How to Keep Warm If You Are Always Cold
Cold weather is officially here (at least in areas where it is usually cold at this time of year). (I’m not talking about southern California.) (I’m never talking about southern California.)
If you live in an area where the temperature has dropped a lot, it’s important to keep warm. Maybe you’re coming home from a cold, or your radiator is broken, or you don’t want to argue about thermostat temperature again—sometimes all you need is a quick fix to keep you warm.
In addition to sitting by the heater, here are some practical solutions and mental tricks to help you warm up right away.
Get it right
It may seem obvious, but layers are the key to keeping warm and keeping you warm inside and out. The main rule with layered clothing is to wear the tightest shirts closer to the body, and the looser ones on top.
Avoid using cotton as a base layer, especially if you’re walking in the snow; once the cotton gets wet (from snow or your sweat, for example), it stays wet. For the middle layer, use wool, which is one of the best natural insulators. Here are some more of our tips for effective layering .
Layer your blankets
There is also a correct way to fold blankets in layers . Mental Floss suggests starting with flannel sheets and then, although it may seem counter-intuitive, add your fluffiest duvet as the bottom layer and use thin, heavy duvets on top to prevent convective heat loss.
We also recommend using any knitted or knitted material as a bottom layer, not a top layer – knitted fabrics have air pockets that can trap warm air and keep it in bed where it belongs.
Keep your hands and feet warm
Our bodies prioritize keeping our organs warm; it literally leaves our hands and feet in the cold. Protect those limbs by adding a layer or two. If you don’t want to wear gloves, wrap your arms around a mug of your favorite hot drink or use hand warmers.
We make hand warmers with our own hands
To keep your hands nice and warm, consider making your own hand warmer. For the classic ice melting method , all you need is a large ziplock bag, a smaller bag, some water, and calcium chloride ice melt pellets from the hardware store. Here’s how to do it :
Fill a large bag a quarter full with melt ice pellets. Fill a smaller Ziploc bag halfway with water and seal, then place it in a larger bag, squeeze out excess air, and seal. Now squeeze the smaller bag until it breaks and the water mixes with the ice melt pellets, which should cause a 20 minute to an hour heating reaction according to PopSci (how long this will depend on how many pellets you use).
If you don’t have access to ice-melting pellets at the hardware store, try this method , which only requires baking soda, white vinegar, and a stovetop.
Put your hands under your armpits
Armpits – original do-it-yourself hand warmers. Stick your hands under these pits and hug your body to get rid of the cold instantly.
Hack your mind (and breath)
I’m not saying that you can instantly achieve the meditative feats of Tibetan monks ( who supposedly can use their mind and breath to manually raise their body temperature ). At the same time, this research shows that a practice known as “vase breathing” helps to “hack” your inner heat. Here’s how to do it:
- Take a deep breath
- Hold your breath for a few seconds
- Tighten the muscles of the pelvis and abdomen (so that the lower body takes the form of a curved vase).
In addition to breathing, visualization techniques will not interfere. There is something to be said for any placebo effect that comes from imagining yourself sunbathing on a sunny beach or even imagining an inner flame warming you from the inside. Try combining vase breathing with visualization for a nice warming effect.
Drink something warm
In addition to soothing the soul, hot coffee, tea or soup is an effective way to warm up physically. Also, while a hot mug helps your hands, the steam from your drink can warm your face.
Take a warm bath
There’s nothing like a hot shower after a long day, but if you really want to warm up quickly, consider jumping into a bath. While showering won’t hurt, a bath covering the chest area has been shown to be better at raising body temperature.
Make some jumps
There’s a reason it’s called “warming up” before a workout. Whether or not dynamic stretching and light calisthenics are really helpful before a real workout, they are an effective strategy for making you feel physically warmer.
Need a long term solution?
The tips above come in handy when you need to warm up quickly, but if you’re feeling chilly all day, every day, you may need a more permanent solution. Here are our tips for staying warm without adding to your heating bill , and here’s our guide to fighting the cold when the power goes out.