How to survive winter when you hate the cold
There are a lot of things that you can do in the summer. Summer is easy. With the longer, warmer days you can be outside more and be more active. There are countless things that you can do in nice weather and there is something out there for everyone. But, summer does not last forever. Winter is as much part of the year. If you don’t like cold, however, the winter can be a tough time to be outside. It is easy to let your activity level diminish. But this can make the winter feel even longer as you wait for warm weather.
There are things you can do, however, to stop the cold of winter from getting in the way of good fun.
1. Make sure you are dressed appropriately
The first thing that you need to make sure is that you are wearing the right clothes to be outside. If you are going to be out in the cold, you are going to need to wear clothes that match the weather. You should wear good, insulated, waterproof boots with warm wool socks. It is even better if the socks are moisture wicking.
You also need to dress with layers. The more layers you wear, the easier it will be to keep yourself comfortable. You can always remove layers if you are hot, but if you did not wear enough to start with, you are going to be cold. You also need to ensure that you have a warm coat, hat, and gloves to keep the cold out as best as possible. Cutting corners on your winter clothes will only make you cold and miserable.
2. Don’t go outside on an empty stomach
Before you venture out into the cold, make sure that you have something warm and filling in your stomach. If you head out hungry, it is only going to add to your already jaded view of the outdoors. Something warm and heavy, like a stew, will give you a good feeling in your stomach and give you more energy to make it through the cold.
3. Go out and experiment
If you have not found a winter sport that makes you want to be outside, then it is time to get out there and experiment. If cross country skiing made you miserable, maybe downhill skiing would be better. You could also try snowshoeing, hiking, and any number of other winter activities. If you can find one activity that you enjoy, you should embrace it and do as much of it as possible to help make those long winter months seem a lot shorter.
4. Find a friend who is passionate about being outdoors in winter
Finding someone who is really into the outdoors will make it a lot easier to want to be outside. Venturing out by yourself, especially when you are not really sure what you are doing, can only lead to boredom and discouragement. If you can go with someone else, you will have a much better time, despite the cold. Maybe you didn’t enjoy skiing on your own. Doing it with a friend who really likes it can make something you thought you didn’t like more fun.
5. Stay inside
Really, if being outside in the cold is making you that miserable, you should find more activities to do inside. Swimming, bowling, and other activities can really help use your pent up energy while keeping you safely out of the cold and keeping you warm inside. You don’t have to torture yourself by being outside for no reason. Find some good indoor hobbies that do not involve watching television all day.
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