Here we go again – daylight savings time. The changing of clocks. The unsettling reality of darkness at 4 p.m. While initially cozy, the drastic reduction in sunlight that our bodies experience during the winter can unfortunately cause mood changes, fatigue and a weakened immune system – not to mention, it’s just sort of a drag. That said, all is not lost, and we can definitely counter the effects of this darkness with some preparation to ready our homes and minds for the winter days ahead. Read on for some tips and ideas for coping with shorter days and less daylight hours.
Prepare your home
• Declutter crowded spaces with winter in mind. For me, this is our hall closet, and specifically the bulging tote bag of mittens, gloves and hats that our family has accumulated. Pairing down these items allows you to find what you need more quickly – and donate what you don’t to those who can benefit from some extra warmth this winter.
• Rearrange your furniture or lighting to accommodate your favorite indoor winter activities. This might mean sticking a lamp by your favorite reading chair that used to get evening light, organizing your game cabinet to make board games easier to find or creating a space for puzzles so that they won’t be disturbed by day-to-day business.
• Clean or dust cozy spaces. Have an armchair that is currently covered in laundry but that lives near a heater or a window? What about dust on your nightstands? Clean those spaces up so that you can enjoy them and lean into coziness this winter.
• Speaking of dusting, check your light fixtures. Pendant lights, chandeliers and other ceiling light fixtures tend to accumulate dust. It may be worth getting out a ladder (and enlisting some help to hold your ladder) to take these fixtures down for a good deep clean. Get rid of that drab dust and let the light shine through.
• And while you are messing with light fixtures, check and change any bulbs that have gone out. Choose soft white or warm white lightbulbs over bluer daylight bulbs, and use dimmers and candles to create ambiance and bring in twilight.
Prepare your mind and body
• Consider joining a gym or studio that has a sauna or heated classes this winter. The physical benefits of exercise are proven to combat mood changes and fatigue, and the pull of a gently heated class, or warming your body through exercise, may have just the right appeal for winter’s colder days.
• Pick something creative or interesting to work on this winter. Maybe you’d like to perfect your pushup, make your way through a new cookbook, bust out some puzzles or try your hand at needle felting? Whatever it is, figure out a way to commit to a small goal or two that excites you this winter.
• Become a regular at a cafe, coffee shop, library or restaurant this winter. Or, just commit to trying to get out of the house and visit someplace cozy a few times over the coming months.
• Stop to watch sunrises and sunsets. You are awake anyway, so think about whether or not you’d like to set a little ritual around really seeing sunrises and sunsets. Sure, we can be cold, but we do have some beautiful sunsets in the Midwest.
• Be gentle with yourself. If winter feels hard, it’s because it sort of is hard. Talk to friends, family, a journal, your doctor or a therapist if you need to. You don’t need to muscle through this solo, because chances are somebody else that you know and love is feeling exactly the same way that you are. We’re in this together.
Pamela Savage is a freelance writer living in Springfield. She doesn’t love winter, but she loves a winter sunset.
This article appears in Parent Winter 2025.
