10 Tips To Keep Warm This Winter (That don’t include turning on the heat)

10 Tips To Keep You Warm This Winter

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Wear A Long Jacket

Wearing a jacket is definitely a must when it’s cold. But, a long jacket is such a good choice. I hate short jackets that allow a bit of cold air to blow on your lower back. That sends a chill up your spine that never leaves. A long jacket prevents that.

Plus, then you can go around singing that CAKE song all day.

A short jacket is cute, but during the winter months, you want to worry less about being cute and more about being warm. You can find jackets that are both fashionable and functional, but if you find a cute jacket without a hood and a less cute jacket with a hood, go with the latter.

Wear Gloves And A Hat

You want to make sure to have gloves and a warm hat or crotched headband in your jacket pockets.  I actually keep a set in every jacket, so I always have gloves and a headband and never have cold hands.

And a scarf is great too.

Try and cover any skin that’s exposed to the air. It’ll help keep you warm when you’re outside and don’t have the luxury of turning on the heat anyway.

Wear Boots

If it snows by you, boots are so important. If you’re outside in the snow in sneakers, your feet will get so cold. And that will flow through your entire body. Plus, snow boots are waterproof, so they keep moisture away from your feet and keep your feet dry.

Boots also have traction on the bottom. That doesn’t help with keeping you warm, but that does help you stay steady on slippery surfaces that are covered with snow and ice. So there’s less of a chance of you falling into the snow … which would be very painful and cold.

And, actually, warm feet keep you healthy. When your feet are warm, your blood vessels are open, which leads to better blood flow. They move heat around your body, which protects your immune system..

Wear Socks

Thick socks are a must for the entire winter season. You want to keep your feet warm because cold feet can actually increase your chances of catching a cold.

When I lived in New York, I would wear snowboarding socks, even when I wasn’t snowboarding. Those are the only socks that kept my feet really warm in cold New York winters, so I swear by them now. Even if I was just going to be outside, like walking around in a park, I had to wear snowboarding socks.

At home, wear warm socks (wool socks as opposed to cotton socks, which are good for summer), slippers, or (my favorite) slipper socks. You’ll keep your feet off the cold floor, which is arguably the coldest part of your house, which will keep your body heat up.

Exercise

Everyone knows if you get moving and do some light exercise, you’ll get warmer. But, you don’t want to go outside to take a walk or go for a jog when it’s cold out. At least, I don’t. I see people all bundled up with extra layers and warm clothing walking their dog and I’m always like, “Good thing I’m not a dog person.”

You can creatively get your steps in during the colder months. Or you can just change up your exercise routine. Jumping rope, running in place, or using a walking pad are great ways to exercise indoors. Or, if you’re paying for a gym membership, the winter is a great time to use it.

Eat Soup

I am such a fan of making soup in the winter. I’ll make all different soup recipes in either the slow cooker or in our Dutch oven. Serve them warm (okay, I probably serve soup too warm), and they will warm up your body temperature.

There’s science behind that too because the heat from the soup transfers to your body until you reach equilibrium. 

Of course, that happens with any warm food, but an extra perk about soup is it freezes really well. So you can make a huge batch, serve it, freeze the leftovers, and then pull them out on a day when you’ve spent it outside playing in the snow and you’re too tired to cook.

Drink Warm Beverages

If you’re feeling cold and want to warm your body up quickly, drink something warm. Just like a hot meal, hot drinks will help your body warm up from the inside.

Hot chocolate is always a good choice. If you need a little jolt of caffeine, a peppermint mocha is such a good winter drink.

Whatever hot beverages you make, just be sure you serve them in a glass that can handle the heat. There have been a few times when I’ve microwaved a drink only to find out the handle on the cup is extremely hot. That’s one way to warm up, but not exactly the best way.

We have a fancy Burnout tumbler (made by literal rocket scientists!) that cools your drink to the perfect drinking temperature and keeps it there. The outside of the tumbler never gets warm, so it’s perfect for the winter.

Dress In Layers

When I worked at a clothing store in the mall, we were always encouraged to wear lots of layers. It was trendy at the time, but I also think it made the workers buy more clothes. And then we could convince shoppers to buy more clothes.

But during the winter you should definitely wear thin layers to keep yourself warm. A thermal under a shirt goes a long way when you’re cold. There were times when our basement in New York was so cold, I would wear a sweatshirt over a sweatshirt. That’s a little cumbersome, but it worked to keep me warm.

Quick layering tips: Women, start with a camisole as the base layer, then tuck it into your pants. Add a middle layer as an insulating layer (a thick piece of clothing like a fleece, sweatshirt, etc.). Then, add a jacket as an outer layer.  Men, start with thermal underwear, then a middle layer, and then a jacket. For kids, just pile on everything they won’t take off.

Reverse Your Ceiling Fan

Warm air rises. And you don’t want all the hot air stuck on your ceiling when you exist on the floor. So, if you have a ceiling fan in your bedroom or living room, you want to switch the direction your ceiling fans are spinning in during the winter.

Running a fan in a clockwise direction during the winter will push the hot air down to you, making for a warmer room temperature. Conversely, you’ll want to run it in a counterclockwise direction during the summer to bring the hot air up and away from you.

Even if you’re not using the heat, you’ll want to run the fan for this reason. I know. It sounds ridiculous to keep the fan on during the winter but trust me. It’s a good idea.

Use Blankets

Before turning the heat on, grab a blanket. We have two blankets on our couches downstairs that my grandma bought us on one of her trips. They’re so warm. Anytime we’re watching television and we’re a little chilly, we grab a blanket.

And that’s just a regular woven blanket. An electric blanket would be nice too, but that’s not what I’m talking about.

If blankets on the back of your couch don’t fit your décor, purchase a large rope blanket basket. You can keep extra blankets there. Grab them when you’re cold, then put them away when you change rooms.

What tips do you have to keep warm in the winter? Be sure to leave them for us in the comments.