Preparing Yourself and Your Home for Winter

As Autumn wraps its golden arms around the world, the temperatures begin their descent into their wintry depths, the sun retires to his slumber earlier each evening, and the animals become unsettled. Anxiously they set to their winter preparations, storing food, increasing their body fat and seeking shelter, as they sink into quiet lethargy. As members of the animal kingdom, human beings naturally become restless as well at this time of year. We feel a sense of anticipation and urgency to prepare for the coming months. This seems to be especially true for those who live in areas where the winters are particularly long and frigid. So if you are feeling this sense of incitement as the long cold season presses ever closer, there are a few things you can do to prepare yourself as your fellow animals do.

Prepare for a long season indoors by getting your home clean and organized. While Spring cleaning is common practice, you will find your home easier to manage if you do a less thorough cleanup in the Fall as well. Identify areas of your home that have become cluttered and disheveled during the summer months, clean out the clutter, and focus on effectively organizing these areas. Having done this kind of Autumn reorganization, your home will run much smoother through the long months ahead.

Prepare your home to avoid high heating costs. Resolve to save energy this winter by setting your thermostat at sixty eight degrees and winterizing your home by identifying and sealing air leaks. Get your furnace checked and have any routine maintenance performed prior to the arrival of wintry weather. Keeping your thermostat lower doesn't necessarily mean that you have to pass the colder months in discomfort. Stock up on cozy essentials like warm sweaters, slippers, long underwear, and snuggly blankets. Supplement your furnace with a quality space heater or portable radiator.

Prepare for winter weather and all that it brings. Make sure you have home essentials for removing snow and ice including a snow shovel, snow brush for your car, and ice melt. Make sure all family members have the outerwear they need to get them through the winter. Use the internet as a resource for finding bargains on coats, snow pants, snow boots, etc. Make sure you have sufficient emergency supplies in your vehicle to keep you safe and warm in case you end up stranded in a snow storm or experience some other type of roadside disaster.

Prepare financially for holiday economic pressures. Save up for gifts and other holiday expenses ahead of time and stick to a budget. Resolve to avoid overextending yourself this holiday season by sticking to a budget. Focus on a more conservative, less consumerist Christmas and limit gift giving and travel. Use your imagination and your creativity to fashion your own festive decor. For those who will see some short hours without holiday pay this season, be sure to budget and save for leaner yuletide paydays.

Prepare yourself for the possibility of the winter blues. As the holidays pass and the dark cold winter days seem to drag on, it's easy to get a little down. It's estimated that 25 % of people suffer from a mild form of seasonal affective disorder, or in other words winter depression, and another 5% of people suffer from a more severe case of this condition. To combat the blahs that can creep up in the late winter months try to stay active and plan plenty of fun family activities. Try a "Happy Light", a special full spectrum light that simulates sunlight and can actually help boost your mood. Get away for a while. Birds migrate to warmer climates in the winter, why not you. Instead of waiting for summertime to take your family vacation, plan a trip to someplace with plenty of sunshine and warm weather. If you think you are one of the 5% that suffer from a more severe form of this mood disorder, seek help from your doctor.

Prepare your family for cold and flu season. Make sure that your home is stocked with plenty of disinfectants and use them frequently. Wipe down germ hot zones like door knobs and the computer keyboard. Wash your hands frequently and since antibacterial soaps only prevent bacteria from growing, they don't kill viruses and bacteria use a hand sanitizer as well. Drink plenty of fluids, get plenty of rest, and avoid sick people. In case you do happen to catch a cold weather bug, stock up on soothing essentials like zinc lozenges (which are proven to help reduce the severity of symptoms and the duration of the common cold), vitamins, soup, throat drops, saline spray, and tissues. Keep over the counter medications on hand to combat miserable cold symptoms. If you are sick stay home.

Finally, you're ready to settle in for your hibernation. So curl up next to a fireplace with a good book and a cup of hot chocolate, and enjoy your cool crisp Autumn and your Winter wonderland.