Saturday 19 September 2020

If You’re Already Dreading Winter, Here Are Some Small Ways to Prepare Now

Winter Preparation 

 

The pandemic means we're probably going to be spending even more time indoors, so it's a good time to get your mind, body, and home ready to hunker down.
 
September 9, 2020, 12:00pm



  • howtostayin
    How to Stay In is a series about redefining "normal" life in order to take care of ourselves and one another during the COVID-19 pandemic.

    Since the beginning of this pandemic, there have been warnings that the upcoming fall and winter could be far worse than spring and summer were. CDC director Robert Redfield said it in April and again in July; several public health experts echoed this in The Atlantic in August; and we’ve all seen the 1918 pandemic graphs. In a few months, flu season will have begun, outdoor gatherings will be fairly unrealistic or just flatly impossible in much of the U.S., and the direct and collateral damage of mass unemployment will have deepened. While widespread rapid testing or the election of a new president could set us on a new, better, course, it’s still a good idea to plan for the worst while hoping for the best.


    While thinking about all of this is fairly bleak, one thing gives me hope: This time around will be different—both because we won’t be blindsided by it, and because we know so much more about the coronavirus now. We have an opportunity to say to ourselves, “What, in four months, would I absolutely regret not doing when I had the chance?” and “What small-ish things do I wish I had done in January 2020, that I can do some version of now?”

    And small-ish really is key here. Obviously, it would have been great to, say, not book a non-refundable April trip to Europe, or to know in December that you were going to suddenly get laid off in March, but that doesn’t exactly help you here. Instead, think more specifically about your day-to-day comfort, habits, and health. What were/are the biggest pain points? What might be exacerbated by cold weather, being indoors, or an unforeseen catastrophe (like a job loss or illness)? And what, if anything, could you do (or plan to do) now to feel a little bit less bad come January?

    If you’re filled with dread about the coming winter and want to do something about it, here are some questions to consider. Two tips, before you start, though:

    1. As you think through this, you may want to make a mega list of all of the things that could possibly be helpful… but then do a second pass and choose the 3–5 things that stand out to you as the highest priorities. You can always revisit the list in a month or so and choose a few more to work on. But try to resist the urge to do everything all at once; it’s too easy to get overwhelmed and give up that way.
    2. If your cash flow and resources are limited at the moment, it might still be worthwhile to think about this stuff now—because then you can keep an eye out for good sales, try to save a little money here and there, hit up thrift stores or Facebook resale pages, celebrate when you stumble across the exact thing you need in a neighbor’s trash pile, etc.

    What can you do in the next few weeks to make sure your physical and mental health are as good as they can possibly be?

    This might look like...

    • Getting a flu shot
    • Taking care of That One Nagging Issue—bad allergies, birth control, contact lenses, the tooth that’s been feeling not quite right, etc.
    • Finding a therapist and starting sessions, getting back into therapy if you’ve let things slide, and/or joining a support group
    • Getting a thermometer, some non-expired cold and cough medicine, cough drops, ibuprofen, tissues, etc.
    • Finding one style

     

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