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Wellness

How to Cozy Up: Winter Essentials for Your Home

This article is written by a student writer from the Her Campus at Helsinki chapter.

The Winter season has fully bloomed, of course, and this also means that here in Finland, we have had to particularly take care of being and staying warm. Not only outside with proper quilted jackets and knit beanies, but inside where it is a necessity to create a cozy and soothing environment to become relaxed. Whether you stay indoors most of the time or not, you can still benefit from the homely winter essentials that make the home comfortable and suitable for the season. Here are some of our suggestions for making a comfy space that will get you through the season and hopefully enjoy it.

Heavy knit blankets

Or chunky knit blankets. Blankets are a given, of course, but this is to recommend the specifically heavier knitted bed throw to keep you warmer this cold season. They keep you perfectly warm and not only that, but they also make a lovely piece of decoration if you’re really keen on making your space much cozier. You also don’t have to add more layers or throw another blanket over your shivering body. (Have you noticed the temperature outside?)

Candles

Specifically, big candles. Whether you prefer scented ones or not, candles can calm your mind while creating a soothing atmosphere with the effect of their calm flames. A calm mind means an improved mood, and this enables a good sleep. Bigger candles might be better for this effect – as in those magnificent ones that you have to carry with both hands – but you can certainly also buy a box with many which also make nice pieces of décor.

Mini evergreen tree

As in a mini spruce tree (that can be also decorated as a mini Christmas tree). For the winter season, this lovely little decoration might look just perfect, although you can buy flowers as well which I would also highly recommend. But if we think of seasonal greenery to make your space fittingly cozy, try looking out for mini spruce trees. (Of course, a genuine small spruce tree can be costlier.) Whether you buy a seasonal plant or flowers or both, these can elevate your mood with the beauty of flowers and the lovely structure of a spruce tree which truly are some of the prettiest trees in nature.

String lights

Sure, you’ve got your candles and lamps, but these decorative lights are absolutely delightful and might just add to the pleasant feel of your home space. Buy as much string light as you want and get creative with it – either plenty to basically replace your lamps, or just enough to give your room a lovely look with decorated windowsills and other surfaces. They’re perfect for the holidays as well as more generally for the winter.

Comfy home wear

While heavy knit blankets are a must, you should not forget comfy home wear that truly enables you to decompress and stay warm. If you get cold enough at home, you might even get sick, so make sure the freezing is left outside. Also, looser clothing might help you feel more relaxed as tighter clothes can create discomfort and affect how your skin breathes. Not only does being mindful of your clothing help you relax, but it’s also something for the student to think of in terms of reading and studying. Get comfy: think of soft pieces of clothing that are looser than tight and that will keep you warm.

Hot beverages

Good tea, some hot cocoa, for example, as well as coffee are a must during this cold and tiring season – they’re also a delightful offer to a friend who comes over. While these are obvious essentials, this is nevertheless a reminder to keep these properly stacked in your kitchen cupboards with your favorite sweets to get you into a better mood. Even the simplest and littlest things can bring delight into this season.

Helsinki Contributor