Embracing Slow Living in Winter

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Winter is the perfect time to adopt a slower pace to life. It’s all about rest and recovery. Learn how to embrace slow living in winter by implementing these slow routines, winter activities, and try these seasonal recipes.

We might think of the winter season as one of the coziest times of the year, but this is really the test for seasonal living advocates. Winter really requires you to dig deep, as the long months of gray and dark can be very draining and isolating.

My hope is that the ideas below help you embrace the slower, rest-focused nature of winter to make the most of it. You may still struggle with it at times, but these suggestions should give you a new way to think about it and lots of ways to enjoy this time.

The Goal of Slow Living in Winter

Let’s focus on winter’s role in the natural order. Winter is a time for rest. It is a time to go inward, reflect, sleep, and allow seeds of hope and change to sprout. It is a season of hibernation.

This isn’t the time for excess action or busyness. During the winter months, your goal should really be to focus on taking care of yourself and enjoying time with those you love. Let this be your main priority, and practice aligning your energy with your actions.

Say no to any events or activities that drain you, and spend time listening to that quiet inner voice. If you can strengthen your intuition and sense of self at this time, you’ll have a more more balanced and abundant year.

Slow Living Winter Routines

• Start a journal. Practice writing in a gratitude journal or whatever way works for you.
• Minimize social media and screen time. Sleep with your phone in a different room!
• Light candles and lamps during the darker hours. I like to make coffee by candlelight in the morning!
• Read before bed.
• Practice meditation for at least 5 minutes per day. This is a great way to savor moments of stillness throughout the day.
• Start the day with a hot beverage. 
• Take relaxing baths.
• Eat mindfully and consume sugar minimally. 
• Practice gentle stretching and movement.
• Send texts of gratitude. Set aside a few minutes per day to send a message of love or gratitude to someone in your life.
• Work on breathwork. Try different breathing routines to feel grounded.
• Daily walks. It can feel hard to get outside during the winter, but being in nature is very restorative. Try getting out during the sunshine to make the post of the shorter days.
• Take naps. There is nothing wrong with a little snooze here and there. Be like a bear and rest as much as possible!
• Develop a calming evening routine. Turn on some lamps, wash your face, and let your body get naturally sleepy.
• Wear comfortable clothing. Let your body feel less stress. Ditch the tight, pinch-your-stomach jeans and switch to softer textures and fabrics.

Keep an eye on how you feel. Many of us can struggle with the winter blues. If you feel overwhelmed by sadness, grief, or numbness, reach out to a mental health professional.

Slow Winter Bucket List

There are many small things you can do to feel more grounded or at rest during the winter. Although it’s tempting to spend a lot of time by yourself, you’ll feel much better if you can get outside or spend time with others. Use this time to strengthen your connections to people and make new memories!

• Conduct an in-depth self-reflection to reflect on the past year, the future, and more. My winter solstice reflection guide is made for embracing this special time of year. Get your copy here.
• Read a good book. Stock up your reading pile if you haven’t already!
• Drink lots of hot herbal teas, especially in the evening. There’s nothing quite like a warm cup of tea on a cold, drizzly day.
• Consume tinctures and herbal remedies. This is cold season! I Try eating more probiotics, like sauerkraut, and consume elderberry syrup, fire cider, or other immune-boosting creations.
• Make a simmer pot. Our houses tend to be really dry during the winter, so I like to add moisture whenever I can. Simmer pots are a nice way to do that while also infusing the air with warmth and comforting aromas. Try steeping orange slices, rosemary, cranberries and cinnamon sticks in a pot on the stove.
• Make a wreath. Go foraging for greenery to make your own wreath or swag.
• Say no. Especially during the holidays, it is tempting to say yes to everything, even events that drain you. Practice saying no to things that feel draining or exhausting and carry this into the new year.
• Make hot chocolate. This is a great way to warm up after being outside all day! Pair it with homemade marshmallows and add warming spices like cinnamon to make it easy comforting.
• Avoid the temptation to watch TV all the time. Instead, play card or board games with friends or family.
• Invite people over. Most of us feel cooped up in our houses. Invite people over for dinner, a book swap, a crafting party, or just because.
• Make balms and salves. I like to make sugar scrubs to rehydrate dry winter skin, but you can also make balms, salves, lip balms, lotions, and more. Try my cranberry sugar scrub or this vanilla sugar scrub. These also make great handmade gifts!

• Bring the outdoors in. Decorate your home with dried orange slices, pine boughs, holly, and more.
• Make beeswax candles. This is my favorite winter solstice routine. There’s something beautiful about making light in the darkest part of the year!
• Play with citrus. Any time the short days and cold temperatures get you down, bring out the citrus! Make lemon extract, blood orange scones, mandarin marmalade, and more. They’ll make you think of warm, sunny days again.
• String a garland. There are many ways to make garlands, like stringing popcorn, dried oranges, cranberries, and more. Use these to decorate around your home.
• Build a snowman.
• Work on creative hobbies. This is an ideal time to learn new skills like painting, weaving, knitting, and more.
• Plan your spring garden. I love pouring over seed catalog to figure out just the right ones to plant this year!
• Make herbal tea blends. If you’ve been dehydrating flowers, fruits, and herbs this year, use them to create your own herbal tea blends! Even if you haven’t been dehydrating, you can purchase single ingredients, like cinnamon bark and licorice root, to make your own custom creations. 
• Harvest winter produce (winter apples or pears, kale, chard, escarole, etc).
• Join a book club. Or start one!
• Focus on movement. We end up sitting a lot this time of year. Practice yoga, walk on an indoor treadmill, or take a swim in a heated pool.
• Make hearty foods. This is the perfect time of year for soups, stews, casseroles, pot pies, and other warm, cozy foods.
• Bring out the comfort. Lay a cozy blanket on the couch, set out a new candle, and add relaxing scents like cinnamon and vanilla.
• Diffuse essential oils. Diffusing is a nice way to add extra moisture to the air, and you can use essential oils to change the whole feel of your home.

• Grow something. Plant microgreens or your kitchen or start a patch of herbs. It always feels nice to see new life.
• Get outside. There are many ways to get outside during the winter! You just need to bundle up and put on the right shoes. Take a walk on your lunch break, go snowshoeing or hiking, try ice skating or ice fishing, etc.
• Laugh. If you get the winter blues, I recommend doing whatever you can to laugh more. Watch funny movies, read a silly joke book, or get lost in funny cat videos on YouTube. It’ll light up your whole world.
• Preserve winter foods. Use those winter apples to make cider, vinegar, applesauce, or apple butter. Pears can be turned into jelly, jam, pear butter, pear fruit leather, and more. I like to dehydrate and freeze cranberries, and this is my favorite time of year to freeze pumpkin puree for later, too!
• Plan a trip. Although I always recommend being present, there’s nothing like planning a trip to give you a boost of energy! Research destinations and enjoy the planning process. 
• Take a trip. If you live in a place with long, harsh winters, it can be a huge relief to escape the colder weather for a week or two. 

What to Eat During the Winter

The menu is a little lighter this time of year, but the flavors are still wonderful. After the first frost, many crops become slightly sweeter, which makes them ideal for salads, roasting, and more. Plus, this is the height of citrus season! A little fresh lemon will wake up those hearty greens and root veggies like nothing else. 

If this list feels limiting, focus on all the things you get to enjoy instead of lamenting all the things you don’t get to eat anymore. 

• Pumpkins
• Winter squash
• Kale
• Brussels sprouts
• Cauliflower
• Broccoli
• Celery
• Chicory greens (escarole, endive, radicchio)
• Parsley
• Cabbage
• Lettuce
• Citrus fruits (lemons, oranges, grapefruit)
• Apples
• Pears
• ​Cranberries
• Quince
• Persimmon
• Kiwi berries
• Turnips
• Potatoes
• Carrots
• Beets
• Rutabagas
• Parsnips
• Potatoes
• Sweet potato

 *If you did a lot of canning, dehydrating or freezing this year, you can supplement this list with canned green beans, cherry jam, dehydrated cherries, frozen blackberries, and more.

Comforting Winter Recipes

I love cooking, baking, and preserving seasonal foods, and winter is no exception! This is a fantastic time to brush up on your baking skills, too. It feels nice to have the oven going, so consider starting a sourdough starter or bringing yours out of hibernation. Here are just some of my favorite winter recipes:

Cranberry Apple Crisp

Dehydrating Pears

Blood Orange Scones with Dried Cherries

Spiced Apple Liqueur

Sourdough Cornbread

Date Scones with Orange

More Winter Recipes & Projects

Here is some more inspiration to help you find just the perfect recipe or project to try during the colder months of the year.

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