12 Ways to Warm Yourself and Not the Planet This Winter
Hello, winter! The holiday season is over, and now we are faced with the coldest months of the year. Staying warm is the highest priority for many of us, especially after such record breaking temperatures over the holiday season. Instead of cranking up the thermostat over the winter, try lowering it a degree or two and keep warm through eco-friendlier methods. Here are some tips on how to warm yourself and not the planet this winter.
A hot drink. Photo by René Porter on Unsplash.
Drink hot drinks
Stay cozy with a cup of your favorite hot beverage – coffee, tea, apple cider, or hot chocolate – there are many options! Use a hand warming mug as well to easily wrap your hands around the mug for extra warmth.
Eat warming foods
What’s better than eating a bowl of chili on a cold day? Try a vegan or plant based chili, curry, or stew recipe that will leave you with lots of leftovers which will keep you warm for days to come. As an added bonus, cooking will warm your kitchen, so stay near the stove for some extra heat while your food cooks!
Wear heavier clothes
When we are stationary and lounging about, our body temperatures cool. Stay warm by wearing thicker sweaters, sweatpants, socks, and slippers. When you go outside, wearing layers, a hat, gloves, and a scarf can help trap more heat and keep you warm.
Pile on the blankets
In addition to heavier clothing, bury yourself under thicker blankets and quilts during the winter. Add an extra blanket to your bed, and keep one on the back of the couch to make sure you are staying warm and cozy.
Use a hot water bottle
Hot water bottles emit a significant amount of heat for a long time, which makes them a great way to stay warm. For extra warmth, keep it under the blanket on your bed or couch.
Let the sun in
Every now and then, there is a day that is exceptionally sunny despite the exceptional cold. Open your curtains on windows that get a lot of sunlight, and the light will help warm your space naturally.
Blankets and a hot drink. Photo by Healthline.
Keep the dark out
On the other hand, closing curtains on overcast and cold days will help keep the cold out. The curtains act as a form of insulation against the cold outdoors.
Reverse the ceiling fan
In the summer, many of us run our ceiling fans to keep our rooms cool. But many fans have a switch that will reverse the rotation of the fan. Since heat rises, the reversed rotation of the fan will push the hot air down into the rest of the room.
Close off unoccupied rooms
A shut door is one way to trap heat inside a room; otherwise, the heat will escape out the open door. Close doors to rooms as you leave them, and this will help trap the heat so that they will be nice and warm when you return to those rooms.
Put down rugs on bare floors
A winter hike. Photo by Oziel Gómez on Unsplash.
Not only will your bare feet thank you, but rugs will add a layer of insulation to the floor, which will trap the cold and keep it from transferring throughout the room.
Move your body
While going on a walk in the winter might seem like it will make you colder, it will actually get your blood pumping, which will warm you up! If going outside for exercise is too much of a stretch, then try some movement in your home. Jumping jacks, stretch, or put on your favorite upbeat song and dance around! A little bit of movement goes a long way in warming you up.
Focus on warming yourself instead of the room.
Many of our tips focus on finding ways to warm yourself up instead of the space you are in. Warming up yourself uses less energy and is therefore more friendly to the environment than trying to heat the entire space you are in.
Stay warm this winter!