How To Get Outside This Winter
You’re wrapped up in a soft warm comforter. You blink a few times as your brain slowly wakes up.
“Is it Friday yet,” you ask yourself.
You go over the week in your mind and finally realize it’s only Tuesday. You pull the covers over your head and wonder what you’re gonna do today. It’s cloudy, cold, and just plain icky outside. You can’t go anywhere cuz everything is closed. Your friends have all been banished to their own houses too. The biggest item on your “To Do” list is “Put on pants.”
You promised yourself you’d be more active and try to go out for walks more often, but the sound of the wind out there just doesn’t inspire you to get out of bed. But you’ve exhausted your movie collection and there are only so many times you can mop your floor. Going for a walk seems like a logical thing to do, but it just doesn’t seem like fun.
Does this sound familiar to you? Some people are still busy working full time during the pandemic, while others are home, day in and day out. Many who had motivation at the beginning have quickly run out of the zeal they once had to be productive and take care of themselves. Even though going out for a walk can be very beneficial for your health, both mentally and physically, it can be hard enough to get yourself outside when the weather is nice, never mind when winter has reared its ugly head.
So what are some things you can do to make sure that you enjoy your walks, even though we basically live in the arctic? While everyone is different, these are some things I like to do that help me to either stay warm or just generally make going for a stroll a more pleasant experience.
Make yourself a nice warm beverage and bring it along with you in a thermal mug. If you tell yourself you get to have a nice tasty drink if you get out there, it might give you that little extra push to get out the door. Not only that but I find drinking something warm really warms me up from the inside out, so even when it’s cold out, you might feel just a little bit warmer! (Not to mention how cool you’ll look to all your neighbours.)
Get moving. Sure a leisurely pace is nice. After all, we’re always reminded to “stop and smell the roses.” Taking in your surroundings and focusing on the marvels of nature are great for your wellbeing. But on those chilly days, I like to pick up the pace a little. If you’re well enough to walk quickly or even jog a bit, it can really get the blood flowing and warm you up! Of course, only you know your limits. For some, a slow stroll is all they can do. But for myself, I like to speed things up and I’m always amazed at how quickly I forget about the cold. (Unless of course it’s really windy in which case going faster just makes me even colder!!)
Focus on how good you’ll feel afterwards! Nothing is more satisfying than knowing you pushed yourself to do something good for your mind and body. Think about how great it will feel to come back to your nice warm house, snuggle up on the couch in a fuzzy blanket, maybe somewhere near your heat pump if you have one so you can get the warmest spot in the house! And you’ll be able to really relax knowing you accomplished something. You won’t sit there thinking “I should really get outside today.” Instead you can think “I’m so glad I got outside today!”
So those are three little tips that help me get moving outdoors, even when it’s cold outside. And as always, make sure you dress warm enough, preferably in layers.
That’s all for today, stay safe and stay warm!