Winter Self-Care: Show Yourself Some Extra Love
As the season changes, it is important to take care of your body and your mental health accordingly. Just like skincare, it is recommended to update your self-care routine to fit the cold, winter months. Especially during the colder months, our body can tense up easier due to the changing weather and possible inactiveness, so it is even more important to show your body extra care. In this blog, iroha would like to share a few things you can do to show yourself some extra love during these winter months.
Contents
- Warm Yourself With Some Hot Drinks
- Put On Some Cute & Comfy Clothes
- Start A New Hobby
- Relax With A Nice Hot Bath
- Show Your Body Some Extra Love
- Spend Time With Those That Spark Joy
- Enjoy the Sun Whenever You Can
- Summary
Warm Yourself With Some Hot Drinks
Winter is the perfect time for a nice hot drink, such as a cup of soothing chamomile tea, a nice and strong cup of coffee, or even a cup of sweet and creamy hot chocolate. Remember to take some time for a break, and warm yourself up with your favorite hot drink, it can make the cold days much more welcoming.
Put On Some Cute & Comfy Clothes
The colder months are the perfect time to whip out those soft and comfy sweaters that you have stored away. Wrapping yourself in your favorite scarf and staying warm can make all the difference. We definitely recommend getting those cute fluffy socks to keep both your feet and you nice and toasty. Staying warm with comfy clothes can help prevent our muscles from stiffening up due to the cold and inactiveness, and prevent muscle aches. If you don’t already have some cute and fluffy clothes, the holiday is the perfect time to get them. Not only do we want to look cute, but it is also important to stay warm!
Start A New Hobby 
One thing good about the winter months is the holiday season! During the days off, why not try something new; for example start a new hobby. There are plenty of great indoor activities, both active or calming for you to try. Here are some possible new hobbies you can try during the break: drawing, knitting, pottery making, indoor rock climbing, hot yoga, or just start reading a new book. There are endless options, and one good thing about trying something new is that you might discover a new way to relieve stress.
Relax With A Nice Hot Bath
There’s something special about soaking in a nice hot bath during the colder months.Taking a hot bath has many benefits, including increasing blood circulation, reducing pain, releasing tension in our muscles, and more. During bathtime, many people take the time to zone out and let their mind relax and enjoy the bath. While others take this time to enjoy some alone time. By setting up the mood with some soothing music, maybe some candles, and even a face mask it is possible to truly pamper themselves. If you are looking for an alternative to candles in the bath, for safety reasons, may we suggest our iroha ukidama. Not only will it light up with its built-in LED, it can also float in water and act as a massager. The design of the iroha ukidama allows the user to pinpoint massage their lymph nodes and other desired body parts. It is the perfect addition to a nice hot bath in the winter months.
Show Your Body Some Extra Love
As mentioned above, in the winter months, we tend to be less active in comparison to the summer months. We are also more susceptible to muscle aches and other pains. It is important to show our body some extra love through some gentle massages, stretching or gentle movements, and even some self-pleasure to help prevent our muscles stiffening up and alleviate possible pain.
Self-pleasure has the benefits of alleviating pain in addition to increasing blood circulation and warming up our body, which is the perfect thing to do during the cold night. During self-pleasure, our bodies release a mixture of feel-good hormones which are a benefit to our bodies. Serotonin helps regulate mood and can aid sleep. It is said that many people feel more relaxed, feel that their mood improved, and had better sleep quality after self-pleasure. Self-pleasure allows us to show ourselves the extra love and care that is needed, as we explore our bodies and pleasures.
Spend Time With Those That Spark Joy
The holiday seasons can be a stressful time for some people. One way to make the holiday season a little bit better or easier on mental health is to spend time with those that spark joy to you. Choosing to spend time with those that value you and respect your personal boundaries is not only beneficial to your mental health, it can also help make the winter months better.
Enjoy the Sun Whenever You Can
During the winter months, the days get shorter and we are left with less exposure to the sun. This could cause many to develop seasonal affective disorders (SAD). SAD is a type of depression that often happens during fall and winter due to changes in the weather and reduced exposure to sunlight. In fact, in the United States, around 4-6% of the population suffer from SAD, while 10-20% have mild SAD. While not everyone has or develops SAD, the minimal amount of sunlight can still affect people’s mental health. So it is important to take the time to enjoy the sun whenever you can. Going out for a walk, or sitting by the window as you relax can make all the difference. Other ways that can help along with the sunlight exposure is to do things that can boost your serotonin levels, such as self-pleasure, massage, or exercise.
Summary
In conclusion, remember to take the time to look after your health during the next few months. Take the extra steps to make yourself feel good. Such as taking a nice hot bath, relaxing with a nice hot drink, and of course, self-pleasure and other serotonin-boosting activities. Self-pleasure has many beneficial factors, such as pain relief, relaxation, de-stressing, and improving mood, and of course, boosting serotonin. It can be the extra love your body needs during the winter.