A winter well-being checklist helps people stay warm, healthy, and steady through the colder months. It covers keeping the home at a comfortable temperature, layering clothes and moving often.
It reminds them to get winter vaccines, stock medicines, and take a daily vitamin D supplement. It focuses on regular hot meals, good hydration, and safer movement to prevent falls.
It also supports mood through routine, social contact, and enjoyable activities, with additional tips to help make winter feel more manageable.
Key Takeaways
- Keep your home around 18°C, wear layers, and use blankets, hot drinks, and hot meals to stay warm and comfortable.
- Protect your health with a yearly flu jab, adequate medication, a thermometer, paracetamol, and 10 micrograms of vitamin D daily in winter.
- Eat regular, balanced hot meals, include at least five portions of fruit and vegetables, and drink 6–8 glasses of fluid daily.
- Move gently every hour, clear trip hazards, ensure good lighting, and wear supportive footwear with a good grip indoors and outdoors.
- Maintain a daily routine, limit alcohol to 14 units weekly, stay socially connected, and seek support early if your mood or anxiety worsens.
Stay Warm, Safe and Comfortable at Home
When temperatures drop, staying warm, safe and comfortable at home begins with a few simple habits. Keeping the house at around 18°C (65°F) supports health, comfort, and overall well-being, especially for older adults and young children.
Layered clothing helps everyone stay warm; children often need one extra layer.
Layer clothing for warmth, adding an extra layer for children to keep them snug and comfortable
People can keep active indoors with light movement to boost warmth, then wind down under blankets with hot drinks and regular hot meals.
Heating and cooking appliances should be inspected regularly to ensure safety and efficiency.
Around the home, removing trip hazards, securing loose rugs, and improving lighting on stairs or in hallways reduces the risk of falls.
These small steps help the entire household feel protected, connected, and cared for throughout the winter.
Protect Your Health With Winter Vaccines and Medicines
Staying warm and steady at home is only one part of winter wellbeing; protecting health from viruses and seasonal bugs matters just as much. Many people in winter rely on their community healthcare team for support and advice, especially if they live with long-term health conditions.
An annual flu vaccine, plus COVID-19 and RSV vaccines when recommended, helps the immune system stay prepared and reduces the risk of serious illness. A daily 10 microgram vitamin D supplement from October to March can also provide extra protection.
Regularly checking repeat medications and keeping essentials for winter ailments nearby helps the whole household feel prepared.
| Winter Essential | Why It Matters | Helpful Tip |
|---|---|---|
| Flu vaccine | Reduces risk of severe infection | Book early through community healthcare |
| Medications | Prevents last-minute shortages | Order repeats before the holidays |
| Paracetamol | Eases pain and fever from common winter bugs | Store alongside a working thermometer |
Eat Well, Stay Hydrated and Support Your Immunity
Although cold weather can make comfort food and hot drinks more tempting, what goes on a person’s plate and in their glass still significantly impacts winter well-being.
During the winter months, a balanced diet helps support your immunity day to day. Eating at least five portions of fruit and vegetables provides the body with vitamins, minerals, and fibre that support immune function.
To eat well, people can choose regular hot meals with plenty of vegetables, such as soups, stews, or casseroles, which warm the body and nourish it.
They can also stay hydrated by drinking 6–8 glasses of water or other fluids daily. Including foods rich in zinc, selenium, and vitamin D, plus a daily vitamin D supplement, provides additional support.
Keep Moving and Prevent Slips, Trips and Falls
Keeping active and moving regularly helps people stay steady on their feet and reduces the risk of slips, trips and falls in winter.
An active lifestyle, with a few steps or stretches every hour, helps maintain strength and balance, especially when days are colder and darker.
Staying active with small steps or stretches each hour supports strength and balance all winter long.
To prevent slips, trips, and falls at home, keep floors clear and the home well-lit, particularly on stairs and landings.
Outside, appropriate footwear with good grip supports safer walking in icy conditions. Taking short steps and not rushing gives the body time to react on slippery paths.
Regular vision and hearing checks also help people spot hazards early. If needed, walking aids can provide extra confidence, helping everyone feel safer and more included as they keep moving.
Look After Your Mental and Emotional Well-being
When winter brings shorter days and longer nights, it can put extra strain on a person’s mood and energy levels, so looking after mental and emotional well-being becomes just as important as staying physically healthy.
A simple, steady daily routine helps anchor mental health and wellbeing when motivation dips with shorter daylight hours. Regular wake, meal and sleep times provide a sense of stability.
Staying in touch with others matters, too. Choosing to stay connected through calls, messages or brief meet‑ups can ease feelings of isolation and improve mood.
Enjoyable, engaging activities—such as crafts, music, or a short walk—support emotional well-being. Monitoring alcohol consumption, keeping within the NHS 14‑unit guideline, also protects mood.
If things feel overwhelming, it is sensible to seek help early.
Get Support With Money, Caring and Community Connections
When money is tight or someone is juggling caring responsibilities, knowing where to turn can make winter feel more manageable.
In Leeds, free, confidential money advice and specialist support for unpaid carers are available by phone, online, and in person.
This section outlines how people can use these services to ease financial pressure and stay connected with practical help.
Free Money Advice Services
Money worries can feel heavier in winter, but free, confidential money advice services in Leeds are there to help ease the pressure.
These free money advice services offer practical financial support so people do not feel they have to cope alone. The Leeds Money Information Centre provides one-to-one money advice, including support with debt, benefits, and energy bills.
Residents can also use Together Leeds to find local support with debt, benefits, and emergency food needs when money is tight.
Advice is available online, by phone, or face-to-face, making it easier to reach out in a way that feels comfortable. Local services can also help people explore grants for energy-saving home improvements, which can reduce bills and make homes warmer.
Support for Unpaid Carers
How can unpaid carers look after their own wellbeing while supporting someone else, especially over winter?
It can help to remember they are not on their own. Carers Leeds offers support for money worries, health problems, and caring pressures. They provide information and advice by phone, email, and Zoom, as well as free online support groups where carers can share what it’s really like.
If someone is feeling unwell, run‑down or isolated, it’s OK to ask for help. Carers can contact Carers Leeds on 0113 380 4300 or [email protected] for tailored guidance.
Through 100% Digital Leeds, carers can also get support with devices and getting online. The Leeds Directory links carers with local services and local community groups to boost wellbeing this winter.
Frequently Asked Questions
How Can I Stay Active Outdoors if the Air Quality Is Poor?
They prioritise air quality and choose outdoor alternatives only on clear days. On poor days, they shift to indoor exercises, mindful movement, and breathing techniques; favour nature walks or seasonal sports when safe; follow safety precautions; join community activities; and maintain healthy habits.
What Winter Wellbeing Tips Are Safe During Pregnancy?
She treats pregnancy like tending a winter garden: gentle prenatal yoga and safe exercises, pregnancy nutrition, hydration tips, warm clothing, brief outdoor activities, strong support networks, mental health check-ins, stress management, and sleep hygiene keep both “seed and soil” thriving.
How Do I Adjust My Routines for Winter Night Shift Work?
They’d adjust winter night-shift routines by planning night-shift nutrition, maintaining strict sleep hygiene, scheduling timed light exposure, engaging in gentle physical activity, making workplace adjustments, taking stress-relief breaks, maintaining routine flexibility, protecting social connections, and conducting mental health check-ins to support steady energy management.
Which Winter Habits Are Most Important for People With Disabilities?
They benefit most from Adaptive activities in Accessible environments, solid Winter nutrition, protected Mental health, regular Physical therapy, comforting Sensory experiences, safe Home modifications, reliable Transport options, plus strong Social connections and Community resources that reduce isolation.
How Can I Support Children’s Wellbeing During Dark Winter Months?
Gentle, giggling gatherings foster resilience: combine playful activities, indoor crafts, creative expression, and winter sports or outdoor adventures; incorporate family routines, mindfulness exercises, emotional check-ins, comforting bedtime stories, and nutritious snacks to help children feel safe, seen, and connected.
Conclusion
As winter weather persists, this simple checklist helps people stay warm, healthy, and worry-free. By planning, safeguarding health, preparing meals, and pacing their activity, they can boost comfort and confidence on cold days.
Building small, steady habits around money, medicines, meals, and movement makes winter more manageable.
With caring connections, clear information, and a calm, common-sense approach, anyone can turn winter from a season of struggle into a time of steady, safe living.
