This winter is hopefully more than halfway over and it has been very eventful with weather. I’m pretty sure we have had more snow days and ice days this year than the last 3 years combined! Luckily, I work at a company that lets employees work from home so neither one of us has had to venture out into the forbidden tundra on really bad days (like today). Sometimes those days have fallen on weekends and we have been able to work on a ton of house projects (or start them until we run out of supplies ?), which has been great to see so much progress happen in only a month’s time. But then we run out of projects, supplies, or ideas and we find ourselves feeling a little holed up with a bad case of cabin fever. Here is a list of things I do to help rid that restless feeling. Some I have tried and swear by, while others I have tucked up my sleeve for the next time we get snowed in.
Things to do when you have cabin fever:
- Workout! Hear me out, you are stuck inside the house way more than normal and probably aren’t even going out to get groceries, which means your Fitbit is telling you that you are seriously lacking some steps. Get up and walk a lap around the house. If you’re cold, do some push-ups or jumping jacks –> Trust me on this, in college I had roommates who didn’t want to pay for heat, my room was a lovely 58 degrees most of the time and my arms had never been so toned!
- Have a movie marathon. Use Netflix, Hulu, DVDs… I personally recommend Harry Potter. The Gryffindor crew will keep your attention for hourrrrrrssssss.
- Hang out in your closet! Whether you are due to go through and get rid of old clothes or you want to create some new outfits, you’ll definitely warm up trying on clothes. Bonus points if you pick out your outfits for the next week or month!
- Bake something! Open up Pinterest and make something you pinned months ago. Not only will you have a delicious treat after working out, but the oven will help heat up the house too.
- Clean. Maybe this should be lower on the list as a last resort but it will get you moving and you will feel great sitting down to Hermione and friends with a clean house.
- Organize your finances! I might be the only one who thinks that should have an exclamation but really, it should be exciting. Banks are all online now so you can see your account in real time, balance your checkbook, make a budget, etc. You can also work on budgeting a vacation to the Caribbean this time next year so you won’t need this list again! ?
- Do a puzzle. A 1,000 piece puzzle can keep you occupied all day if you try hard enough. Just make sure you take breaks to stretch!
- Decorate. I’m sort of new to this because I don’t have a lot of décor right now but every time I buy or make something, I make sure it can be displayed in more than one location. Move the centerpiece from your dining table to the mantle or hutch. Take out a pitcher from summer and make it your centerpiece on your kitchen table. Rearrange picture frames on the walls, or even swap out pictures for a refresh. Once you start brainstorming the imagination runs wild.
- Make something. You know that time you bought yarn because you wanted to become a knitter? Or what about those beads you got to make a necklace? Go make it!
- Music. Open YouTube and take turns playing your favorite songs from high school. It’s like finding a ton of new reasons to love your spouse when you realize you both loved the same punk rock bands. ?
And there you have it, 10 ways to get rid of cabin fever. What ideas have you tried?
