Winter Self-Care: The Ultimate Guide To Channel Your Inner Gwyneth Paltrow, Solve Your Cold Weather Blues, And Start Everyday Fresh and Focused
Winter, the often dreary and bleak days of cold sometimes make it difficult to get out of bed in the morning and feel enthusiastic about...well, about anything really. And that is why self-care in the winter is so important.
Whatever your personal feelings are about Gwyneth Paltrow, you’ve got to admit that girl knows how to self-care. So we’re taking a cue or two from her and have compiled a list of our favorite Winter Self-Care practices and products. Scroll down to #GetItLikeGwyneth (this isn’t an actual hashtag that exists but we think it should, what do you think?).
We have included links below to classes, apps, and products. Some of the products are linked through our Amazon storefront from which we receive a small % when you purchase through our store. We have created a list of products on Amazon that we genuinely love and believe in but we encourage you to try to find these products locally and to support small businesses when you can.
1. Get yo cute booty to bed early so you can wake up early, aka #CrushYourDay because you’re well rested. Winter is the perfect time to practice this habit since the sun sets early.
The benefits of getting enough (restful) sleep are often overlooked and undervalued. Yes, we know you could watch just one more episode of your current fave Netflix show but we also know you’ve got big dreams and we want you to start your day with a full tank so you can smash glass ceilings and create generational wealth. So use all your tools of self control and get to bed early.
2. Level up your morning routine. Morning routines that consist of more than rolling out of bed and drinking a cup of coffee are vital AF for your mindset, mental health, body, and life. Your morning is prime time to set your intentions for the coming day and to spend a little quality time with the Queen herself...you.
Meditate - use an app like Insight Timer. With thousands of guided meditations ranging for 1 min to well over an hour you can take the guesswork out of clearing your mind. Simply follow along to a breathing exercise, visualization, gratitude practice, or the hundreds (maybe even thousands) of different ways to quiet the mind.
Ease your awakening - jolting yourself awake in the morning might is actually not that great for you. We need to transition slowly from sleeping to fully awake. Try a few gentle stretches and a few deep breaths. Also try this alarm clock that uses nature light to simulate the sunrise.
3. Further your knowledge and grow your mind. Take an online course - Udemy and Masterclass are excellent platforms to learn a new skill and stay inspired. On Udemy you can learn anything from computer programming, to how to start a fashion label, and bread baking. Masterclass is interesting because they take people who are at the highest level in their industry and ask them to teach a class, essentially about themselves, their philosophy, and their process of creation.
You could also try an online yoga and/or spiritual class. We just included this online workshop in our Fall + Winter Wellness Retreat article. But this one’s also perfect for cold weather self-care! The Craft Your Sadhana workshop is a month long class to help you cultivate what is essentially a self-care practice!
4. Pay attention to your body’s physical needs.
Eat nourishing foods. Eat what’s in season. If you live in the US, Seasonal Food Guide (they even have an app) tells you what’s in season locally by state. Eating what’s in season near you means that you eat foods at their nutritional peak plus you lessen your carbon footprint by decreasing the distance produce must be shipped to you. It’s really a win-win. For those of you that aren’t able to access fresh seasonal and local produce for either financial reasons or it’s simply not available near you, don’t worry sis. We take the approach of do what you can, with what you have, where you’re at.
Up your hydration game Drink more water, drink more water, drink more water, drink more water, drink more water.
But let’s add some spice (sometimes literally) to your daily fluids.
Herbs have been used in pretty much every culture since the beginning of time, so why not lean on some of that ancient knowledge and alchemy for these cold months and all the ailments this season can bring. If you are interested in learning more about the art of tea blending and how teas can be healing check out this book Healing Herbal Teas by Sarah Farr. Or take a Udemy class on herbalism.
We are in love with the benefits of CBD so why not add some to your daily water/drink intake. Try the Prima Trifecta pack for morning, noon, and night.
Cold weather can really suck the fun...uh, the moisture out of your skin and we know Gwyneth would never stand for dry skin so adding some collagen to your diet is a must in winter months. We’re big fans of marine collagen which is better for skin hydration than the common bovine peptide (made from beef). Our current favorite brand is Vital Proteins.
Take care of your skin. Dry brushing, simple and effective it helps get rid of dry flaky skin and promote new cell growth and it’s also great for blood circulation which is really needed in the winter when we’re more likely to be sitting inside cuddled up under a pile of blankets. Try this one.
5. Remind yourself of your inner glow. Dress up and feel sexy, fun, and flirty. Wear clothes and/or pajamas that make you feel fabulous and sexy. There’s nothing wrong with bundling up under a thousand layers and keeping warm all winter but we say to also let yourself dress up and feel sexy from time to time, even if it’s just by yourself for yourself. Put on that one thing that makes you feel powerful and sexy, do your hair, and revel in your fine-as-hell-self. Cos girl, you got it going on. It’s nice (and necessary) to look and feel good.
Five simple and easy ways to take care of your mind, body, and soul this Winter. Let us know in the comments your favorite Winter self-care practices and products.