We’ve written low-key checklists for summer and fall, but what are your winter hopes and dreams? As someone who can struggle with depression and anxiety, I like to plan fun things to keep spirits up during the darker days. I’d LOVE to hear what works for you, and here are 12 chill things I’m looking forward to…

1. Grab a blanket and watch a tried-and-true comfort show. If you can’t think of one, watch the two seasons of PEN15, which absolutely nails how it feels to be a nerdy middle school girl in the suburbs. (Don’t ask me how I know.)

2. Read poems at bedtime. Three favorites are Ada Limón, Kate Baer and Mary Oliver. Plus, here’s a poem for married people by John Kenney, which made me laugh:

Winter. It’s been dark for, like, five hours, And yet the children are still awake, And I am only a little drunk. What you call yelling I call making a point.

Sweater and joggers.

3. Embrace cozy-clothes season. Nothing feels better than cuddling on the couch, or playing board games with a friend, in your softest outfit. Haven Well Within is SO good at this. These wide-leg pants are 100% organic cotton and perfect for lounging. I’d pair them with this toasty cardigan and these cashmere socks (love the baby blue). They also have a great pj collection with sets designed for hot sleepers (hello, fellow bed-sweaters!), and how pretty are the colors of their washable silk robes?

4. Dive into cheesy pasta. Sure, roast chicken is good. Yeah, everyone likes soup. But, IMHO, pasta is what winter is all about. A few recipes to kick things off: cacio e pepe, penne with ricotta and lemon, and a squash and spinach bake.

5. Crank up that mood lighting. I always picture the crepuscular rooms from Mad Men. To get a similar glow, I’ve learned from interior designer friends to try for three light sources in each room, ideally under eye level and with dimmer switches. And, if all else fails, just string up fairy lights.

6. See a play (or concert or ballet). My friends have been losing their minds over the play Liberation — Freddie wept! — and I’m taking my mom over the holidays. But it doesn’t have to be Broadway, of course. Your local Nutcracker, a high school musical, it’s just really fun to see live performances. Speaking of, the hilarious Alex Edelman is doing solo shows soon in Cleveland, Philly, and NYC, if you’d like to nab tickets.

7. Make evening walks more interesting. My kids LOVE competitions — who can jump the highest? who can dunk the Nerf basketball? — and yesterday, on a walk, Anton asked me to predict how many pumpkins we’d walk by before we got home. “Fifteen?” I ventured. “I’ll take the over,” he said, and when we passed a whopping 21 total, we both cheered. Now I’m excited for more walking bets: How many dogs will we walk by? How many Christmas trees will we spot through front windows? How many pedestrians will be wearing baseball caps? The possibilities are endless.

8. Bake a sofa cake. Today, New York restaurateur Claire de Boer shared the recipe for her famous chocolate cake — then added instructions for a smaller “sofa version, for two,” in case you find yourself craving something sweet one evening. And if you prefer to drink your chocolate, consider the hot cocoa recipe our editor Kelsey swears by.

9. Ask a friend to name their favorite book, then read it yourself. (Bonus points if you read it in bed.) My own recs would be Shuggie Bain and An American Marriage — yours?

10. Go to a museum and look at one piece of art. “When you go to the library,” says psychology professor James O. Pawelski, “you don’t walk along the shelves looking at the spines of the books and on your way out tweet to your friends, ‘I read 100 books today!’ Yet that’s essentially how many people experience a museum.”

11. Visit a Christmas store. No matter what you celebrate, a shop full of colorful ornaments and flickering lights can’t help but be a pick-me-up. In New York, my easy favorite is John Derian’s holiday shop in the East Village. Those pickles! (He also has a Target collection.)

12. Eat muffins for breakfast. “A muffin is a small cake it is socially acceptable to eat in public at dawn,” wrote Bess Kalb in her newsletter issue, Some Mental Health Advice for the Week. After all, hauling yourself out of bed on dark, cold winter mornings “requires something more tempting than a bowl of cereal,” adds Tim from Lottie + Doof. “These apple cider muffins will do the trick.”

What would you add? Cold swimming? A cookie swap or soup group? Lazing around guilt-free because that’s the whole point of winter? Please share below. xoxoxo

P.S. 10 readers share their cold-weather outfits, and 14 readers on staying upbeat in the winter.

(Photo by Raymond Forbes LLC/Stocksy. This post was sponsored by Haven Well Within. Thank you for supporting the brands that support Cup of Jo.)

20 COMMENTS