16 Ways to Survive the Cold When You Hate Winter

window in winter

Hate winter? These survival tips will help you hate it a weensy bit less.

Winter’s back bitches, and it’s colder than ever – at least, that’s how it feels to those of us who hate winter. I know, I know: Hot chocolate! Snow angels! But here’s the thing: Dry skin! Flu viruses! Not to mention that foreplay turns into half an hour of tearing off your 27 layers of clothing. (My boyfriend fell asleep once waiting for me to finish. I wish I was joking.)

Even if you’re a winter advocate, let’s be honest: It’s an inconvenient season filled with power outages, buried vehicles, thermal leg hair, and socks thicker than “War and Peace” – they’re also socks that won’t fit into the boots you just bought.

And you can try with all your might to rip us winter-haters away from our electric blankets and spiked coffee and show us the wonders of the season, but it’ll just make things worse. The only thing my one skating lesson taught me was how very, very (very!) right I was.

That being said, ’tis the season to preserve as much of your sanity as possible. Here are 16 survival tips that might at least upgrade your hatred for winter to mild dislike:

  1. When your hair is suffering from a severe case of hat head, use dry shampoo to fluff your hair. It’ll be good as new in no time.
  2. Winter’s pretty dreary, which is why surrounding yourself with bright, cheery colors might help steer your mood in that direction too. Instead of wearing blase grey or boring black, opt for a bright orange scarf or Irish green mitts.
  3. If you’re having a serious case of dry skin, draw yourself a bath with a few drops of olive or grape seed oil and hop in.
  4. Use a disposable razor to get rid of those pesky sweater pills.
  5. Skewer a dryer sheet with the bristles of your hair brush and push it to the bottom of your bristles. Brushing your hair with the dryer sheet attached will help prevent static.
  6. Warm your bed with a hot water bottle or electric blanket, and throw your workout gear under the blanket with you so they’re warm and toasty for the next morning.
  7. Keep moisture in the air with a teakettle or saucepan of boiling water.
  8. Ice-proof your car windows by spraying them with three parts vinegar to one part water. Spritz on as you’re coming home from work so your windows aren’t a hot mess the next morning.
  9. Lift your windshield wipers from your car windows and cover them with socks to prevent ice buildup.
  10. Keep a chalkboard eraser in your glove compartment to combat foggy windows.
  11. Keep all of your gadgets well-charged so if the power goes out you can still be productive.
  12. Buy yourself a hot winter coat and pair of boots. It’s hard to be miserable if you look fabulous.
  13. Save on heat by only heating the areas of your home you’re spending time in at the moment, wear warm loungewear and don’t skimp on the fuzziness of your slippers.
  14. Catch up on indoor projects that you put off during better weather. It’ll help shrink your to-do list and the physical activity will keep you warm.
  15. Use apps to distract yourself. When it’s minus 50 outside, I use a nature sounds app to pretend I’m doing yoga on a beach.
  16. And if all else fails, close the curtains and pretend it’s July.

Bah humbug.

Do you hate winter, or are you a snow angel aficionado?

Related on EcoSalon

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5 DIY Home Hair Treatments to Keep Hair Moisturized Through the Winter

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Image: Gustavo Verissimo

Krissy Brady

Krissy Brady is a women’s health + lifestyle writer who’s so out of shape, it’s like she has the innards of an 80-year-old. Instead of learning how to crochet, she decided to turn her emotional baggage into a writing career (genius, no?). You can follow her shenanigans on Twitter (you know, if you want).