Ladies and gentlemen, it's cold outside. As Jack Frost is nipping at your nose, here are some ways for you to survive the winter.
1. Appropriate clothing
Wear a winter coat, hat, gloves, everything. Dress in layers if you need to. If you are going to be outside for a long time, just standing around, wear layers and buy some hand and feet warmers. But if you're immune to the cold and wear shorts everyday in the winter I won't lie that's badass.
2. Grow a beard
You'd be surprised how a beard helps keep your face warm in the winter. It's not like a sauna on your face but it does help a little bit. Plus beards look cool.
3. Ignore the cold
Just ignore it. It may feel like you're swimming in ice water as you're walking down the street but it's more mental than physical. When you're walking between building to building you can ignore the cold because you won't be out there for too long anyway.
4. Breath through your nose
This is a little hint that I've learned over the years. When you open your mouth and breath in at 5 degrees, your throat gets so cold that you have to cough. Also, in Wisconsin winters it can get so cold sometimes that the wind cuts through your teeth like a knife, so stay warm and breathe through your nose.
5. Drive slowly
I could tell you so many stories of people driving into ditches. Once my friends and I slid into the other lane because of snow on the road. Thankfully we didn't get hurt, but we could have. Drive slower than you usually do, especially when the roads have snow on them because they might freeze over and the tires might slip. Remember to drive safe and if you have a truck or van, put some sandbags in the bag to weigh it down so your back tires don't slip on the ice. It's difficult with all this snow and ice to drive effectively, so be careful.
6. Stay indoors
This is what you'll be doing most of the time since the weather will be neither fit for man nor beast. So stay indoors, grab a cup of hot chocolate, wrap yourself in some blankets and you'll be fine.
7. Have fun
Go to an ice skating rink, go sledding, have a snowball fight, make snow angels. Have fun this winter. It's only 5 months out of the year. Plus, running around helps the blood flow and you'll actually enjoy winter rather than just staying indoors all day and hating that the sun set at 4 p.m.
Lastly, winter is here to stay. Stay warm, drive safe, and enjoy it. Enjoy the Christmas lights and New Year's parties. Enjoy the snow when it's soft and watch your step when it's slush. These are the tips I have for surviving winter, best of luck.
