How February can make us feel cozy and help us slow down

By Laura Sampson

February is the shortest month of the year, yet for many of us, it reliably feels like the longest. The holidays are behind us, spring is still far off and winter’s routines have settled into something heavy and familiar. But a recent study finds just five to 10 minutes of joyful activity per day improves happiness, reduces stress and enhances a person’s sense of control.

Instead of pushing through February’s doldrums, many people embrace a softer, kinder approach to the month. They slow down, lean into small comforts and mark the weeks with cozy rituals that make February feel a little more manageable.

Kicking it off

The month starts with a mostly quiet and non-commercialized holiday, Groundhog Day on Feb. 2, and some people also celebrate it as Candlemas. In addition, Feb. 1 marks a cross-quarter day, the midpoint between the winter solstice and the spring equinox, when the light returns to many households as the days grow longer.

This is followed up almost immediately by one of the biggest communal events of winter: Super Bowl weekend. Friends and families gather around the TV after filling the slow cookers, air fryers and ovens with their chosen snacks such as sliders, baked dips and wings. Grocery retailers say it’s one of the largest at-home cooking weekends of the year, a brief burst of celebration that brightens the early stretch of February for millions.

Soon after, the cultural focus shifts to Valentine’s Day. Even for those who don’t celebrate traditionally with cards, candy and flowers, the holiday offers an excuse to start baking again. Home bakers can whip up something sweet, plan a cozy dinner at home or break up winter monotony with small gestures of affection.

Slow it down

Once the mid-month holidays fade, February shifts into something a little quieter, almost a waiting period for spring. Across the country, seed catalogs land in mailboxes and inboxes, giving both experienced and aspiring gardeners something hopeful to flip through.

Greenhouses, garden centers and folk schools offer classes in seed starting, small-space gardening, composting and soil preparation during late winter. Many cold-climate gardeners begin sowing slow-growing plants on windowsills or tables, using the small ritual as a reminder that summer is coming back.

Waiting on spring

While people wait for that seasonal change, they spend time cooking in ways that feel grounding and bring them back home again. February is peak cozy-recipe season: soft, fluffy dumplings in soup, homemade noodles, slow braises, casseroles and old-fashioned comfort food that takes the edge off winter. Getting in all the warm cooking before our tummies turn to thoughts of grilling and salads and fresh summer berries.

Small projects

As February settles into the middle of the month, many people turn toward small, quiet hand projects as a way to bring structure and calm to long winter days. Simple routines such as journaling, sewing, knitting or mending provide a sense of progress when the world outside feels slow.

These projects shouldn’t require purchases for you to work on them. You can write just as well with a pencil and a spiral notebook, and those jeans with a hole on the knee make the perfect project to mend. The little tasks give your hands something steady to work on while your mind unwinds and processes life. Even a few minutes in the evening can create a welcome pause in an otherwise still month.

People often reach for these quiet tasks because they create a feeling of purpose without pressure. In a month shaped by short days and repetitive routines, small hand projects offer a gentle way to stay connected, creative and moving forward.

Ritual and routine

Routines help people navigate what is often the emotional low point of the year. Short days, cold temperatures and post-holiday fatigue can make February feel stagnant. Small rituals, game-day foods, homemade Valentine treats, seed-starting projects and cozy cooking break the month into manageable pieces and create a sense of movement when the landscape outside feels still.

February may still feel long, but for many, the answer isn’t rushing through it. It’s making time and space to slow down. The shortest month becomes gentler when we cozy up with comforting milestones: a big game, a small celebration, a packet of seeds or a warm bowl of something homemade. In a season that can feel stretched thin, those small comforts help February pass not faster, but easier.

Laura Sampson of Little House Big Alaska is on a mission to teach modern family-oriented home cooks how to make old-fashioned foods new again. She shares her passion for home cooking, backyard gardening and homesteading on her website and blog.