5 Small Ways to Boost Your Mood During Winter

Small, simple, and easy ways to boost your mood when it’s too cold to go outside. A therapist's top 5 tips for improving your winter mood.

I checked my weather app this morning and it said real feel of -9℉. Sigh.

Winter can take away some of our typical methods of boosting our mood such as getting outdoors. I love going for walks. I do it daily even in cold weather. However, when these super freezing temperatures come along, it’s not always practical or enjoyable to go for a walk. My dogs don’t want to come and my kiddo can’t be outside for long.

When we cannot engage in our usual enjoyable activities or do the familiar things that help lift our spirits, it can make the dreaded winter blues even worse. It’s already hard enough with the shorter days in winter.

Therefore, we have to shift our behaviors and routines during wintertime. I’ve listed my ways to boost your mood from the warmth of your home.

1. Open the blinds/curtains

Let in the sunshine! Have you ever noticed that the really cold winter days tend to be blue sky days? I read somewhere that when it’s cloudy, the clouds can trap in more heat. On the other hand, when it’s a clear day, that heat goes bye bye up into the atmosphere and we are left freezing.

So, if it’s too cold to go outside, there’s a good chance it’s a sunny day. Open your blinds and pull back the curtains. You can still get some of the mood boosting benefits that the sun gives us from letting in some natural sunlight.

Walk around your whole home and open up ALL of the blinds/curtains. All of them. This way, wherever your internal travels take you, the forecast is sunny.

2. Tidy your space: do the task that gets you the most bang for your buck

One thing I often hear from my clients is how an untidied home creates additional stress. And, I’m usually sitting there like “Yup. Samesies.” When your mood is lower, usually your energy is a bit lower too. You know cleaning would help, you’d like to clean, but… the motivation may be lacking.

I’m not talking about pushing through that low energy and forcing yourself to clean your entire home top to bottom. That’s pretty unrealistic and you should let go of those expectations you are holding for yourself.

Here’s my best tip: Pick the one cleaning task that alleviates the most stress.

Ask yourself, what task will give me the most bang for my buck? i.e. the most stress relief for the smallest amount of energy you’ve got to give today. Start here if you can.

For me, it’s clearing off my kitchen table. It tends to be a dumping ground for mail, yesterday’s water glass, and other random things. If it’s cleared off, my space already feels lighter.

The idea is to do something that takes maybe 5 minutes at the most. When I clean off my kitchen table, I don’t wash the dirty dishes that were on it. I just move them to the kitchen. I don’t go through all the necessary mail, I just get rid of the obvious junk and tidy up the pile of the rest of it for a later time. Focus on the one task only.

Here are some ideas to help you start small:

• Clear off your kitchen table.
• Fluff the cushions and pillows on your sofa.
• Run a vacuum in just the main spaces. Don’t worry about getting in all the nooks and crannies. Maybe even in just one room.
• If dishes are the most bang for your buck, only do 5 minutes.
• Pick the laundry up off the floor and put it in the basket.
• Hang up your coats that are strung over the chairs.
• Make your bed.
• Break down an Amazon box.
• Water your plants.

3. Engage with those around you

If you're in a funk, engage with those around you. Do something small with your loved ones, be that a partner, roommate, child, or pet.

Take a moment for something fun that doesn’t take a ton of effort. How much energy is it to throw a dog toy across the room? Minimal. You can even do it laying down on the couch wrapped in a blanket.

Ideas:

• Watch funny youtube videos with your partner or roommate.
• Cook something together. Or, if they have the energy to cook, sit at the counter and chit chat while they do.
• Play with your child. Let them pick the game.
• Read a book with your kid.
• Throw a dog toy.
• Dangle a cat toy.
• Toss some treats (or small pieces of food) and watch your cutie(s) run around all excited searching for them.
• Brush your dog or cat while you watch some TV.

4. Turn on some music

No matter if you’re working, cleaning, playing, cooking, showering, or scrolling on your phone, turning on some music can add to the enjoyment factor. It may even provide a tiny motivational boost to get up and get moving a bit.

Tips:

• Pick music that lifts your mood. 
• Pick a playlist with songs that you know the lyrics too and can easily sing (perform) along.
• Streaming services often have playlists with titles such as “feeling happy” as a place to start.

5. Extra hygiene self-care

When it comes to hygiene, sometimes we do the bare minimum when our mood and therefore our energy levels are low. When you aren’t feeling your best, doing something extra for yourself can be helpful. What are the hygiene steps that make you feel just that much better when you actually do them? Pick one and do it.

Ideas:

• Put on lotion.
• Do a facial scrub.
• Trim your nails.
• Change your clothes (even if it’s just into another pair of pajamas).
• Shower (even if you did yesterday and want to skip it).

Want help improving your low mood?

I’m a psychotherapist who specializes in helping women improve their mood, manage anxiety, and identify helpful behaviors. If you are in Illinois or Wisconsin, connect with me to see if we may be a good fit to meet your needs and goals. You can also check out my services page to learn more.