Winter time is the season of snow and cozy blankets with warm fires and a delicious hot chocolate, but it can also be the time for stress of a new semester, fulfilling New Years goals, and snowstorms that can hinder your plans for girlbossing. Here’s how to max your winter to the fullest in a variety of areas.
- Combating a New Schedule
Organizing your new schedule can feel so daunting after an entire break of no classes or structure. Some of the best way to stay organized are using apps like Notion or Google Calendar/Sheets to make sections for each class, extracurricular, work, and homework. If you can see it, and you have written it, it must get done, and that mindset helps you hold yourself accountable and realistically plan your self-care time!
- Proper Shoveling
Girlbossing your life means taking matters into your own hands when it comes to your safety. One of the best ways to protect your heart health and safety from falling is to shovel properly when it is snowing. Some of the best ways to mitigate damage are to push the snow rather than lift it, using your legs slightly bent and hip-width apart instead of locking your back to push, using a lightweight shovel, dressing in layers, and making sure you are staying hydrated. It can be so easy to go from immediate cold to become hot and sweaty, and it is so important you do not overexert yourself. Do NOT lift heavy and wet snow. Prevent back injury by avoiding twisting your torso or throwing snow over your shoulder (Fitzgerald Physical Therapy). Waiting until the storm ends can result in excess pressure and can potentially make the snow more frozen, which is dangerous. It is imperative you go at a normal pace, and do not shovel after eating. Applying salt just before the storm eases the removal, so a thin layer should do the job.
- New Years Resolutions
Every year, a new goal is made, and every year, it fails…miserably…right away. This year, we are in our glow-up era. 1-2 specific and measurable goals can be broken up into actionable steps, which make it easier to achieve. For example, instead of saying “I want to lose weight”, you would say “I want to work out” and “I want to eat healthy”, where the actionable steps would be seeing when you could fit going to the gym into your schedule, making a workout routine, and going with a friend to hold yourself accountable, so eating healthy happens naturally to maintain your progress. If you do mess up, it’s ok!! Just because it is not the start of the new year anymore, that doesn’t mean you have to give up! There’s no time like the present, so don’t beat yourself up about it :))
- Skincare
As much as you want to stay inside and cozy, it’s inevitable you’ll have to be outside, and when you are, make sure your skin doesn’t pay for it. The best way to keep your skin moisturized is by applying thick moisturizer after showering on damp skin, and an oil on top to seal in the moisture. Regularly wash your face with cream cleanser and lock in the moisture with oil based moisturizer after, or sensitive skin-based moisturizer if you are acne prone. Even though it may be cold, the sun is still an active threat, especially on your lips, so do not forget your SPF (Paul Grasso) and wintery flavored chapstick.
- The Best Cozy Vibes
Some of the best cheap, low effort, high satisfaction meals during the winter are a nice, big hearty bowl of soup with a good sourdough bread. Recipes for bases can be found online, and wintery flavors can be extra hearty with some dried fruit, nuts, butternut squash, broccoli cheddar, and warm spices. Some relaxing hobbies to start learning in the new year are reading a book, solving a puzzle, knitting, and more while you sit by the fire and enjoy your well-deserved self-care time. It’s 2026, and we know the best way to succeed is making sure our cup is full first.