THE FARMHOUSE

For those of us who live in the northern latitudes, wintering can be a tough business. The temps dip well below frigid and into the “why the f*&# do we live here?!” range, and daylight is in short supply. There are cold toes to deal with, leaky roofs, icy roads, icier winds, and a bazillion layers of clothes to put on just to go outside. Personally I struggle to keep my mood high and anxiety low this time of year. So I wanted to share a few things I do to get through this season as happily as possible. And I’d love to hear how you winter wherever you live, too!

psst: I’m sharing photos from around our winter property today. Lady Winter is certainly beautiful!

I know people who love winter - the snow sports, crisp air, bonfires, and all that it entails - but try as I may, I don’t think I’ll ever be one of those people. Winter is just hard for me. But there’s lots of bright spots in the season too and I try to lean into them. The slow, less-urgent pace. The lack of yard care. The coziness of home. The rest. The respite. Wintering can be an important season even if it is hard (as I learned in Katherine May’s book). So here are 10 things I do to make it as pleasant a season as possible.

10 things that help me get through winter

Have a book, or better yet, a series!

Reading in my opinion is the perfect evening activity this time of year. I like to dive into a good paper back and usually have an audio book going as well. This year I’ve been flying through Louise Penny’s mysteries (they’re SOOOOO good!) and getting lost in her world helps me escape mine for a bit. psst here are my favorite books of 2022 if you are in need of a recommendation.

Have a trip to look forward to

Knowing that I am going to leave home sometime in the future really helps keep my mood up. There’s planning to be do and sunny weather to dream about and I’m pretty sure that the anticipation of a vacation is half the enjoyment of the vacation anyway. This month I booked camp sites on the San Juan Islands for the summer and a short stay at a lighthouse caretaker’s cottage for spring break and my goodness even just the planning brought me so much joy and excitement.

stay active

Exercise is always part of my mental and physical health routine, but I need it most this time of year. Sometimes that means a spin on the Peloton, a half hour of yoga, a Youtube HIIT video (Garrett and I both love Anna’s free workouts!), hiking, or a run, but it’s an intentional part of my everyday that I prioritize. Not to say I always feel like working out. Because I don’t. But lacing up my shoes, putting one foot in front of the other, and getting my heart rate up, always, always makes me feel happier.

Work on or plan a house project

Keeping my hands busy means less time spent on Zillow, hunting for a beach shack somewhere (anywhere!) sunny and warm. Ha! My winter projects often mean tackling something small like crafting a pleated lampshade, painting a room, or hunting down that perfect furniture piece on Facebook Marketplace. And other times, Garrett and I decide to renovate an entire house (looking at you Poplar Cottage). But my favorite project this time of year is planning the garden. Just looking at seed catalogs can make me feel that Springtime glow.

Get outside. Everyday.

I try to get outside every. single. day. This one can admittedly be tough, especially on stormy days, but then again they say there is no such thing as bad weather, just the wrong gear. But regardless the weather, time outside noticeably lifts my mood. So if I try to prioritize it, even if that means just spending 15 minutes waiting for the kids at the bus stop.

Learn something new (or get better at it)

I’m one of those people that gets completely entranced by whatever I’m working on. So diving into learning something new really helps makes winter pass quickly. Back in 2018 I learned to make sourdough bread. Another winter I spent hours and hours reading up on growing cut flowers. And last year I took a photography and styling class online. Winter provides the perfect time for learning or getting better at something.

Take on a challenge

Working towards a goal and doing something hard can be really rewarding. I think that’s the benefit of making New Years resolutions for me. At the start of 2023 I challenged myself to do yoga once a week all year, not something physically challenging per se, but something to work towards and give me accountability. I’m well on my way to meeting that goal and bonus, I’ve found the consistency of a daily yoga practice calming and my body feels better for it!

Hygge

We’ve all heard about the Danish word/lifestyle/quality Hygge by now, encouraging us to lean into the coziness and comfort that a home can bring this time of year. For our family that means dimming the lights, cuddling on the couch and watching Bake Squad. Or tiding up the living room, lighting a candle, and settling into a book. I’m always impressed with how the Dutch know winter and and seeing that they rank high on the list of happiest countries in the world (on a list filled with cold northern countries!), reassures me that winter can’t be all bad ;)

Be social

Being social is so important for our happiness and this time of year I try extra hard to make it a priority. I schedule weekly meet ups with friends to run or grab coffee and invite people over for dinner whenever I have a clean house (or sometimes it’s the instigator for a clean house ;). The little social interactions are important too. So when I have the time, I try to pick up my kids from school rather than sending them on the bus. I physically grocery shop rather than order them online. Saying high to a cashier, making eye contact with a teacher, these small things can help us feel connected too!

plan a fun evening…just because

I remember reading this post years ago about Yay! It’s Wednesday cake! and loving the idea of turning a mundane day of the week into something anticipatory. Because how much better is a cake day than a Wednesday?! There’s also Movie Monday, Taco Tuesday, takeout Thursday…you get the idea. Lots to ways to celebrate on any day of the week. At our house, we find embracing one of these days do-able (lately it’s been pizza Fridays) and it gives us all something to look forward to and brings us together as a family.

Okay those are 10 ways I try to embrace and thrive during winter. Did I miss any of your favorite wintering tactics?