Now that it’s November, the cold is beginning to settle in. Although I still see many college students walking around campus with only a sweatshirt and shorts, those of us who suffer from being chronically cold year-round know that the time is already upon us to begin dreading going outside.
All my life I knew I was different: while my friends went out in t-shirts on the first warm day of March, I was still in my long sleeves and boots. While the rest of my friends can run to their party on a Friday night without a jacket, I still need some kind of layer so I’m not freezing cold and miserable (and then cranky because I’m uncomfortable). I will never understand the plight of those who get “too warm” at night under the blankets—for real, how is that even possible? What does being too warm feel like?
Anyway, if you’re a kindred soul with me and are perpetually freezing, I have a few tips to get you through the cold months without your hands turning to icicles and falling off:
1. Keep your feet warm-- hypothermia usually begins in your extremities like your hands and feet, so always make sure to wear your big socks and gloves in bad weather.
2. Don't drink alcohol when you're already very cold--although alcohol may make you feel warm (and happier) when you're cold, it actually drops the core body temperature. Instead, opt for a warm drink like hot chocolate or hot cider, which actually will warm your body up.
3. Put hot water bottles in your bed--putting hot water bottles under your blankets before you settle in for the night can reduce the cold bed syndrome people like me absolutely cannot stand.
4. Put rugs on the floor--having something down on the floor can insulate the room and prevent heat loss through the floor.
5. Close the doors--closing the doors to rooms you don't use will contain the heat in one area and keep you warmer.
6. Open the oven door after you're done baking--not only will this make the room smell delicious, but it will also make the air warmer.
7. Make sure you dry off completely after a bath or shower--although taking a hot bath or shower is wonderful and will definitely help you get warm, walking around when you're wet afterwards will make you colder. This especially applies to having wet hair.
8. Keep your curtains open during the daytime--and close them during the nighttime. Having natural light in the room will keep it warmer, but make sure you have good curtains to insulate the room at night.
9. Get a humidifier--humid air feels warmer than dry air, so this naturally helps keep the chills away. If you don't want to buy one, try showering with the door open.
10. Wear a hat--this one may seem too simple, because you've probably heard it a million times. Recently, science has disproven that you don't actually lose most of your body heat through your head; however, you do still lose a good amount, so cover up your head for maximum warmth.
11. Do laundry--taking warm cloths out of the dryer is the absolute best, and no one can deny this.
12. Move to the Caribbean--okay this one isn't really practical, but living in the Northeast can get a little annoying sometimes.
Good luck, and stay warm!
