Small habits that make winter easier

Winter feels easier when you protect five things: daylight, movement, warm meals, regular sleep and time with other people. None of them needs a big plan. A walk at lunchtime, a pot of soup on Sunday and a fixed bedtime do more than any winter wellness kit.

Below are small habits for each, with the minimum version for weeks when even that feels like too much.

1. Chase the daylight

Short days mean many people go to work in the dark and come home in the dark. Daylight is one of the main signals your body clock uses, and even a grey winter day outdoors is usually far brighter than a well-lit room.

• Go out at midday. If you work indoors, take part of your lunch break outside.
• Sit near a window to work, eat breakfast or read.
• Open curtains as soon as you get up, as in a simple morning routine.

Some people find that winter brings a lasting low mood that comes back each year. If that sounds like you, talk to a doctor; it is common and there are treatments.

2. Keep moving, even a little

Cold and dark make the sofa more appealing, and activity tends to drop in winter. Movement helps keep energy and mood steadier, and it warms you up.

• Walk when it is light, wrapped up properly: a hat, gloves and a warm layer under a windproof one.
• Have an indoor fallback. A short bodyweight workout at home or a few stretches on a mat covers rainy days.
• Lower the bar on bad days. Ten minutes counts. So does a brisk trip to the shops.

3. Eat warm, simple food

Winter is a good time for food that cooks itself while you do something else.

• Make one big pot a week: soup, stew, chilli or dal. Lentils and beans add fibre and stretch it further.
• Start with a warm breakfast. Porridge with fruit is cheap, filling and quick.
• Keep fruit in sight. A bowl of clementines on the table gets eaten. A bag in the fridge drawer tends not to.
• Warm drinks help too. A mug of golden milk in the evening, or ginger and lemon topped up with hot water, makes a cosy ritual.

In the UK, the NHS advises considering a daily vitamin D supplement in autumn and winter, when sunlight is too weak for the skin to make enough. Ask a pharmacist or doctor what suits you, especially if you take other medicines.

4. Protect your sleep

Dark mornings make waking up harder, and the temptation is to sleep in at weekends. A consistent wake time, even on Saturday, usually helps more than extra hours in bed.

• Keep the bedroom cool but not cold, with warm bedding rather than high heating.
• Get light soon after waking to help with the next night's sleep.
• Wind down in the evening with dim lights and the phone put away. Our evening wind-down routine has a simple version.

5. Stay in touch

Winter makes it easy to see fewer people without noticing. Loneliness affects how we feel and how well we sleep.

• Put one social thing in the diary each week: a walk with a friend, a meal, a class.
• Send one message a day, even a short one.
• Check on neighbours, especially older people who live alone, during cold spells.

Small comforts that help

• Warm feet make the whole body feel warmer. Slippers and thick socks are worth it.
• Keep a hand cream and lip balm by the door; cold wind and indoor heating dry skin.
• A small task finished, like clearing one shelf, can lift a dull grey afternoon.

Questions people ask

Why do I feel more tired in winter?

Less daylight, less activity and disrupted sleep can all play a part. Getting outside in the day, moving most days and keeping a steady wake time often help.

Is it normal to feel low in winter?

Many people feel flatter in winter. If low mood lasts for weeks, affects daily life or comes back every year, it is worth speaking to a doctor.

Photograph: AI-generated image

Filed under winter, habits, daylight, sleep.