When the landscape is blanketed with snow, winter can be both beautiful and serene. I especially love Christmastime, with its spirit of kindness and goodwill. Winter smells like freshly baked bread, cinnamon, peppermint, pomanders, and pine; I find that deeply comforting.
Soon, the New Year arrives with a clean slate and so much potential. Hopeful plans and fresh intentions can set the stage for a meaningful year ahead.
And yet, Christmas can also be very busy; especially for moms. Restarting homeschooling after the holiday season can feel surprisingly difficult. That is all the more reason we need to pause and consider caring for ourselves, so we are better able to rise to the challenge and enjoy the journey.
Winter invites us to simplify our lives; to do less and relish more. It calls us to nurture ourselves, to hygge just a little… for our own hearts and souls.
Below are seven simple ways to practice hygge self-care this winter, so you can slow down, re-center, and truly enjoy the season.
7 Ways to Hygge Self-Care in Winter
1. Value Yourself
“Who can find a virtuous woman? For her price is far above rubies.” —Proverbs 31:10
The word virtuous in this verse comes from the Hebrew word for valor or strength. Our intrinsic worth as daughters of a loving God is not based on our body shape, our wardrobe, the state of our home, or our paycheck.
We receive constant messages telling us we are too much of this, not enough of that and rarely that we are enough. But with Him, we are enough. With His strength, we can do all He has called us to do.
Value yourself enough not to over-schedule. We may be able to do it all, just not all the time. Hygge is valuing ourselves and our relationships enough to prioritize ourselves and our relationships.
2. Snag a Date
Snag a date with God! Worship Him. Carry a hymn in your heart. Trade childcare with a friend if needed, and carve out intentional time to sit with Him. Reflect with gratitude on the blessings in your life.
Snag a date with yourself. Even if it’s just enough time to make a snow angel or watch the moon rise. Sometimes my “date with myself” is a quiet walk through a museum.
Snag a date with your husband. Look for free exhibits, concerts, or cultural events. Rent a movie or pull a favorite from your collection. Take a long walk. Go on a picinic.
Snag a date with your children, one at a time. Dates don’t have to be extravagant. They can be as simple as listening, talking, celebrating small victories, and offering focused love.
Snag a date with friends—perhaps a potluck luncheon or a simple soup supper with warm rolls.
Prioritizing people and relationships is hygge.
3. Be Grateful
Studies show that grateful people are among the happiest. Gratitude is a choice. Choose it intentionally.
Stewing over things we cannot change drains the energy we need as wives and mothers. Taking time to count our blessings, both great and small, restores us. Gratitude brings contentment, and contentment is hygge.
4. Be Centered
With the new year come goals, plans, and many competing demands. It’s easy to be pulled in a dozen directions.
Take time each day with the Lord to re-center your heart and refocus on what matters most. Centering your life around your true priorities is deeply hygge.
5. Enjoy Margins
Everyone needs margins.
Consider a ninety-minute quiet rest after lunch. Choose a soothing hobby—knitting, embroidery, quilting, crochet, reading, or handwork of any kind.
Busy your hands while listening to inspiring music, an audiobook, a podcast, or even a favorite lecture or film. Margins restore us. Margins are hygge.
6. Prioritize Health
Eat regular meals. Add more nourishing protein, healthy fats, vegetables, and fruits. Drink enough water. Take long walks during the warmest part of the day.
Enjoy a candle-lit bath. Retire earlier. Rise gently. Caring for your body is not indulgent—it is hygge.
7. Look Ahead
Look ahead with intention. With a little planning, your days can be simple, joyful, memorable—and hygge.
Enjoy!
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