Winter Wellness Guide

Discover tips and advice from our experts to help you stay healthy and active this winter.

Your Guide to Winter Wellness

Winter brings crisp air, cozy routines, and—if we’re not careful—a few extra challenges to our overall well-being. From shorter days and colder temperatures to seasonal illnesses and shifts in mood, staying healthy and active can feel tougher this time of year. At Brown University Health, we’re here to support you through the season with resources, guidance, and compassionate care designed to help you thrive. Whether you’re looking for strategies to boost your immunity, stay active indoors, or maintain balance and resilience, our team is ready to help you make winter a season of wellness.

Of course, when questions come up or you need care, we’re here for you.

Foods to Fuel Your Wellness

Top Winter Foods for Your Skin

The coldest of our seasons is upon us, and the last thing we’re thinking about is our skin. But actually, dry skin is extremely common in winter. It can also lead to a condition known as eczema – an itchy rash. Here are some foodds to add to your diet this winter to hydrate your skin from the inside.

Foods to Boost Your Immune System

Did you know the foods you eat can help you fight illnesses such as the flu? There are certain foods that are known immune system boosters. That means they help your body fight disease. Let’s take a closer look at your immune system and which foods affect your body’s ability to respond to threats.

Foods that Can Help Reduce Stress

Stress can lead us to mindlessly eat whatever is available or easy to obtain, which can lead to weight gain and poor overall health. But some foods can actually help reduce stress. The next time you're feeling stressed, reach for a food known for its stress-reducing benefits.

We're Here If You Need Us

An Urgent Care is Near You

When cold-weather illnesses or injuries strike, Brown University Health Urgent Care is close by and ready to help. With convenient locations, extended hours, and expert providers, you can get the care you need—quickly and comfortably—so you can get back to enjoying winter with confidence.

(Closed New Year’s Day, Thanksgiving, and Christmas)

Essential Winter Safety Tips

Snowblower Safety: Preventing Winter Injuries

Snowblowers are useful machines, especially during the harsh winter months when snow piles up quickly, covering driveways, sidewalks, and paths. However, while these machines make snow removal much easier, they can also pose serious dangers if not handled with care. Follow these simple safety rules when operating your snowblower.

How to Shovel Snow: Avoiding Low Back Pain this Winter

Snow shoveling is a frequent cause of back injuries. Dr. Keith Scarfo, co-director of the Norman Prince Spine Institute, suggests these simple tips so you can stay injury free this winter.

What Every Parent Should Know about Car Seats and Winter Coats

During the winter when children are often layered with outerwear to keep warm, wearing a bulky jacket while in a car seat can actually be dangerous. While it might feel like a child is strapped in tight, the added coat prevents the straps of the seat’s harness from being secure enough to prevent injury in a crash.

10 Rules for Safe Sledding

It’s time to break out the sleds and head to the nearest snow-covered hill for a favorite wintertime activity! Here are 10 tips to stay safe while enjoying sledding this winter.

How to Maintain Your Mental Health in Winter

The winter months can take a toll on your physical and mental well-being and you may find yourself feeling more irritable, having low energy, or even struggling to do day to day routines. These tips can help you beat the winter blues and manage those negative feelings.

If you feel like you need extra support this winter, our virtual partial programs provide flexible, expert mental health care—right from home.

Enjoy Winter and Stay Active

Embrace Hygge and Learn to Love Winter

Winter isn't for everyone, especially with its frigid temperatures and biting winds, workdays that end with a drive home in darkness and shoveling all that snow. We can learn to embrace this season with help from a a Danish tradition called Hygee.

Getting Active Outside in Winter & Preventing Injuries

Every winter comes with its share of preventable injuries due to driving, shoveling, and snow and ice on walkways that haven’t been thoroughly cleared. Dr. Olivier M. Gherardi discusses common winter injuries and how to avoid them to keep yourself moving this winter.

Five Fun Ways to Stay Fit and Active This Winter

The winter weather may make it difficult to drive to the gym or studio or even go for a stroll outside. Here are five ways to help you stay fit and active this winter while having fun doing it!