Now that winter is here, it’s important to stay warm. When the weather outside gets chilly, many people turn on their heaters and crank up the thermostat as high as they can stand it.
This might seem like a good idea at first, but in reality, you’re just trapping all of your body heat inside with you which will make you feel even colder than before.
Instead of turning on the heat and staying indoors this winter season, try one of the following tips
Wear layers
Layers trap more air between them which insulates better than thick bulky clothes; there are thin layers for every occasion from thin sweaters to jackets and coats. Dressing in layers is a way to keep warm.
Without having to wear bulky clothes, it’s much easier to stay warm by wearing several thin layers, rather than one thick coat.
The key is to layer with thinner materials such as cotton or another breathable fabric (great to wear during winter sports).
By layering, you can add and remove layers depending on the temperature. By wearing a layer less than usual, your body will generate more heat and that should keep you warm.
The layers of clothing will insulate the body, thereby making it easy to regulate its temperature. Remove or add more layers to find what suits you best.
Wear slippers or socks
If your feet are warm, your body will feel warm as well. To get a cosy experience, put some wool socks on.
You can also wear shoes or slippers especially if your house has cold floors. If you don’t have any slippers, you can use boots that cover your feet.
Socks and shoes are not only great for keeping your feet warm but they help insulate the rest of your body too.
Take care of your extremities
Your hands and feet are highly susceptible to cold. If you want to keep them warm, make sure to wear gloves or mittens
The best types of gloves are made out of wool, fleece or silk since these materials retain body heat the best. They’ll help insulate your hands effectively.
Just remember not to wear cotton gloves when it’s cold outside since cotton soaks up moisture and doesn’t insulate well.
You can also use a scarf and hat.
A warm winter hat is essential in order to keep your head warm; if you don’t have one, make sure to knit yourself one. A good option for this is wool since it’s very warm even when wet.
Scarves are also important for protecting your neck and chest since they keep the wind off you which in turn helps to keep you warm
If possible, wear gloves when using your computer or smartphone since the cold weather can cause pain in your hands when exposed to extreme temperatures.
Use an oven & leave the door ajar
Stoves and ovens generate a lot of heat in the kitchen. Open the door of your oven and let out some heat in order to warm up the room
It’s a major reason why you’re advised to make no-bake and no-cook meals in the summer. However, the opposite should apply in the winter. Use an oven if you’re just sitting in the living room and want to stay warm
Having your oven door open when it’s on will let out some heat, which is great for warming up your house.
Any time you make use of the oven during winter, ensure that its door is left ajar when you’ve finished baking. This allows hot air from the oven to escape into the house.
If you have kids or pets, you have to be careful about this because they could get burned. Do everything possible to keep them away from the oven.
Warm up your car
Before you get in the car, make sure to turn on the engine and let it a warm-up
Make use of this trick before driving anywhere. Turn on the engine and then leave it for a minute or two while it warms up; 5 minutes can make all of the difference in winter weather conditions.
During the winter, the best way to start your car is not to do so when it’s cold. If it barely starts in the winter, you might want to give your car a tune-up.
When starting your car in extremely low temperatures, avoid using an excessive amount of throttle since this may damage the engine.
Eat a bowl of soup
Apart from warming up your house, you can also warm yourself by having hot meals like a bowl of soup.
Try to make the soup yourself. It takes some time to cook and the heat from the stove or cooker will also warm up the house. Just make sure to use ingredients like carrots, turnips and onions that warm your body up.
Make sure that you don’t drink too much alcohol or coffee since these drinks will make you feel colder. Your body might feel hot at first because of the caffeine, but it’ll eventually drop to its normal temperature.
Drink hot beverages
As well as hot meals, this principle can also be applied to hot beverages such as hot cocoa, tea, cider, coffee, etc. You might also have a favourite warm drink apart from these that you can consume to give you some warmth.
Just warm water is also a good way to keep warm.
Please remember that when it gets cold outside, you’ll need to keep the indoor temperature at a reasonable level
Don’t turn off your heater unless you plan on stepping out of the house for an extended period of time.
Use a humidifier
It is a known fact that humid air feels warmer than dry air. Using up the heat during winter can remove the humidity of the air indoors.
To create a balance, consider using a humidifier.
Look for models that can allow you to select either warm or cold air. Granted, they cost more, but they will do a good job.
Humidifiers are great for reducing the amount of moisture in your home. This is exactly what you need during the winter, considering that dry air feels warmer.
Warm up your bed
The coldest part of the day is just before dawn. An electric blanket is an often overlooked way to warm up your bed.
If you don’t have an electric blanket, use a hot water bottle or try putting your feet in some heated socks.
You can set your electric blanket to radiate a low level of heat that will last you the night.
Use a Weighted Blanket
Weighted blankets are new in the market, but they are catching on quickly. These blankets are filled with plastic pellets that provide weight to them
They are said to increase serotonin in your body, which might just help you sleep better. Besides that, the weight of these blankets also makes you feel warmer when resting under them.
People with anxiety, autism and insomnia have also found relief through the use of weighted blankets.
If you’re looking for ways to improve your health, why not try getting a weighted blanket? The result might make you feel warmer without resorting to any discomfort or heating systems.
Warm up your core
You can also warm up your core without consuming too much heat. Just go for a run or some exercises, which will help you increase your core’s temperature.
It might seem counter-intuitive to exercise when it’s cold outside, but this is the best way to keep some warmth in your body and prevent hypothermia and other related illnesses.
Do some household chores
Finally, you can always use your time to do some chores around the house. Just make sure that you are not exerting too much effort when doing so. You don’t want to catch a cold just because you decided to clean the windows or mop the floor.
Instead of being out in the cold, take your time to do some household tasks. These things are best done indoor for starters, so you might as well take advantage of it.
Final Thoughts
When thinking of ways to stay warm in the winter, it’s not just about doing household chores or exercising.
You need to take into consideration the kind of lifestyle that you have, the type of house that you live in, and so much more.
While these are some of the most important methods on how to stay warm in the winter, you might also want to consider working with a professional.
Though it would seem like common sense, you should also take into consideration the type of clothing that you wear during winter. Always protect your body by wearing clothes that will keep the warmth in and prevent heat loss.