Laugh, breathe, walk, and relax: easy ways to reduce winter stress and stay healthy this season
Winter can pile on stress like snowdrifts—dark days, icy roads, power outages, and holiday chaos. Luckily, you don’t need a gym, a therapist, or a snow shovel to lighten your load. From laughing (yes, really!) to taking a hot bath, here are five simple, science-backed winter stress-busters that anyone can do—right in their own home.
My favorite stress-busters don’t cost anything, require any special equipment, or take much time. They’re safe, always available, and (at least for me) reliable. Each, in its way, helps interrupt the downward spiral of anger, frustration, fear, and anxiety.
5 Simple Winter Stress-Busters to Boost Your Mood
Winter stress is real, but small, simple habits can make a big difference. Try these five stress-busting techniques to stay happy and healthy during the cold months.
1. Laugh Your Stress Away
Go ahead and laugh! Googling “laugh therapy” brings up thousands of links. Laughter clubs and laughter events have spread throughout the world, and many people even celebrate Global Belly Laugh Day. With good reason: laughter measurably reduces stress hormones, boosts immune function, and tunes the cardiovascular system.
Researchers say laughter is contagious and works its magic best in company with others. But laughing alone works, too. Fake laughter works. Even anticipating a laugh confers health benefits.
Ho, ho, ho!
2. Groan to Release Tension
People instinctively groan in pain, in pleasure, and in the grip of strong emotion. We groan with effort, and we groan when we’ve finished a piece of hard work.
But what about intentional groaning, just for relieving stress? It works wonders for me. I do most of my groan therapy in my car (alone), where I don’t feel self-conscious. I experiment with the depth, length, and volume of my groans. I find it fun and exhilarating.
It doesn’t interfere with my driving, encourages deeper, more complete breathing (see below), and sometimes lapses into hilarious laughter (see above).
3. Take Deep, Mindful Breaths
Because we breathe until we stop for good, breathing is the most available and least publicly observable stress-relieving technique we have.
Most of us breathe shallowly, using only the upper portion of our lungs. Since every cell in the body requires oxygen, breathing better will improve health in many ways.
I find a minute of mindful breathing (if I can remember to do it) helps restore a balanced perspective when I sense a surge of negative emotion, fear, or anxiety starting to take hold.
Learn more about breathing to relax.
4. Go for a Slow, Mindful Walk
I‘m not talking about a bout of exercise, but a slow, mindful walk of five or 10 minutes (around the driveway or parking lot if necessary). Focus simply on putting one foot in front of the other, following the swing of your arms or the breath going in and out of your nose.
I find a short, slow walk especially useful for breaking the grip of writer’s block or tamping down a rush of frustration when things aren’t going my way.
5. Relax with a Hot Bath
When it comes to cleanliness, a shower is faster and more convenient. But for pure pleasure and stress reduction, nothing beats a hot bath. For moisturizing benefits, toss in a tablespoon of olive oil or mix half a cup of uncooked rolled oats with half a cup of honey in an old sock and let it soak along with you.
Caution: If you’re pregnant or might be, please consult your midwife or doctor about the possible effects of hot baths on your developing baby.
Herbs and natural remedies can ease stress, too. See our natural remedies for anxiety and stress.
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