How Moms Can Stay Positive and Tackle Winter Challenges
The winter months bring a mix of joy and challenges for moms. it can feel overwhelming to stay the least. Between the holidays, kids’ winter break, endless cleaning, cooking, and seasonal blues, it’s easy to feel like you’re over your head. All is not lost. Take this time to slow down from the busy life that seems to overtake most seasons. In this season, treasuring the intimacy with family can create stronger bonds, better relationships and fond memories. Here are a few practical and real-world solutions to help you navigate the season with resilience, grace, love for yourself and family.
1. Organize Before the Chaos Hits
- Plan Holiday Tasks: Create a holiday binder or digital checklist for meals, gifts, and events. Delegate tasks to family members, even young children. Let them wrap small gifts or set the table.
- Prepare a Daily Schedule: For winter break, establish a simple routine. Include time for kids’ play, family activities, and quiet moments for yourself. It doesn’t need to be followed perfectly, but it will keep the chaos to a minimum.
- Meal Prepping: Plan a holiday meal prep day with your spouse or kids, making casseroles or freezing cookie dough for quick desserts.
- Digital Organization: Use apps like Cozi or Google Calendar to share schedules with family members.
- Delegate Chores: Assign specific responsibilities like wrapping gifts or decorating the tree.
2. Combat the Winter Blues
- Get Light Therapy: Invest in a light therapy lamp to combat seasonal affective disorder (SAD). Spend 20 minutes a day soaking up the artificial sunlight.
- Vitamin D Boost: Take vitamin D supplements after consulting your doctor to mimic sunlight benefits.
- Daily Outdoor Time: Bundle up and take short family walks, even on chilly days. Natural light and fresh air are mood boosters.
- Nature Connection: Visit a local park to birdwatch or enjoy snowy landscapes.
- Indoor Greenery: Add houseplants like succulents or ferns to create a calming indoor atmosphere.
- Gratitude Practice: Keep a journal by your bedside and jot down three things you’re thankful for daily.
3. Simplify Holiday Traditions
- Instead of Elaborate Meals: focus on potluck-style gatherings. Family and friends enjoy contributing, and it reduces your workload.
- One-Pot Meals: Prepare holiday dishes that require minimal cleanup, like a festive chili or stew.
- Rotate Hosting Duties for traditions like cookie swaps or holiday dinners.
- Virtual Celebrations: Host an online gathering to connect with distant family without extra travel stress.
- Minimalist Decorations: Instead of decorating every room, focus on one central space like the living room.
4. Tame the Mess and Cleaning Stress
- 15-Minute Blitzes: Set a timer and have the whole family tidy for 15 minutes. Small bursts of cleaning reduce overwhelm. Turn the tunes on and enjoy cleaning together.
- Decluttering Session: Have a “one in, one out” rule for toys and clothing to reduce clutter.
- Zones for Kids: Assign specific areas to your children for tidying, such as their bedrooms or a toy corner.
- Donation Days: Gather items to donate with your kids and explain how it helps others.
- Invest in Storage Solutions: Use decorative baskets or bins to quickly hide clutter.
- Robot Helpers: Invest in a robot vacuum to save time and reduce cleaning stress.
5. Stay on Top of Health
- Balanced Comfort Foods: Create healthier versions of your favorite winter meals, like veggie-rich soups or baked goods with less sugar. It’s easy to overeat during winter. Eating just feels good too when you’re inside and hunkered down.
- Smart Substitutes: Use Greek yogurt in creamy recipes and almond flour for cookies. Sugar substitutes such as honey, coconut sugar, allulose or monk fruit. Remove anything that is processed.
- Meal Prepping Together: Get your family involved in prepping snacks or simple meals to reduce stress and maintain balance.
- Family Movement Time: Dance parties in the living room or virtual exercise classes can keep everyone active.
- Mini Workouts: Try 10-minute HIIT sessions while kids nap or play. Go for a brisk walk. Get a rebounder. Find a workout to follow on Youtube. There are so many!
- Hydration Focus: Keep a fun water bottle nearby to stay hydrated during busy days.
6. Strengthen Faith and Stay Positive
- Scripture Meditation: Start your day with a Bible verse that uplifts and grounds you. Philippians 4:13, “I can do all things through Christ who strengthens me,” can be a daily mantra.
- Pray as a Family: Use winter nights to gather for short prayers or devotions. Involving children fosters togetherness.
- Advent Countdown: Incorporate an Advent calendar with Bible verses to countdown to Christmas.
- Find a Mom’s Support Group: Join or form a group of like-minded moms to share struggles, prayer requests, and advice.
- Inspirational Music: Play faith-based songs to uplift your mood while cooking or cleaning.
- Gratitude Jar: Have each family member write what they’re thankful for daily and review them together at the end of the season.
7. Make Time for Yourself
- Scheduled Quiet Time: Wake up 15 minutes early for coffee, reading, or quiet reflection.
- Library Trips: Check out a book or audiobook you’ve been eager to read.
- Journal: Look up a nice journal that excites you when you see it and want to jot down any thoughts or even good memories you’d like to remember.
- Get a Babysitter: If you have the ability, just stepping out of the house alone can do wonders. Go to a coffee shop and read that book that has been on your shelf the last 6 months. Go to a movie by yourself or out to lunch.
- Pamper Evenings: After kids are in bed, treat yourself to a DIY spa night. If you’re on a budget, you can find low cost masks, scrubs or even make your own with a few simple ingredients that you likely already have in your cupboards or fridge!
- Creative Outlets: Try a new craft like knitting or painting for relaxation. It can be a simple craft or pattern, you don’t need to overcomplicate it.
- Solo Walks: Take a quiet evening stroll with a warm drink in hand. If you have a dog, even better. They will love you for it. Take them for a nice long walk…make sure you bring the poo bag!
- Set Realistic Expectations: You don’t have to be “perfect” at everything. Prioritize what matters most to you and let go of the rest. None of us are perfect and if you think there is a perfect wife or mother you are mistaken. We are all doing our best and everyone fails. Keep your chin up and don’t be too hard on yourself.
8. Connect With Your Spouse
- Winter Date Nights: Enjoy a cozy at-home date with board games, hot cocoa, or a movie.
- Express Gratitude: Take a moment each day to thank your spouse for their support. It strengthens your bond. It uplifts the mood. It reinforces why you love your spouse. You should be your spouse’s #1 cheerleader.
- Winter Stargazing: Bundle up and watch the night sky together.
- Make a fire, snuggle up together and slow down.
- Shared Projects: Bake or craft a gift together for your children.
- Daily Check-Ins: Spend 10 minutes discussing your day with no interruptions. This isn’t a time to whine and complain to your spouse. This is a time to connect with one another outside of the daily routine.
- Intimate Time: This may be an obvious one, but likely one that doesn’t get enough attention. We get tired, burned out, stuck in routine and this falls to the wayside. Don’t let that happen. Even a quickie can rejuvenate your momentum to continue serving your family and strengthen your marriage. This goes for both spouses.
9. Engage the Kids Productively
- Craft and Bake Together: Engage children in simple winter crafts or baking projects. It keeps them busy and creates memories.
- Themed Days: Schedule specific activities like “Science Experiment Tuesday” or “Art Friday” during winter break.
- Create a Giving Tradition: Volunteer as a family or assemble care packages for neighbors. It teaches kids the joy of giving and they will remember these traditions for a lifetime. They may even start doing them with their own children one day.
- Gingerbread Competitions: Host a family contest for building creative gingerbread houses. Have fun decorating and don’t get too serious! It is supposed to be fun!
- Seasonal Scavenger Hunt: Create a list of winter-themed items to find indoors or outside. Hide the candy canes or hunt for the special present that was hid.
10. Be Gentle With Yourself
- Acceptance Practice: Remind yourself daily that you’re doing enough by saying affirmations like “I am present for my family.” If you mess up and lose your cool. That’s alright! Just take a minute for yourself, regroup and come back as the bad mamma jamma that you are and that your family loves you for.
- Rest Prioritization: Let non-essential tasks slide to ensure you get adequate sleep. I can’t emphasize enough on this one. We’d all love more sleep. If you can, take a cat nap each day or stop browsing on your phone at night to get that extra 30 min -1 hour more zzz’s.
- Celebrate Small Wins: Acknowledge minor achievements like a clean kitchen or a joyful family moment. I also can’t emphasize this enough. Small wins or losses make up your life. Focus on the wins. When you look back, it will be easier to remember the good times and that is really what matters in the end.
This season is as much about you as it is about your family. Embrace imperfection and lean on your faith to carry you through tough days. Remember, taking care of yourself is the best gift you can give your loved ones. Don’t be afraid to ask for help. If you have a spouse, they can assist you or calmly ask or list a few things that they could do to help alleviate any extra stresses or duties.
By incorporating these tips, you can turn winter’s challenges into opportunities for connection, joy, and personal growth.