11 Readers Share Mood-Boosting Winter Activities

How’s your winter going? This season has been cold and intense, so we asked readers on Instagram how they’re keeping up their spirits, and hundreds of replies came rolling in. Here, 11 readers share great ideas for staying upbeat…

Above: “I’m a teacher in Minneapolis. During these months of ICE operations, we are hugging and caring for our students, staff and neighbors to the max. Here’s me and my bff, Otis, barely managing. Thank you so much for giving our community the attention it deserves.” — Mel

“Museums are big for my daughter and me. They get us out of the house, slow us down, and remind us there is beauty everywhere. We recently saw the Monet exhibit at the Brooklyn Museum. Watching my daughter take in the colors made the experience feel so joyful.” — Fariha

“My friends and I went all out to plan an Ina Garten themed dinner to celebrate her birthday. We even dressed up as Queen Ina, complete with bob wigs. The dinner itself was delicious (shoutout to Ina for the recipes!) and included tomato crostini with whipped feta, balsamic roasted beet salad, orange-roasted rainbow carrots and baked rigatoni with lamb ragù, and brownie pudding. I showed up in a big denim shirt exclaiming ‘how easy is that?!’” — Tenley (second from left)

“Five years ago, we moved to the Pacific Northwest. Be prepared for the rain, they said. Yeah, yeah we get it, it’s wet. No, but for real — it’s dark and cold and rains so, so much! Solution: sauna. All sorts of studies that talk about the health benefits, but wow does it warm you up and make you feel great. Bonus? Selfies in the sauna are hawt.” — Rosalyn

“Three of my neighbors and I have been hosting an art night where we teach each other crafts. A few months ago, I taught linoleum block printmaking. Before the holidays, we did pinch pots and sgraffito with my potter friend. Next up, jewelry making and felting. It’s been wonderful to spend time with women of different ages, and these meetups have inspired so much laughter and community.” — Susan

“My husband and I first tried cold water swimming during the pandemic. I just wanted to…feel something. I immediately got addicted to the high, he was like ‘that was fun, never again!’ Now, I’ve been doing it for six years, and my swimming friends and I call ourselves the North Fork Polar Bears. I’ve trained myself to stay in the water for 15 minutes. Learning to stay is a whole other art, and it’s just that: staying. Before I go in, I feel excited and nervous, and when I get out, I feel a rush of dopamine.” — Leah

“I bought a few Himalayan salt lamps, and I love turning them on and lighting all my candles. I’ve reframed the narrative: instead of ‘ugh, it gets so dark so early,’ I’ll say, ‘It’s time for my mood lighting.’” — Destinee

“Our Run Club has been going strong for 10 years. We lace up in the early morning, two or three times a week, year round. But the real power of Run Club shines in winter. Slogging through snowy sidewalks, jumping over puddles, and running in the dark on a 10° morning leaves us feeling alive! We end our runs with a coffee and gab session before dashing off to work or home to help with the morning kid shuffle. Knowing there is a gaggle of gal pals waiting on the sidewalk at 6:30 a.m. donning Yaks Traks and headlamps, gets us out of bed and through the season together.” — Sara

“My kids play travel hockey, so we are often doubling down on the cold with weekday practices and weekend games. We’re all excitedly following the Olympics, especially hockey and speed skating.” — Clothilde Ewing

“Out of nowhere, I have become a suburban bird watcher. It has been very cold here in Stockholm, so I randomly put up a bird feeder in the apple tree in front of our kitchen window. We’ve fed birds before, but I was never that interested. Now I’ve been spending weekends standing by the window and looking up common winter birds in Sweden to identify them. My husband seems as perplexed by this as I am!” — Mina

“I live in a particularly wintry Canadian city: Ottawa (hello, Heated Rivalry, season two!). I usually spend the season cross-country skiing, but now with a baby, our weekly highlight has become Mom + Baby Aquafit at a local pool, which I was delighted to discover is heated! Bliss! It’s very soothing on sore muscles from rocking and carrying the baby everywhere. Some babies get so relaxed that they even fall asleep.” — Fiona

We’d love to hear your ideas for beating the winter blues, if you’d like to share. Thank you so much! xoxoxo

P.S. Ten readers share their winter outfits, and 14 (more) ideas for staying upbeat this winter.