There are a lot of things that I appreciate about winter. There are no weeds to pull, no mosquitoes, no fruit flies in the kitchen, and I get to wear blue jeans and boots every day if I want. Of course, there is a down-side to winter, and that down-side is the cold. Getting out of the shower requires an iron will, and getting out of a warm, cozy bed is a near-impossible task. If you’re anything like me, you’re in a state of constant chill between the months of October to May. And I live in Houston, so it’s not like I even have that much to complain about. Yes, I chill easily.

Over the years I’ve amassed several techniques for keeping myself cozy through the winter. Here are a few of them just in case you’re feeling a little chilly, too.

How to Stay Warm in Cold Weather

Dress Warmly

Dressing well is the most basic way to keep warm during the winter. Exposed skin allows heat to escape from your body quickly, so wear long sleeves, long pants, and socks. The old myth that most of your body heat escapes through your head isn’t exactly accurate – the head loses about as much body heat as any other uncovered part of your body, but wearing a hat won’t hurt anything, either. Just be careful not to wear so many clothes that you start to sweat; that can make matters worse.

If you’re going to be outside in the cold wet weather, the most important thing is to keep dry. Wear layers and water-resistant clothing, and if you’ll be in a remote area, bring a dry change of clothes.

 

Winterize your house

At night, when there is no sun and the temperature is at its coldest, you’ll need to keep your windows covered by blinds or curtains. You don’t want your heat to escape. However, on sunny days, you’ll want windows clear and able to let in all that warming sunshine. We have a sunroom on the back of our house that gets toasty on sunny days, and actually helps heat up the whole house if we open the doors. But on cold nights we have to keep it shut off.

There are a few other options for preventing heat from escaping your windows and doors. You can cover windows with plastic shrink wrap to create an insulating layer of air. (This isn’t exactly an all-natural approach, but the energy resources you save with the small amount of plastic are worth it.) Folding an old towel at the bottom of a door with a wide gap makes more difference than you might think, too.

While you might be tempted to use a conventional fireplace to warm up your home, beware that a fireplace can actually make your house colder. It will warm the immediate area around the fire, but it will also take a lot of heat right up the chimney. Fireplaces are often set near thermostats, too, which can trick your central heating system into thinking your house is much warmer than it is, leaving the rooms far from the fireplace to cool off even more.

 

Carry a rice bag

Rice bags are great for body aches and cramps, but it also works for keeping you cozy. It’s like a tiny portable heater, and it uses even less energy.

If you don’t have a rice bag, you can use a conventional heating pad (admittedly not your best option), a hot water bottle, or go the super simple route and make yourself a sock full of rice.

 

Get moving

Nothing gets your blood flowing as well as exercising. Even if you don’t want to go outside for a run on a cold day, you can get moving inside and still warm yourself up. Climbing stairs, doing jumping jacks, or just quickly doing household chores can help you feel much warmer. Moving around also helps distract you.

 

Eat and drink well

Eating healthy food regularly can help you have enough energy to stay warm. For one, you don’t want to be underweight. Fat acts as an insulator for our bodies, and having a normal layer of it is a good thing! It’s awfully hard to stay warm without it.

Drinking hot drinks can help you stay warm, too. It doesn’t raise your body’s core temperature like you might have been taught, but holding onto the warm cup will help, and if you think you’re warm, you’ll actually feel warmer. However, you’ll want to avoid alcohol. Hot toddies might make you feel nice, and your skin might even get a warm feeling to it, but alcohol will actually lower your core body temperature.

I hope these tips can help knock the chill off your winter!

Warm come by stopping by Goldwiser! We have a welcoming showroom for you to stroll around and you can pick up that perfect gift while you’re at it! We’re open Monday through Saturday 10 am to 7 pm and located at 24910 Kuykendahl Rd., Tomball, TX 77375.