Winter in the Midwest hits a little differently.
The air gets so dry it can peel paint, your skin starts filing complaints, and stepping outside feels like entering an episode of “Survivor: Frozen Edition.” So here are five helpful-but-still-funny winter wellness tips to keep your body (and your sanity) intact until spring decides to show up and our allergies reintroduce themselves.
🫧 1. Ease Up on the Over-Washing
(A lesson I learned the hard, flaky, dermatologist-bill way.)
In winter, our instinct is to wash everything — hands, face, emotions — and the next thing you know, your skin is cracking like old pavement. There’s no glowing and it hurts.
Use a gentle cleanser, warm (not hot) water, and moisturize immediately, like you’re icing a cake you want to keep alive.
💧 2. Hydrate… Even When Cold Water Feels Like Punishment
I know — when it’s 8 degrees outside, water is the last thing you want. But winter dehydration is real, and it will sneak up on you while you’re busy minding your own business.
Think warm teas, flavored water, or hot lemon water. We are like houseplants with complicated emotions — sip accordingly.
🐕🦺 3. Move Your Body (Even if the Dog Refuses to Go Outside)
Movement helps everything: mood, joints, sleep, and that random back pain that arrived with your last birthday.
But listen — you don’t need a full workout.
A stretch. A walk. A dance break to 80s Pop or 90s R&B.
Or chasing the dog who stares at the snow like, “Yeah… I’ll pass, I am not a Husky or a Malamute, I don’t really need to go outside”
The key is to get your blood circulating. Continuous treks to the fridge may not count.
🌬️ 4. Crack a Window for Fresh Air… For Exactly 2.7 Seconds
Indoor air gets stale in winter, and a quick burst of fresh air helps.
Just be advised: anything longer than a few seconds is no longer “refreshing”—it’s survival training.
Yes, you will question your life choices.
Yes, the cold will slap you like it pays rent.
Seasonal blues are real, and winter knows how to pile it on.
Give yourself softness.
Wrap up in your favorite blanket.
Make warm drinks.
Find little rituals that remind you you’re human — not just a walking puff coat.
Talk to people you love.
Laugh when you can.
And remember: spring always comes back. Even if she takes her sweet time.
💛 Final Thoughts
Winter tries very hard to humble us.
But with a little humor, a little hydration, and a moisturizer strong enough to double as joint compound, we can make it through.
One cozy moment at a time.
dragonflies & honey
simple goods for the spirit.
