Permission to Sleep In: Self-care Tips for Winter.
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When the days get shorter and the temperatures plummet, our bodies and minds are designed to naturally crave more rest. Winter isn’t just about comfort food and hot chocolate (although we fully support both), it’s a season for turning inward, slowing down, and giving yourself permission to just relax.
We’re not designed to operate at full speed all day. Just like your phone needs recharging, your brain needs downtime to process information, regulate emotions, and stay creative. Short pauses help your prefrontal cortex (the thinking, decision-making part) stay sharp instead of fried.
Cause for pause: tea time.
Wind down with a cup of chamomile or rooibos in your favourite cup or mug. Light a candle, wrap up in a plush blanket while the kettle boils to signal to your brain: it's time to relax.
Making a hot drink is often a ritual: boil the kettle, steep the tea, pour the coffee. That slowness, that intention, it naturally slows your thoughts too. Even just holding the cup can bring you back to the present moment.
Everyday resets - creating moments for pause.
1. It's giving home spa.
Place a plush sherpa blanket on a chair, spritz the room with a calming home fragrance, and soak your feet, moisturise your hands and legs, your favourite tunes playing softly on your phone.
2. Create a “soft spot” in your home
A little nook with a soft blanket, a good book, a journal, a candle burning, and a hot cup of coffee. It could be a window seat, a corner chair, somewhere to breathe out, undisturbed.
3. Morning hibernation
Leave a plush blanket folded at the end of your bed. On cold mornings, wrap it around your shoulders as you make coffee and quickly get back into bed.
4. Sunday slow-down
Do nothing in style. Turn off your alarm, surround yourself with faux fur, sip something warm, and let the scent of a gentle home fragrance fill the room. Guilt-free lounging is the plan.
Your Winter Self-Care Checklist
Embrace the cosy with these essentials:
Create a restful, layered bed with soft natural bedding and faux fur throws
Light a candle in your favourite scent at every opportunity
Take guilt-free naps or sleep in on weekends
Add comfort to unexpected spaces - a pair of slippers at the door, a blanket for your office chair.
Add a carpet or rug to tiled or concrete areas.
Invest in an electric blanket - remember to turn it on 30 mins before bedtime.
A hot water bottle and gown are a little spoil for the season.
