5 ways to make the most of your (forced) indoor time
Some winters invite you in gently.
This one kicked the door shut and said “you live here now.”
Weeks of rain have a strange effect on the mind. Days blur together. Motivation dips. Even the simplest things start to feel oddly heavy. When the outside world becomes inaccessible, the inside world gets louder.
Instead of fighting it, here’s a different approach.
Five ways to work with this forced indoor time and maybe even come out of it feeling a little more grounded, rested, and reset.
1. Reset your nervous system (aka stop the doom-scrolling)
When the weather keeps us indoors for long periods of time, our nervous system tends to get fried. Constantly glued to our phones, non-stop news, constant background noise. What looks like boredom is often overstimulation.
Try this instead: Lower the lights. Turn off overheads. Put on instrumental music or soft ambient sound. Sit somewhere comfortable and do absolutely nothing for ten minutes. No phone. No goal. No productivity attached.
This is not wasted time. It’s also not meditation. It’s just a small action that helps to reset your nervous system. And it is surprisingly effective.
2. Create a scent ritual that gives shape to the day
When days blur together and time stops making sense, your brain needs checkpoints.
This is where aromatherapy actually earns its keep. Choose different aromas to mark different moments of the day. Something fresh and bright in the morning like Energy Boost. Something grounding and focused in the afternoon like Blue Sky or Focus Point. Something soft and calming in the evening like Chill Mode.
Used consistently, scent becomes a signal. An automatic instruction for your body and mind to wake up, to focus, or to relax.
Aromatherapy is not about fixing your mood. It is about guiding it gently, without force.
3. Do one deeply satisfying, finite task
Avoid the trap of “I’ll clean the house.” That is how overwhelm sneaks in.
Instead, pick one small, contained task with a clear end. Reorganise a single drawer. Finally frame that print that’s been leaning against the wall for months. Edit photos you love but never look at.
The point is not perfection. The point is completion and the dopamine you get from accomplishing a task.
When the weather steals momentum, finishing something gives it back.
4. Move your body gently, on purpose
Your body still expects movement, even when the weather says you can’t leave the house.
But now is not the time for punishment workouts or forcing motivation. Think gentle, intentional movement. Stretching on the floor. Mobility. A short strength session. Even walking slowly around the house while listening to something calming does wonders for your state of mind..
The rule is simple. You should feel better afterwards, not destroyed. Movement is mood regulation, not a test of discipline.
5. Reclaim one indulgent pleasure without guilt
Bad weather has a way of turning pleasure into something postponed. Classic “I’ll do that when the weather improves.”
No. Do it now.
Cook something slow and comforting. Take a long bubble bath. Watch a film you already love. Read something beautiful instead of useful. Light a candle. Have sex. Sing. Dance.
The goal is not escapism. It’s choosing to take care of yourself by harnessing the pleasure you get from the things you love. And remember: no guilt.
A final thought
You don’t need to turn this indoor stretch into a productivity bootcamp. You don’t need to emerge transformed, optimised, or reborn.
Sometimes the most radical thing you can do during weeks of rain is slow down, tend to your senses, and make your home feel like a place you want to inhabit.
The weather will change. It always does. Until then, you’re allowed to make the most of being inside.
0 comments