Winter self-care ideas to get you through the season

KARACHI: When you live in a country that has ten out of twelve months of summer heat, the winters are a welcome change. However, for a lot of people, winter also marks the start of not so pleasant changes. Whether it’s the constantly dry skin or endless sneezing or the foreboding feeling that comes with shorter days and longer night, winters can take a toll on some. So, here is a guide to simple winter self care to help you get through these next two months.

1. Invest in a good moisturizer

Winters are incredibly dry and the dry weather brings on an onslaught of problems which includes dry, patchy and irritated skin. Not just your skin, your lips probably feel like you’ve rubbed them with sandpaper! While there’s no avoiding the dryness that comes along with the seasonal changes, you can work on keeping your skin soft.

The best thing you can do is invest in a good moisturizer. Keeping your skin hydrated will prevent it from feeling rough and a good quality moisturizer will do just that. There are several options to choose from and there are specific moisturizers for your face, hands, feet and body. If nothing else works, baby oil works wonders! Just dab a bit onto your skin post shower and you’ll end up with the softest skin possible. As for your cracked lips, a good chapstick will do the trick.

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2. Hydrate, hydrate and hydrate

While moisturizers will help hydrate your skin on the outside, you need to keep your insides hydrated too! Drinking lots of water is the most obvious thing to do. Not just in the winter, but all year long. Winters also bring out some delicious healthy fruit like oranges and pomegranate. So, take a break from your hot teas and coffees and soak up some vitamins with fresh juices.

Another brilliant winter self care tip on keeping hydrated and beating the dryness is to invest in a humidifier. While they retain moisture in the room, they can also add a bit of spunk as they come in all shapes, sizes and colors!

3. Find the right anti-allergy medicine

There are only so many bless you-s your friends and co-workers can say before they get tired of your constant sneezing. Winters really do know how to aggravate your allergies and it’s not fun constantly sneezing or having an itchy nose or irritated dry eyes. Which is why you should take a trip to your doctor and ask them to prescribe you an anti-allergy to help you make it through these months in peace.

4. Indulge yourself

Winters are hard and they also bring about a sense of gloom with the days being short and night seemingly going on forever. What better winter self care in there than to indulge yourself with things you like? Wear your favorite fuzzy socks, light a candle (which won’t blow out because the fan and air-conditioner is off) and curl up under the blanket with a steaming cup of hot chocolate to get you through the night.

5. Soak up the sun

All year round having the blazing sun beating down on our backs is the absolute worst. But in the winters it’s a welcome feeling in the cold. With days so short and limited sunshine to light up your days, take a minute and sit out in the sun. Soak up the warmth and vitamin D as a part of your winter self care regime. Not only will it make the cold bearable it’ll also alleviate your mood!