as winter approaches, these tiny things will actually help you feel better

minimum baseline habits to get us through the winter

Nov 24, 2025

I will openly admit that November can be utterly depressing.

This year in particular, things have felt quite literally… dark. The sudden shift in daylight left me feeling that my day was cut in half. More than once my husband hesitantly asked me, ‘Um, isn’t it a bit early for pyjamas, Melissa?’ Sure, it was 5pm, but where else was I going for the day? It was pitch black outside. My plans for the evening consisted of making dinner, showering, and watching something on Netflix. Why would I need to be dressed up for that?

The days gelled together without any real meaning or purpose. My head hit the pillow every night thinking, what even happened today? With little on my social calendar (purposefully after a rough few months of overdoing things), I settled into becoming a home body.

But then I got antsy. The rain was so bad one week that I couldn’t even get outside to walk the dog. And then, I got sick. I haven’t been properly sick since I got COVID at the end of 2022. This time, whatever I had really knocked me. I don’t need to get into the details, but it was some version of the flu. A sore throat, head cold, and aches left me with nothing else to do but stay horizontal most of the day. I was already feeling a bit of cabin fever from the non-stop rain, and now that it was finally frosty blue skies, I was stuck in bed for a week.

Today is one of the first days I’m feeling normal again. In the sense that, I’m able to be up and about without having a coughing fit. If I never have a cup of hot water, lemon, and honey again in my life, I will be just fine. I’m ready to resume normal programming, and for me, that starts small.

Before I got terribly sick, I was tracking a few small habits that were giving my days structure and making me feel better about transitioning into the darker, colder months. I wanted to create a set of micro-habits to implement every single day that felt doable and that I knew would move the needle in terms of lifting my mood. I was trying to keep up with them while I was becoming more and more sick, until ultimately I had to realise when my body was actually telling me it wasn’t helping. I plan to start them up again this week, because I was really noticing how much better they made me feel.

These habits aren’t revolutionary, but they are things I was not doing consistently enough to reap the benefits. As I’ve written about many times, this is not the season for putting pressure on ourselves to do it all. This is the season to do less, but with intention. This is the time to focus on what truly helps us feel grounded, steady, and able to enjoy the downtime that winter brings along.

I’m also thinking of these habits as a preventative medicine. It’s so easy to fall into a funk during this time of year. I want to be as proactive as I can about not falling into a slump. And if I do fall into a slump, which very well might still happen, I know the slump won’t be as deep and I’ll emerge much more easily.

First things first, getting outside for a walk is KEY. The weather might be unpredictable, but I’m making sure I wrap up and get outside for a 20-30 minute walk every single day. I try not to listen to any music or podcasts while I go, so it truly can be a meditative practice. If it’s frosty, I like to just tell myself it’s free cryotherapy. People literally PAY lots of money to get freezing cold and there are health benefits to doing so. Getting outside and feeling the fresh air around me will be a tonic this season, I just know it. Even on days when it’s easier to just stay cozy and warm inside, I know I’ll be in such better form after a brisk walk outdoors.

Walking is great, but I also think it’s important to move the body in other ways to improve my mobility, especially since there will be a lot of lounging around. I’m making it a priority to get out my yoga mat and do a quick 10-15 minute stretch or some gentle yoga to get my body moving. Notice, I’m not locking into a specific routine. Most days I just tell myself to roll out the yoga mat and do anything! It’s all about getting a minimum baseline habit going. If I feel like I want to increase the intensity, I always can later on. For now, I do these stretches. I’ll even do them quickly while in my pyjamas in the morning or evening. The moves are so gentle it can sometimes feel cozy do do this in my comfy clothes!

Next, is supplements. This is self-explanatory, but I want to make sure I just check this box and stay consistent with taking my supplements. I don’t need to tell you what they are — everyone’s supplementation will be different — but I will say that there is a high dose of Vitamin D in my lineup. Supplements are more effective if they are taken consistently, so I’m really just trying to implement them into my daily routine in order to boost my immunity and keep myself from getting sick again!

I also aim to keep things simple and read 10 pages of a book everyday. Back in 2020 when I quit drinking, I got myself into such a strong reading habit by keeping this low barrier to entry. I didn’t need to read for an hour. I only needed to crack open my book and read 10 pages. Some times, I did just read the 10 pages and that was fine! Other times, I ended up reading for an hour or two if I got lost in the story. Either way, reading is such a comforting habit to get into this time of year rather than watching hours and hours of television. Also, if you have any book recommendations, let me know!

This last one has been annoyingly tough. I’ve also been making a conscious effort to get ready and dressed every day. I’m not sure if it’s being in my 30s or going through a pandemic that has made this simple thing I used to do literally every day of my life feel like a monumental task. I do always end up getting washed and dressed for the day eventually, but I’m embarrassed to admit it’s been left until the afternoon sometimes. I just don’t do it consistently enough. I also wear comfortable clothes like leggings or sweatpants, which is fine. But I can always do my hair, spray a some perfume, and do a tiny bit of makeup to help myself feel a bit more put together. The end goal is to just feel good about my appearance again.

These tiny habits are things I can quite literally check off my habit tracker. Currently, I’ve been using the Habit Tracker app as it’s free and easy to use. It even sends me a little reminder in the evenings, which is super handy.

Going for a walk, stretching, taking my supplements, reading, and getting dressed for the day are such small things but I know that if I do them consistently enough, I will feel so much better.

As always, I’m trying to do less, but with intention.

p.s. - I’d love to hear from you. What small habits are you prioritising this winter to help yourself feel uplifted and cozy?