How not to hibernate: 10 life hacking
Text: Olga Polevikova
Calendar winter lasts three months, but in our latitudes on sensations all half a year proceeds. It is good if one of us manages to fly to warm lands for a week or two, but not everyone can afford full-fledged wintering on the islands. In order to wake up without torment in the winter cold, work efficiently and relax with pleasure, we advise you to check out our life hacks in practice.
Choose the right thermal underwear.
Thermal underwear has two main functions: to keep the body dry and warm. The choice of model and fabric depends on what you are going to do in this thermal underwear: to conquer Everest or to walk the dog in the park. An important task of sports thermal underwear is to drain moisture. With active movement, the body heats up, sweat appears on the body, it absorbs and evaporates the laundry. Most often, such models are made of polyester, and good fabrics from it are produced under the brands Polartec and Coolmax. Polypropylene is also popular, but in this case it’s definitely not worth saving - you can run into a low-quality product.
Thermal underwear for everyday wear is not as technologically advanced as sportswear, but it certainly will not freeze in urban environments. It can be from synthetics, wool or fabrics based on it. The main rule is to dress in layers. The first layer is the actual underwear, which is worn on the naked body. The second - pants and sweaters, their task is to provide thermal insulation. The third layer - jackets, parks and other outerwear.
Drive at least 15 minutes a day.
Cold is not a reason to stop training. Porch covered with snow and not reach the gym? An excellent reason to finally try to study at home. As Lena Dunham noted, “sport is not for the ass, but for the brain,” and this is doubly true in winter. About how physical activity helps to overcome the blues and depression, written thousands of scientific works. Even a short workout will give vitality and help maintain body tone. To do this, it is not necessary to go out at all: there are lots of applications that help to train at home, which takes only 10-15 minutes. Light stretching or slow yoga will help to wake up or cheer up during the day.
Stand on the skis
Snowboarding, skating, skiing, snowballing and other winter sports is a good way to make friends with the cold season. While you are confident or not very much cutting through the woods on skis, doing pirouettes on a city skating rink or using an instructor to master the ice-skier, there is a chance to get carried away and forget about the blues and hostility to frost. With regular exercises, muscles strengthen, the cardiovascular and respiratory system improves, and the blush is made so healthy that at least send a selfie to your grandmother. If all these arguments sound unconvincing, then at least blind the snowman in the yard. When working in the cold, more calories are burned than in heat - than not a reason to wrap in a down jacket, grab a carrot and go to fresh air?
Choose simple nutritious meals.
Do not overload the body with heavy foods, sweets and alcohol. In winter, the temptation to stress and reward yourself with something tasty is strong, but it is better to give preference to complex carbohydrates, such as nutritious cereals, as well as seasonal vegetables. The gifts of globalization in the form of fresh tomatoes and asparagus in winter in our latitudes are a dubious pleasure: only chemical analysis in the laboratory will tell you how useful they are. There are a lot of seasonal winter vegetables, the main thing is to find non-trivial ways to use them: lentil salad with beets, gratin from turnips or celery pancakes diversify your diet and satiate well. For those who have taken care of preparing pickles and marinades, there is always something to eat, and homemade jams and canned fruits are suitable as a harmless dessert.
Use more spices.
If the stomach does not give you trouble, try experimenting with spices. There is evidence that spicy food increases body temperature. How this mechanism works is not completely clear. Presumably, spices act on the same receptors that react to heat. The brain receives similar stimuli and orders the central nervous system to tighten the internal thermostat, causing an increase in body temperature and stimulating sweating. Buy pepper, mustard, cinnamon and other spices, try changing your usual sushi or burgers in the restaurant for a variety of Thai, Indian and Chinese dishes. In addition, it is known that spicy food speeds up metabolism and quickly leads to a feeling of satiety. The main thing - do not overdo it with spices, so as not to harm the body.
Do not be afraid of winter blues
English spleen, Russian blues - all this is called the medical term SAD - Seasonal Affective Disorder. Seasonal affective disorder is a depressed state caused by a lack of sunlight. Apathy, fatigue, diffuse attention - all signs of clinical depression are present, but for many people such a blues are generally not dangerous. As a rule, melancholy overtakes in the fall or winter and leaves with the onset of spring. Therefore, you should not worry about the fact that life has lost its taste: treat this with understanding and try to switch attention from the inner world to the surrounding world. On the other hand, exacerbation of depression can also be masked as ATS. Be attentive to yourself: if your life for months resembles the plot of the novel "Nausea", you may need to seek medical help.
Do handicrafts
We have already told how the Slow Living movement teaches us to rejoice in simple things and enjoy everyday life. In winter, many begin to lead a more measured life: we socialize less and spend more time at home. Cold and slush is not only a reason to review all the seasons of your favorite series. This is an opportunity to pause and take a closer look at your lifestyle. Yoga, meditation, or needlework are perfect for exploring yourself.
Creating things with your own hands has a meditative effect on the body: for example, knitting reduces cortisol levels and lowers blood pressure, helps to cope with anorexia nervosa and chronic depression. For knitters with experience, the risk of memory loss and the development of other cognitive impairments is lower as they age. Such slow bonuses are in any unhurried processes that require focused attention, including cooking and home gardening. What is not a reason to learn the basics of peasant cuisine or to organize a garden of succulents?
Arrange your vacation
It is proved that the holidays reduce stress and heart disease, improve brain function and have a positive effect on personal relationships. Even waiting for a vacation makes a person happier. If it became sad, arrange yourself a long weekend. Allow yourself to relax and do a few days only what you enjoy: sleep, reading, walking around the city. A good option is to go on a trip. It is not necessary to sunbathe in Thailand for two weeks or to overeat khachapuri in Georgia: even a trip to another city will add dopamine to your life. Weekend outings are inexpensive, so they can be done regularly.
Pay attention to the quality of sleep.
In winter, I want to sleep even more, and sometimes not wake up at all, and there is an explanation for this. The hormone melatonin, which is responsible for our daily rhythms, begins to be produced precisely at nightfall, preparing the body for sleep. When it is gray outside and twilight begins immediately after dinner, melatonin still works in good faith, and we fall into hibernation. True, 12 hours in bed does not mean that after them we will feel great. It is important not only the amount of sleep, but also its quality. We have already written about the important conditions for proper rest: it is better not to overeat, not to abuse alcohol, to go to bed and get up at about the same time. An hour before the end of the day, postpone all gadgets, meditate or read a book.
Work on home lighting
When the sky is overcast, all hope of artificial lighting. Change incandescent bulbs to LED: they are much more durable and more economical. When buying, pay attention to the color rendering index and color temperature. The color rendering index, also known as CRI or RA, means the ability of the human eye to distinguish colors under the light of a lamp. Lamps with a color rendering close to one hundred are used, for example, in printing houses. For your home, choose options with RA not lower than 80, and possibly even higher than 90. The color of the lighting depends on the color temperature. Daylight white light is best suited for work: it is lighting in the range of 4,000–4,500 Kelvin and as close as possible to natural light. If possible, choose a lamp with a zero flicker index: this way you will avoid problems such as headache, fatigue and visual impairment.
Cover: Timur Zima
Photo: Amazon, Ali Safarov-stock.adobe.com, bigw