The Best Things To Boost Your Mood In Wintertime
Winter's a bummer. Once the holidays are over, and especially once the few long weekends pass by, it's a long, bleak stretch until spring (and all its many false starts). I used to accept seasonal glumness as inevitable — for a long time, the best remedy I found, which was not a very good one, was checking each day's new sunset time to see how many seconds or minutes of daylight we'd gain that day. It was a torturous strategy.
And then, sometime during the pandemic, I realized that it didn't have to be this way. In late 2020, armed with steely resolve and a digital coupon for World Market, I bought a bunch of enormous (and surprisingly cheap) candles, some new throw pillows and an unholy amount of bubble bath soap. And let me tell you: it worked.
Every now and then, I'll add things to my cozy winter supply stock: soft throw blankets, a scent diffuser and, yes, more candles. As soon as I log off work in the evening, I turn on my floor lamps and turn off the overhead, light some candles and snuggle into my couch to read or watch TV. It's made all the difference in my mood in wintertime.
So here are a few staples I've found that have dramatically improved my home ~vibes~ during the cold winter months that don't feel so long and daunting anymore. Happy cozy winter, everyone.
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Natural Scented Soy Candles
It feels so clichéd to recommend candles, but please know that when I say you should buy candles, you should really buy candles. I didn't really "get" candles until I got some big ol' multi-wick ones, and started using them regularly — and now I can't imagine going back to a candle-less world. Candles are inherently relaxing: they warm up any environment, both temperature- and vibe-wise, and they're also just beautiful to watch burn. Light a candle and even your local news channel will start to feel romantic.
These three-wick soy candles come in a bunch of different gentle scents, and they'll instantly lift your mood.
Biggie Tumblers, Pigeon Toe
I was gifted two of these big tumblers from Portland, OR-based ceramics maker Pigeon Toe, and they're the only mugs I use for coffee now. On top of the fact that they come in beautiful, warm colors, they're big enough to hold a a huge, steaming mug of coffee and they're incredibly satisfying to wrap your hands around to keep them warm. I can't totally explain why, but they've made my morning coffee routine so much more satisfying, and they look good doing it.
Vitruvi Stone Diffuser
Candles create a great atmosphere, but sometimes you want scent without lighting something on fire. This aroma and essential oil diffuser works like a dream: it's silent, not too strong scent-wise and it looks beautiful and elegant in any room. It's a little pricey, but a few friends and I each had one that has worked without any issue for years, making it well worth its cost.
Deep Steep Bubble Bath
If you have a bathtub and you aren't using bubbles — what are you doing? Or, if you do use them and are looking to re-up your stock, the Deep Steep line of bubble bath liquid is my all-time favorite. They have scents like lavender, lemon cream, passionfruit and guava and a lot more, but this grapefruit-bergamot blend might be my number-one pick.
Bamboo Bathtub Tray
Baths are already a luxury — but you can push the envelope even further. If you don't have one yet, I'm begging you to give yourself the gift of a bath tray. You can set your tablet on it to watch or read something, keep your phone handy, have snacks at your disposal and even slot your wine glass into a safe notch where you won't knock it over. This is how baths were meant to be.
Fairy String Lights
String lights are a tried-and-true ambience-enhancer for a reason: they cozy up any room they're in, look extremely pretty and are perfect as a dim-light setting that you can't achieve with overhead lights or lamps. My favorite string lights are these tiny lights in wire, which looks a little more elegant, if rustic, when used indoors. These also come with a remote, which is extremely handy, so that you don't have to crawl around on the floor plugging and unplugging them like my family does with our Christmas tree lights.
Circadian Optics Light Therapy Lamp
It took me years, but I have finally acknowledged the utility of light therapy lamps, or "SAD lamps." I'd like to think I survive just fine without warm sunlight in winter, and I do — but I realized I can do better than just survive. This one takes up very little space, is portable and has three light settings, so you can adjust it perfectly for wherever you are and whatever you're doing. It pairs particularly well with a cup of coffee in the morning, rousing you gently from sleep on your nightstand.
DayBright Geometric Wood Light Therapy Lamp
SAD lamp, but make it décor! My main gripe about light therapy lamps is that they usually look very tech-y. I didn't know it was even possible to find an aesthetically beautiful light therapy lamp until I found this one. It's expensive, but wow does it look fantastic. Think of it as both therapy and art, and you've got yourself a pretty good deal.
Hatch Restore Sunrise Alarm Clock And Sound Machine
Alarm clocks are making a comeback, and there's a reason the Hatch Restore clock tops so many lists: it's both a simple-looking and easy-to-use clock and a gorgeous bedside lamp that imitates the sunrise as it wakes you up. Having the Hatch as an alarm clock will help wean you off your phone before bedtime and in the morning, since you won't have to set that infernal iPhone alarm, and this, too, makes for a pretty sharp piece of décor.
Reading Wedge Headboard
My bed has a wooden slat as a headboard, which was what I wanted when I got it — but I got sick of pillows falling through the crack between the bed and the headboard, and it just wasn't very comfortable. So I got one of these a couple Christmases ago, and it is the single best bed-related item I've ever owned. It's a pillow "headboard" that's angled so it functions as a backrest, and each of its ends has a pocket for your phone, in case you don't have or want to use a nightstand. But it also looks fantastic: it's added a pop of color to my bedroom, and it makes my bed look and feel especially fluffy and inviting.
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