7 Small But Restorative Wellness Habits Experts Are Taking Into Winter

Winter tends to divide opinion. While some relish the return of cashmere, candlelight and cosy evenings, others spend it mostly counting down the days to spring. I fall firmly into the first camp – in theory, at least. In reality, the shorter days can leave me feeling less than my best self.

Low energy, a dip in mood, the sudden urge to hibernate – a lack of daylight can really affect our body clocks, sleep and mood. For some, changes can also contribute to seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a form of depression linked to the turning seasons. And it’s women who seem to bear the brunt: SAD is diagnosed around three times more often in women than men.

The Best Ways To Beat The Winter Blues And Boost Your Mood

In my quest to make the darker months feel a little less bleak, I spoke to experts about whether the answer lies less in fighting winter, more in working with it. Perhaps it’s time to stop comparing it the summer months and the faster pace they encourage. From getting outside in the morning light to finding small, restorative habits, these are the expert-approved rituals making winter feel that little bit easier to love.

Eat Breakfast To Support Your Internal Body Clock

“One of my favourite winter rituals is to really honour breakfast,” says nutritionist Hannah Alderson. “During the darker months, reduced daylight can disrupt our circadian rhythm,” the body’s internal clock that regulates sleep and wake cycles. “Eating at a relatively consistent time each morning can help reinforce our internal body clock and support energy regulation.” Alderson suggests aiming to eat breakfast within 90 minutes of waking – think warming porridge with cinnamon and stewed fruit, topped with Greek Yoghurt, ground flaxseeds and sliced kiwi. A little morning comfort to look forward to, on those days when getting out of bed feels like a chore.

Take Your Morning Coffee Outside

“This is such a simple ritual but it can make a huge difference,” says Alderson. “Morning daylight helps regulate our internal body clock, influencing everything from our sleep-wake cycle to the hormones that help us feel alert during the day.” In winter, getting outside early is particularly valuable: even on cloudy mornings, natural light can help reinforce these rhythms and support better sleep and mood. Alderson’s advice? Wrap up warm and take your coffee outside, or enjoy a short walk after breakfast. And if caffeine tends to leave you feeling jittery or anxious, try having it after eating first.

Build A Ritual Around Checking In With Yourself

Health psychologist Sula Windgassen points to interoceptive awareness, or interpreting your body’s internal signals. “Most of us aren’t taught to recognise how we’re feeling emotionally or how to handle difficult emotional states that can’t easily be fixed,” she says. In a season when it’s tempting to try and distract ourselves from a low mood or rush to find a way out of it, Windgassen explains that learning to tune into how we feel – both physically and emotionally – can be surprisingly powerful when it comes to the darker months. This might mean noticing tension in your shoulders when stressed, recognising a heaviness in your body when you’re feeling low, or pausing to ask yourself what emotion you’re actually experiencing, rather than shrugging it off as a bad day.

To build this awareness, Windgassen suggests trying to set aside five minutes each day to check in with yourself. Keep a mood journal, noting how you feel, any physical sensations, and what might have prompted them. “You could also try a quick DIY body scan, paying attention to areas of tension or tiredness, or pause during a walk to notice your breathing and how your body feels.” Windgassen suggests making this kind of check-in a regular winter ritual, practising noticing uncomfortable feelings without judging them or rushing to make them go away.

Wind Down With A Warm Soak

Maddy McCarthy, a Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) practitioner, recommends a 10-minute foot soak in comfortably hot water, or placing a hot water bottle on your lower back while you settle down with a book. There’s some science behind the ritual, too: research suggests that a warm bath or shower taken one to two hours before bed can help you fall asleep faster, as warming the body encourages the drop in core temperature associated with sleep. “In TCM, keeping the feet, lower back and abdomen warm is also considered grounding,” says McCarthy. “It’s a simple way to ease into the evening and give yourself permission to slow down.” Think of it as a small signal to your body that the day is done.

Seek Out The Pleasures Only Winter Can Offer

What if, rather than seeing winter as something to endure, we started to see it as a season with its own pleasures? That’s the thought behind neuroscientist Anne-Sophie Fluri’s ultimate winter ritual. “Our expectations can shape how we experience the colder months,” she says. “and research supports the idea that perspective matters.” A 2020 study of 238 people in Norway found that those with a more positive outlook on winter reported greater life satisfaction and more positive emotions.

Fluri’s advice? Make it a daily ritual to find something to look forward to, helping shift the focus from what winter takes away to what it can offer. “That might mean a candlelit evening, a frosty morning walk or a night in with friends,” she says. Instead of fighting the dark evenings, lean into them: swap bright overhead lights for warm orange or red bulbs, fairy lights or candles, to create a cosier atmosphere.

Getting outside can be part of the ritual, too. She recommends starting with a brisk morning walk somewhere green to catch some daylight. If motivation is low, join a walking group or arrange a weekly stroll with a friend – a little fresh air and good company can go a long way towards lifting your mood.

Consider A SAD Lamp

When daylight is in short supply, our sleep-wake rhythms and mood can take a hit. “Women are diagnosed with SAD around three to four times more often than men,” says GP Dr Raj Arora. “If the darker months leave you feeling persistently low, a SAD lamp or light therapy lamp mimics natural daylight to help regulate the body’s internal clock, which influences sleep and mood. Typically delivering 10,000 lux of light, it may help ease seasonal symptoms such as low mood, fatigue and difficulty concentrating.”

Arora recommends using one for around 20-30 minutes each morning, ideally shortly after waking. You can sit beside it while eating breakfast or reading, but avoid looking directly into the light. Try the Lumie Vitamin L and the Lumie Mini, a portable option for light therapy on the go. Arora advises, “Look for a UV-free device and speak to your GP before use if you have an eye condition or take medication that increases light sensitivity.”

Give Your Vitamin D A Daily Slot

There’s a reason vitamin D gets so much airtime come winter. In Britain, we can’t make enough from sunlight alone between October and March, which is why Dr Arora recommends making a daily supplement part of your routine. The NHS advises taking 10 micrograms a day during autumn and winter. Arora’s tip for making it stick? Pair it with something you already do every day, like brushing your teeth.

Arora explains that vitamin D helps keep our bones, teeth and muscles healthy, with a deficiency potentially causing bone pain and muscle weakness. With sunlight in short supply over winter, it’s a simple daily habit worth keeping in your routine – even if it’s not a magic fix for winter blues. But tablet or spray? “Both do the job,” says Arora. “Sprays are a good option if you struggle with tablets, but capsules are often more affordable.” Her preference is vitamin D3, “which is usually more effective at raising vitamin D levels.”

Try Better-You Vitamin D3 Oral Spray, Zooki Vitamin D3+K2, or Artah Essential D3/K2.