Squall-mageddon is upon us. Literally, I have never heard the word “squall” in my entire life as many times as I have in the last 24 hours. It’s bitter cold, the winds are whipping, the snow is falling, going too close to your windows guarantees frostbite. A big chunk of the States is experiencing some of the lowest temperatures in recent memory, which means that it is highly likely that you (and I) are stuck inside, once again, by necessity. If you, too, catch cabin fever all-too-easily, check out these five simple tricks to keep your COOL while the cold’s got you trapped indoors.
1. Tackle Procrastination Station
It’s difficult not to feel at least a little helpless when you’re forced to remain in your apartment for hours on end. One of the best ways to combat this feeling is to keep yourself active. When the weather’s fine, activities outside often take priority over indoor affairs, and at least for me, that makes it extremely easy to let things around the house get out of hand. Maybe a need to fix a doorknob or a lightbulb or vacuum the floors (the most disgustingly tedious activity known to man). Maybe my closet has become a tornado of sweaters and shoes and fear. Whatever the case may be, I always seem to have a household project waiting to be done, and a day of imprisonment right next to that same project is the perfect time to get it out of the way (and make myself feel a little less helpless/useless to boot). If you need a little inspiration, you can find some here, and also here.
2. Spa Yourself
It may well be that housework does not appeal to your cold-weather-captive soul, in which case a spa day might be in order. With nothing to do and nowhere to go, I can think of no better time to pamper lovely you. Break out the nail polish, the DIY scrubs and hair masks and face masks and love, love, love yourself. Today’s snow day was sponsored by you needing a damn beauty break.
3. Revisit Old Hobbies
With constant work and school and volunteering and whatever else your hectic life throws your way, the things you love to do end up taking a backseat. Thanks to our friend Mr. Arctic Vortex, neither school nor work nor volunteering are in any way, shape, or form available to you at this moment— and there’s your happy hobby, metaphorically hanging out in the corner, smiling and waving at you. Perhaps less-busy you once loved to paint or knit or code or blog or play an instrument or video games (my roommate has a not-so-secret love affair with Fortnite). Whatever your past love, you might take a little time for it today and make a few, beautiful, Polar Vortex memories.
4. Work Out
If being caught in the house all day has you feeling like a caged animal, it may be time to get moving. I’m a personal fan of yoga, and Esther Ekhart’s yoga flows are to die for. If you’re really looking to get your blood pumping, this dance routine Beyoncé put out all the way back in 2011 is actually tons of fun— and really solid cardio. You can find an instructional video here (fair warning: it is extremely 2011).
5. Veg Out
Finally, if none of the above speak to you, a highly-respected move for today’s weather is a good old-fashioned veg. For any who might be unfamiliar with this term, to veg or to veg out is an expression used to describe sitting or lying somewhere comfortable, eating like it’s going out of style, and watching a screen for an extremely long length of time— like, a whole (snow) day. Find yourself a solid show to binge, a movie (or this movie), a documentary, pull out your favorite comfort food and a nice warm beverage and only leave your couch/bed when it is absolutely necessary. This is your sacred mission. The success of your snow day depends upon it.
FLEURS SAUVAGES 