The winter season has been pretty brutal this week, but dealing with this type of brutality is not new to me since I have lived in Massachusetts all my life. So I definitely know firsthand how unkind Mother Nature can be to us during the winter season. However, seeing how tough the South has had it this past week I want to give some tips on how to deal with this viciously cold weather.
Tip #1: Always turn on your car and heat 15 minutes before you officially get in your car to drive. Being able to do this allows you to experience the hug-like warmth needed after a brief moment of walking outside to get to your car. Trust me, this does wonders.
Tip #2: After shoveling, your hands will feel so cold that your hands will go numb. Do NOT immediately run hot water over your hands. I’ve done this plenty of times, and I’ve found that it actually made the feeling worse. Hot water and cold hands are not a good combo because it makes the cold sting that you feel linger for about 15 minutes or more. I suggest letting your hands adjust to your home heat and washing your hands with cool/warm water.
Tip #3: Listen to music while shoveling. Since you might spend hours shoveling high inches of snow, you might as well listen to music while doing it. It really makes the experience less miserable and helps you not feel overwhelmed by the amount of shoveling that you have to do.
Tip #4: Get some durable snow boots. Snow boots allow you to walk with ease on a high pile of snow and it also helps reduce the risk of slipping on the ice that freezes overnight. The practicality of snow boots might seriously save your life, I know mine have.
Tip #5: Lastly, always layer your sweater and jackets. This should be a given because I know that many southerners don’t have heavy long winter coats in their closet ready like most east coasters. But bundling up does help retain body heat when you are out there shoveling.
I hope that these winter survival tips can help you have a safe and warm winter!