening together crafting a cozy home cooked meal. If you’re single, take yourself out for a fun solo date.
8. Curate a Winter Playlist
Music is often key to setting the mood for the season, so be sure your playlist is ready. Curate a special winter playlist to evoke those cozy, warm feelings. Set the vibe for each activity you do; for example, I love listening to soft R&B while I bake holiday treats, but classical music with plenty of dramatic strings is my go-to for walks on winter mornings.
9. Add to Your Self-Care Plan
Despite all the fun of the season, the holidays can be hectic and overwhelming—plus the cold, dark days can damper mood. Beat the winter blues and banish holiday stress by making sure the month includes plenty of moments for self-care.
Sprinkle these activities into your days for a chance to unwind and relax. While you’re at it, add a couple new, seasonally-specific activities to your list.
10. Give Back to Your Community
The holidays are a great time to volunteer in your community and help those in need, which will help you feel better, too.
Donate to or volunteer at a food bank or soup kitchen. Donate to a toy or coat drive and buy gifts for children, seniors and families in need through charities like the Salvation Army’s Angel Tree Program, Toys for Tots and Family Giving Tree’s Wish Drive. You can also speak with your employer about starting a toy, food or coat drive at work.
11. Host a Get-Together
Connecting with the people we care about is one of the joys of the winter season, so create some opportunities to do so. Throw a dinner party or holiday party, or invite people over for movie or game night. Host a wine and cheese or baking night, or gather your friends to make some holiday crafts. If it’s part of your tradition, host a gift or cookie exchange.
12. Make Something
Use some of your downtime to tap into your creative side. Whether you like art, writing, crafting or something else, make something with your hands this winter. Pick up your pen, pencils or paintbrush and let your creative juices flow. Start a tactile, new hobby like knitting, crochet or embroidery. There are so many fun crafts to try, like making your own candles, ornaments, paper chains and more.
13. Go on a Little Getaway
Don’t feel like you need to be stuck to your home base all winter. Plan a day trip somewhere for a fun day out of your norm. If you want more of an escape, add a weekend trip to your calendar. Go for a cozy cabin vibe or hop on a flight to a sunny beach.
14. Schedule a Day to Do Nothing
Sometimes you really just need a day to yourself. Make sure you have some days in your schedule that are completely free of obligations and plans. Whether you choose to spend your “nothing” day in bed rotting or out and about is up to you.
Don’t set an alarm and wake up when your body naturally wants. Go on a long walk, drive around to see where you end up, or go out and do something you’ve always wanted to try.
