Especially as the winter comes in, rising fuel bills can make it hard to keep comfortable – and sitting at home in the cold can be miserable as well as unhealthy. It can help if you can keep your space warmer and brighter, and try to find ways that staying warm can feel cosy not desperate.
Try these tips to stay warm:
- Wear multiple layers of clothing, to trap heat and keep your body warm. You may like to sleep in flannel or fleece pyjamas, or wear a hoodie to bed. If it gets too cold, pop on thin gloves or handwarmers, and a blanket or scarf.
- Keep your feet warm. Thick socks, cosy slippers, and rugs or carpets on the floor can help a lot. If you don’t have carpets, put your feet up when you sit down to avoid losing heat.
- Reduce your space. When it’s cold and you can’t heat the whole home, staying in a smaller space can help you conserve heat. Choose a room to spend the majority of your time in (eg a living room or bedroom). If you live with other people, try to share that space as much as possible. Close the curtains, block any drafts with excluders or rolled-up blankets, and, when you leave the room, close any doors behind you. Even if you still can’t afford to have the heat on all the time, a closed room will stay warmer for longer, and your body heat will also help warm the space over time.
- Turn the heating off when you don’t need it. It only takes around 30 minutes to fully warm a room – if you can, set timers so the heat comes on half an hour before you wake up, and is off while you’re out of the house.
- Use personal heat sources, like hot water bottles, microwave hotties, or electric/chemical handwarmers. As long as you’re warm, it matters less if the space is a bit chilly.
Having a house which feels dark, damp or cold can make you feel more miserable or overwhelmed, and many of us are living in less-than-ideal housing as rents rise. Do what you can to help the space feel cosy and welcoming – cheap options might include candles, fairy lights, putting up decorations or pictures, and colourful blankets and pillows, which all add some colour and warmth. When it’s mild outside, open the windows and air things out – keep it feeling like a pleasant place to be.
It can be hard to motivate yourself to clean or tidy, but it can make a huge difference to your sense of wellbeing. If you struggle to clean, see if you can enlist friends to help – it can be much easier to clean someone else’s home than your own.
More ways to beat the winter blues
For many of us, short days, long dark nights, and cold weather mean long periods of low mood.
Explore our resource hub for tips on looking after your wellbeing during the winter months.
Coping with the cost of living
Dealing with the rising cost of living often puts an extra strain on your mental health.
Explore our Cost of Living resources for ideas on how to manage stress and look after your mental health and wellbeing under financial pressure.
