Seasonal Self Care: 16 Simple Ways to Enjoy Every Part of Your Year

Inside: Little and practical ways to celebrate the season. This isn’t a to-do list. It’s how to enjoy every part of your year. This doesn’t mean just getting a pumpkin spice latte on that first day of fall.

How you spend your days is how you spend your life. So why live like you’re in some type of underground bunker, totally disconnected from the natural world?

I know we have jobs and responsibilities and that can make it hard to, you know, stare at the snow for hours.

But I want you to enjoy all the things, big and small, that every season has to offer. Otherwise life is the same every day and passes you by. And that’s why self-care is a big deal.

Spring: Fresh

It’s been a long winter. And there is a time and a place for deep cleaning and gardening and all the rest. But don’t forget about yourself.

Mornings: Open your bedroom windows for 5 minutes first thing, even if it’s still chilly. That first spring air is like medicine. Breathe it in. Even if you have a practical and work-focused morning routine, do this first.

Hands in dirt: Planting something – even just a small pot of herbs on your windowsill – connects you physically to the season of growth. Plant a few seeds, water them, and watch them grow. Does this sounds crazy to you? Do it anyway.

Wardrobe purge: Pull your spring clothes out with intention, not just because the calendar says so. Try everything on. Keep only what makes you feel light and energized. This isn’t about buying new things – it’s about honoring how YOU want to feel this season.

Nature walks with purpose: Don’t just “take a walk” go looking for specific signs of spring. Find the first robin, the first tulip shoots, the first tree buds. 

We tend to spend a lot of time on our homes in the spring, and if it’s something you enjoy, by all means do it. But don’t focus on that to such an extent you forget about yourself.

Summer: Growth

Summer shouldn’t be a blur of activities that leave you exhausted. True summer self-care is about protecting your energy during a season that sometimes asks too much. At the same time, summer has a real energy of business and even a little bit of hustle. Tackle projects, work in your garden, get outside.

Early morning moments: The quietest, coolest time of day belongs to YOU. Get up 30 minutes before everyone else and sit outside with your coffee. No phone. If you can’t do it every day, that’s okay. 

Actually rest: Everyone acts like summer should be non-stop fun and activity. It’s to have a day when you have zero plans. Lay in a hammock. Read a book. Watch the clouds. 

Evening ritual: As the sun sets, light a candle outside and sit with it for 5 minutes. This tiny ritual creates a boundary during those long and light-filled summer evenings.

Eat something you grew: Even if it’s just a single tomato plant or some basil on your windowsill, growing and eating your own food is special. The satisfaction runs deeper than any store-bought meal ever could.

Fall: Transition

We’re slowing down and burrowing in.

Intentional letting go: A New Year can be a fresh start, but first you have to let some things go. An obligation that drains you. A relationship that’s run its course. A habit that’s not serving you. 

Morning pages: Keep a notebook by your bed and write three pages every morning before looking at your phone. No filters, no goals, just dumping out whatever’s in your head. Fall is when we naturally turn inward. Roll with it. I love this practice. 

Sunday prep power hour: As life gets busier, give yourself ONE hour each Sunday to prepare for the week. Chop veggies for easy meals. Lay out clothes. Clear your desk.

The nature table: This time of year there will be lots of little treasures your kids find outside. Find a spot for them so they don’t get lost or become clutter. Add your treasures too.

Winter: Rest

Winter isn’t something to “get through”. If you find winters very hard you probbaly need to rest more.

Light rituals: Create small rituals with light – light a candle at breakfast, string fairy lights around your bedroom mirror, take a flashlight walk after dinner. 

Permission to hibernate: Schedule at least one weekend a month as a “home weekend” where you don’t make plans, don’t shop, don’t do projects. Just BE in your home. Read, nap, watch movies, bake something simple. You need this downtime.

Body warmth (not just sweaters): We pile on clothes but forget to warm from within. Make a thermos of hot tea that stays with you all day. Take a hot bath.

Sleep more: It’s dark, it’s cold, you’re tired. Go to bed. ❤️

I hate the 4 o’clock hour in winter when it starts to get dark so I make sure I’m home at that time so I can start a fire and begin dinner.

Making This Actually Stick

I know that you aren’t actually a tree, living with the seasons, and have lots of daily responsibilities. But you can still do this. Really. Here’s how to make seasonal self-care actually happen:

1. Start with ONE thing per season. Just pick the idea that jumps out at you most for the current season. Try it for two weeks before adding anything else.
2. Add it to something you already do. The best habits attach to existing ones. If you already make coffee every morning, that’s when you open the windows or light your candle.
3. Make it ridiculously easy. Keep the candle and matches right by the coffeemaker. Put the journal and pen on your pillow. Remove every possible barrier.
4. Remember why it matters. Your body and mind were designed to shift with the seasons. Fighting that natural rhythm is what leaves you exhausted, cranky, and disconnected.

The most beautiful lives aren’t lived in climate-controlled sameness. Open your windows. Look outside. And if you want to, get that pumpkin spice latte.