How To Get Through The Winter Quarantine
It’s hard to imagine social distancing and dealing with the many weeks of wintertime. The cozy weather and relaxing snow make it so hard to keep active. Working out and using your best cooling towels now
doesn’t make much sense. But it still can. When COVID swept in back in March, we had spring, summer, and fall, but now, we’ll be cocooning a lot more than usual.
So, get your home winter/quarantine-ready with these six tips and help stave off boredom and cabin fever.
- Find new ways to stay active – The best way to keep your body and mind healthy is to exercise. While it can be hard to keep motivated when the winds and snow are blowing, it’s all the easier to stay active when you have the supplies you need for a comprehensive workout.
Yoga mats are great for not only, well, yoga, but other forms of exercise. Resistance bands and exercise balls can make working out fun and more diversified. If you really want something unique, add rings or bars to doorways (also, your kids will love it). - Embrace the winter spirit – Like it or not, winter is coming – might as well find a way to enjoy it. Maybe try a new winter sport like snowshoeing, snowboarding, cross-country skiing, or ice fishing. Build an ice rink in your backyard. Add a heater or wood-burning stove (if the law in your city allows it) to your yard to keep you warmer outdoors. String up lights to make your backyard more ambient and cozy and inviting. If you can’t beat ‘em, join ‘em.
- Restock the cupboards and shelves Get those board games and decks of cards out and on display. Dig through those books. Find the bins of crafting materials. When you have ways to stay entertained within arm’s reach, it will be easier to find fun things to do on long winter days.
- Pursue a new hobby or skill – Everyone, and we mean everyone, has a passion project or a hobby that they’ve always wanted to try. Get the supplies you need for that said project and have it on-hand when you want a worthwhile distraction. This could be anything from knitting needles and yarn to a soldering iron and scrap wood, yeast to try your hand at bread-making, or squares of coloured paper for origami. Love to garden in the warmer weather? Get a bonsai tree, or try your hand at indoor vertical gardening.
- Make your interior as inviting and comfortable as possible – Now is the time to stock up on fleece throws and oversized pillows for perfect snowy afternoons reading or chill-out movie nights. You can also reinvent your bed scape with extra pillows, blankets folded at the end of the bed, and soft flannel sheets. Put the fluffier towels out in the bathroom, and hang robes on the backs of the doors. Make sure you’re well-stocked with teas, hot chocolate, and marshmallows.
- Up your kitchen game – Winter is the perfect time to stock up your freezer with homemade roasts, soups, and stews. Root vegetables abound this time of year, so take advantage of the local abundance. Make up some extra meals to freeze for lazy winter nights. Spaghetti sauces and chili are also great to have. Side note: Stock up on reusable containers.