6 Tips on How to Stay Warm This Winter

After another long, hot summer and autumn, winter is finally here. It seems the longer and hotter the summers get, the more of a shock it seems when the temperatures fall to winter lows. Fortunately, there are a number of habits you can get into to help you keep warm without breaking the bank.

Let’s take a look at six simple ways to help keep you warm this winter:

1. Add an extra layer

 We’ve got so used to creature comforts like climate control in so many spaces that we forget that it’s really easy to simply put a jumper on when inside. It’s not necessary to have every room in your house hovering at 24 degrees, because you can simply pop on an extra layer and be perfectly comfy. In fact, who doesn’t like to rug up with a nice thick dressing gown? Sure, if the temperature gets too low then this may not be enough, but it’s a bit decadent that every indoor space should be conducive to a shirt and shorts in the middle of winter. So get the woollies out and cosy up! 

2. Have hot food and drinks

 One of the best ways to get the body temperature up is to have a nice hot meal. Cold weather food such as stews and casseroles are great for dinner on a wintery night. But you can also enjoy hot food for other meals, such as a nice hot porridge for breakfast and a soup for lunch. In Australia, we can get quite set in our ways of having cereal for brekkie, a sandwich for lunch and steak and veg for dinner. But it is worthwhile getting creative in the kitchen, maybe test some other cuisines such as spicy curries or a hot stirfry. 

Meanwhile, hot tea is a great way to keep warm between meals. It’s refreshing and warming at the same time, so put the water or juice back in the fridge and put the kettle on instead.

3. Be active

 Moving around is a sure-fire way to boost your circulation and to get the body temperature up. Move around at least once an hour and avoid sitting still for long periods. Even light exercise will help keep you warm. Then when you do sit down, put your feet up as it’s coldest nearest the ground.

As unappealing as exercise on a cold morning or evening may sound, there’s actually something quite invigorating about it once you get going. It doesn’t take long for your body to warm up to the point where you barely notice it’s cold. So try going for a run, or join a gym or group exercise program. It’ll keep you warm as well as keep you fit.

4. Maintain indoor room temperature

 Despite having focussed mostly on cheap or free ways of keeping yourself warm, it is good to use heating to maintain a fairly consistent room temperature at home, if you can. Many homes have split system air conditioning either in the living room or bedroom. During the day it’s good to keep the living room at around 20 degrees. That way the air conditioner doesn’t have to work too hard to maintain that temperature, meaning you won’t be lumped with an excessive energy bill. Split system air conditioners are also much more efficient than electric heaters, so they’re much easier on the back pocket. Make sure to get a professional air conditioning service before the winter season to ensure your unit is operating in tip top shape. 

5. Heat your bed

 Using either an electric blanket that turns itself off, or a hot water bottle to heat your bed before getting in it will make the nights much more comfortable. A hot water bottle is a particularly handy little item because it doesn’t cost anything to run…other than boiling the kettle to fill it.

Heating your bed rather than your bedroom allows you to keep a nice warm bed without spending money on the energy that’s required to have a heater or air conditioner warm the entire room. 

6. Utilise the sun

 While it can get a bit chilly in Australia, we tend not to have the long dark, grey and miserable winters that many other parts of the world have to endure. The temperatures drop, but a lot of the time the sun is still shining, so why not make the most of it?

Open the blinds and curtains during the day to let in a little bit of warmth. Then close them at night to help keep in that warmth. It might not do a whole lot but it should give you an extra degree or two to soak up.

Hopefully you can stay nice and warm this winter. It’s tempting to just reach for the air conditioner remote and make that do all the work, but that can result in a costly energy bill. So it’s a good idea put on an extra layer and just modify a few behaviours to help make the best of some natural ways to keep your body temperature up when it starts to get a little chilly.