HealthyBea

How to Embrace the Cold

If you’re anything like me, cold weather can feel intimidating and at times debilitating. I have been known to actually feel scared to walk outside when conditions are harsh. That is, until I discovered how to dress properly. My team at Food Network steered me in the right direction, encouraging me to swap my thinner, albeit more stylish coat for a parka (I think because they were also a worried about my wellbeing). What can I say? My family taught me that pea coats were warm enough! Yep – blaming you lot. 

Life did look more optimistic once I started dressing for the temperature, but my NYC winter days still felt pretty miserable. I went to bed worried about waking up at 5am to walk to the gym in the freezing cold, rejected plans if it meant I had to venture outside at night, cried over cracked lips and hands, and delayed Sunday chores if it meant I had to relinquish my blanket cocoon. Dramatic? Perhaps, but I honestly couldn’t shake it. 

Moving to the UK introduced a new kind of cold. Not as bitter, but perhaps more insidious due to the rainy chill that freezes your bones, not to mention the typically poor insulation in our old buildings. This new environment led me to beanies, fingerless gloves, and hot water bottles (for my US readers – this isn’t something you’re drinking, but rather a heating pad that you stick in your bed to warm before tucking in). 

Luckily, with the right tools and mindset, I learned not only how to face the cold, but also how to welcome it. I still prefer my milder spring or fall months, but no longer do I allow winter to dictate my mood and plans. 

Freezing, but beautiful Washington, D.C. at night in January.

Let’s get to it! Here are my recommendations to embrace the cold:

1. Earn the Warmth:
   • If you’ve learned anything about me, you’ll know that I live by the concept of delayed gratification and earning life’s pleasantries. I find so much value in this lifestyle because it allows difficult moments to feel much more bearable
   • Now when I am facing the cold, I remind myself how much more satisfying my toasty greeting will be when I finish whatever I need to accomplish
2. Reframe:
   • Sometimes all it takes to reverse discomfort is your mindset. Instead of considering the frigid wind a hindrance to my happiness, I think about it as a refreshing breeze that energises me after sitting inside for hours
3. Burn those Calories:
   • This one is a bit vain, but we have to take what we can! I do my best to think about the bright side of uncomfortable situations, so this winter I find some solace considering the extra calories my body burns while vigorously trying to warm me up 
4. Enhanced Sleep:
   • As long as you have what you need to maintain warmth throughout the night, sleeping in colder climates is infinitely better than in the hot and muggy. With the help of my hot water bottle and an extra blanket, I typically sleep better when it is cooler out (even given my previously paper thin walls) 
5. Cosy Clothes:
   • Let’s admit it, jumpers (aka sweaters) and sweatshirts are superior clothing items, and you don’t typically wear those on warmer days. Enough said here, I believe
6. Hearty Cuisine:
   • There is something so satisfying about meals that stick to your bones during the colder months. Red wine paired with a big bowl of chili, a roast dinner, or cheese fondue (if you’re in the mountains) while warming up after your outdoor activities cannot be beat. I do miss those meals once the heat starts to alter my appetite to crave lighter meals

I don’t anticipate too many colder days this winter, but I do hope you can use a few of these mindset shifts and considerations to jump out of bed for your early workout (I know, reaching for the stars, but you get my point). At the very least, remember that the warmer months will be here before you know it.

You got this!

Best,

Bea