There’s no need to reinvent yourself this winter. When it comes to the health of your body and mind, small changes can cascade into big benefits. Here are eight tweaks that you’ll try once—and crave forever.
1. Got 60 Seconds? These Nature Rituals Will Reset Your Brain
Go outside and touch grass. Literally!
2. Just Breathe. For 5 Minutes.
For real. That’s it.
If creating a breathing habit every day seems silly (you already know how to breathe!) or a little too much like meditation (hard!), consider this: a 2023 meta-analysis found that a regular breathing practice as short as five minutes can be effective at reducing stress.
After a few months of just breathing (not meditating, and not “breathwork”) for five minutes, twice a day, I learned that the only real rules are:
- Set a timer.
- Sit down or lie down.
- Close your eyes (but don’t fall asleep).
- Count your breaths so you don’t go too fast.
That’s it—really.
If you want to take it up a notch (but you don’t have to!), research has shown that a few things might boost the anxiety- and stress-relieving properties. Human-guided sessions are beneficial, so consider using an app (I like Balance or Open). Box breathing, where you inhale for a count of four, hold for a count of four, exhale for four, hold for four, and repeat, is really great. And more than anything: consistency, consistency, consistency. Continued practice creates continued and sustained benefits.
3. Go Somewhere. Have an Adventure. Repeat Quarterly.
Invest in an “Adventure Day” every few months and you’ll reap mental and physical rewards.
4. Commit to Confusing Your Muscles Two Days a Week
Ditch the performance plateau and build strength in a smarter way with muscle confusion.
5. Learn One New Outdoor Skill Each Month
Who says adults can’t earn merit badges?
The best outdoorspeople are multitalented, adapting easily to different seasons, weather, and terrain—sometimes all in one trip. Here are 12 new skills to learn, one for each month, to make 2026 your most adventurous year yet.
January: Build a Snow Shelter
Learn to make a quinzee, the simplest type of winter shelter—it’s basically a hollowed-out mound of snow. Then spend a night sleeping inside it, or at least crawl in and enjoy a well-earned cup of hot cocoa.
February: Start Fires in Inclement Conditions
Take advantage of February storms to sharpen your fire-building skills. Still on Fire-Building 101? Try lighting a campfire in a drizzle—or a downpour. Already a pro? Ditch the matches for a magnesium rod or a bow drill.
March: Track Wildlife
Muddy spring trails are perfect for spotting tracks. Get a book on animal tracks, and every time you see a print you don’t recognize, look it up for future reference.
April: Hone Your First-Aid Skills
Earn your Wilderness First Aid (WFA) certification through a weekend course. Then update your first-aid kit—if it’s off the shelf—so it has region-specific supplies, like rehydration salts if you’re in the desert and charcoal warmers for colder climes.
May: Identify Wild Plants
By now, spring vegetation is in full growth. Learn four new plants—one each week—that you’ll be able to practice recognizing all summer. Bonus if one is edible!
June: Purify Water the Old-School Way
If you spend serious time in the backcountry, you’ll need backup purification if your filter breaks. Practice layering gravel, sand, and charcoal in a cloth, and let water drip through for a makeshift emergency filter.
July: Develop a New Go-To Camping Recipe
Our campfire fave? Slice the top off an orange—jack-o’-lantern style—and eat the fruit with a spoon, then fill the peel with cake batter, wrap it in tinfoil, and bake it in coals.
August: Roll a Kayak
Water’s warm this time of year, so it’s the perfect time to practice rolling and wet exits. If you’re unsure, take a lesson at a pool before hitting the lake or other open water.
September: Identify Constellations
Go beyond the Big Dipper. Can you find your zodiac sign? How about Hydra, the water snake, which is the biggest constellation in the sky?
October: Perfect Your Campfire Stories
It’s spooky season, and storytelling is a crucial outdoor skill. Memorize a go-to scary story for your next campfire. Better yet, make up a ghost story yourself—and swear (of course) that it’s true.
November: Mend Your Gear
Longer evenings are a great time to repair equipment. Have a jacket or tent that got torn over the summer? Patch it with a repair kit, or learn some mending techniques—like sashiko—that you’ll use forever.
December: Ice Self-Rescue
Want to be brave? Find a safe place to practice falling through ice and pulling yourself out again. And if you don’t have ice, plunge into the coldest water you can find. Learning to breathe through the shock will keep you safer in the event of an emergency—plus, it’s an invigorating way to end the year.
6. Unplug Your Run for One Hour
Running without music or a watch isn’t about silence—it’s about hearing yourself again.
7. Recover Like a Viking for One Week
Skyr, cold plunges, and broken sleep sound like torture. But ancient Norse grit just might beat modern wellness.
8. Cheat a Little, Whenever
As with everything in life, true wellness requires balance. There’s no point in making even small tweaks to your lifestyle if they’re going to make you miserable. And while there are a million things we could be optimizing for every day, sometimes it’s best to just hold on to what we love—even if it’s not doing us any favors. Here are the bad outdoor habits our editors refuse to give up.
Brand Director Abigail Wise: “Every parenting expert out there will tell you it’s wrong to bribe a child. I’ll tell you that if we’re one mile into a two-mile hike, and my three-year-old refuses to get up from the log he’s sitting on, I won’t think twice before I whip the mini M&M’s out of my pocket. And if he makes it to the end of the trail without me having to carry him, I’ll buy him a donut on the way home.”
Editorial Director Kevin Sintumuang: “I won’t quit Taco Bell. The Doritos Locos Taco is a monument to human achievement: a perfect union of crunch, questionable beef, and nacho-dusted innovation that tastes like 2 a.m. decisions and zero regrets. Plus, the Taco Bell Cantina in Pacifica, California, is one of the best places to watch the sunset in the Bay Area. After a day of trails and coastal miles, there’s something profoundly correct about sitting on the deck and demolishing a Crunchwrap Supreme.”
Deputy Editor Jessica Campbell-Salley: “I’ll probably never give up a little treat before bed. I sleep better, I feel more satisfied and satiated, and ice cream is a great way to end a day, whether good or bad. Carbs at night are good for me, no matter what the studies say.”
Brand Director, Lifestyle, Sierra Shafer: “I’ll never give up pocket bacon—or Skittles—on the chairlift. Gels and protein bars are gross, and honestly, I’m like my dog: treat motivated.”
The post 8 Tweaks to Make in the New Year That Will Make You Happier, Healthier, and Stoked to Go Outside appeared first on Outside Online.
