There’s a book called Wintering , The power of rest and retreat in difficult times by Katherine May. It’s a beatiful meditative book that reminds us to accept and embrace the season and all that comes with it. As an interior designer with an emphais on mindful living, I am always thinking about how our spaces can support and nourish us, how we can strive and thrive through difficult times by setting up our homes to support us physically, spiritually and emotionally. It’s all connnected, our surroundings can bring us comfort and joy and also support us through the disappointments, heartbreak and pain.

Here in the northeast winter can be pretty gray and cold, it can feel like it lasts forever and it takes some effort to keep a positive mindset. I know I’m not alone in my feelings of anxiety anticipating winter, and this winter just might be the hardest one for me right now. But isn’t there is something slightly melancholy and so magical about the first snowfall of the season? And just like that it happened this morning! So when I woke up to a beautiful fresh coat of snow on the ground, I threw on my winter boots and went out for a walk. During my walk I was thinking of ways in which we can optimize our homes and comfort our spirits for wintering, here are my tips for thriving through winter with grace and ease.

Use Light

• Burn candles, it sets the mood for relaxation and creates ambience and can increase your mood.

• String those little white christmas tree lights inside for the winter season. Turn the lights on at night for a nice festive glow, I promise it will make you feel good.

• Light therapy is helpful for those of us who are a little more sensitive to the seasonal change into winter. During light therapy, you sit or work near a device called a light therapy box, the box gives off bright light that mimics natural outdoor light.

Get Cozy

There’s a scandinavian term called Hygee which is the embrace of anything cozy. You can nurture your heart by creating a feeling of comfort and sense of coziness in your physical space. Making your surroundings special will comfort your insides. Create a cozy reading nook by a window with a warm blanket and soft pillows. This is your space to read, write, reflect, or just have a cup of tea and sit in silence for a minute. Our most creative ideas often come to us in these silent moments.

Scent

Aromatherapy is a wonderful mood booster, almost immediately you feel a sense of calm and tranquility. Keep the cozy hygge feeling going by lighting a winter themed candle, look for woodsy scents like evergreen, sandlewood, patchouli, amber, cedarwood.

My favorite way to bring scent into a room is with an essential oil diffuser. Experiment with some mood lifting scents like lavender, frankinscence, peppermint, sandalwood.

Light incense! Palo santo is a spicy sweet fragrance which is known to purify space and clear negative energy.

Meditate

Create a cozy area in your home where you can sit in stillness. Meditation, not only is a path to self-awareness, it can also be a path to better health. Meditation is scientifically proven to reduce stress, improve memory and sleep, reduce depression, lower blood pressure, the list goes on. I found that creatve ideas tend to pop up in my morning stillness, an added benefit which will hook you in. A morning meditation practice can help you feel aligned and motivated to take on the day.

Plants & Flowers

Research shows that having contact with nature every day can have great benefits on our well-being which leads to stress reduction, boosting positive feelings, increases our problem solving skills, helps us focus and improves creative abilities. For the home that means a visual and physical connection to nature by bringing on natural elements indoors like plants and fresh flowers. Nature themed artwork is also a great way to capture nature indoors.

Baths

Winter is the time for taking baths. We spend quite a bit of time in our bathrooms so why not make it inviting. Set yourself up with candles, bubbe bath, salts, aromatherapy. The most relaxing and cozy thing you can do after coming in from a cold walk or after a stressful day is to soak in a hot tub with bath salts and light a lavender candle to calm your nerves.

Laughter

Laughter is really the best thing for the nervous system. If your stuck in the winter doldrums and not finding humor in much, watch a funny movie or listen to a funny podcast. Even just looking at people laughing and smiling can lift ones spirits.

Music

According to Psychology Today, listening to music can instill calmness and relaxation by reducing cortisol levels and lowered heart rate. A large-scale review of 400 studies showed that playing and listening to music also improves the body’s immune system, reduces stress, and promotes social bonding.

Embrace it

Bundle up with a hot drink in hand and go outside! Make it a habit of getting outside for a walk every morning before you start the days work. There’s something really meditative about an early morning walk right after the sun comes up. The silence, the cold, the solitude, the sound of your feet crunching on the snow. Walking helps with your overall mood, get a better sleep and studies have shown getting up and walking helps with creativity, improves circulation and is good for your heart.

In conclusion, when we nurture the interior (both physically and spiritually), we improve the way we show up for eachother and ourselves. Create your cozy and have appreciation and gratitude for the winter season.