I’m a West Coast kid, so I was pretty freaked out in August about the prospect of surviving my first Midwestern winter, even if it would be in the bubble that is Kenyon. Honestly, (knock on wood), this winter hasn’t been as bad as I thought it would be, but there have still been some really cold days when I barely left my room. And when I barely leave my room for days in a row, I can start to go a little bit stir crazy. So, despite my decided unqualifiedness, here are my tips for not going insane when you’re trapped in your room.
1. Have social time.
It’s super easy to just spend a snow day laying in bed watching Netflix, but if you want to not go insane, it’s important to talk to other people. Snow days are actually a really nice opportunity to spend time with people in your dorm, who you might not talk to much otherwise. Put whatever you’re watching on Netflix on in the lounge. There will probably be other people around also looking for something to do.
2. Also have time alone.
Socialization is great, but you can also get caught up in only spending time with other people, and forget it’s also important to have time to yourself. I’m an introvert so this is a big deal for me, so I really need this time to recharge, but it’s important for everyone to have quality alone time. And when everyone is trapped inside, it can be hard to find time and space to be alone. This is when it’s important to remember that it’s okay to say no to things.
3. Spend time on a hobby.
Take the chance to devote some time to things you always want to do but don’t have time, like doing art, or writing, or making some art. It’s nice when you have a moment, to take the opportunity and spend some time on one of those things you always want to but never have to. I like to take the time to do some journaling, or work on my knitting.
4. Don’t just eat cereal.
I love cereal. I eat a lot of cereal. But even if you aren’t planning to move all day, it’s important to try and not just eat whatever snack food you have in your dorm. Door dash is an indulgence, but sometimes it’s worth it to eat a real meal.
5. Move around.
It’s easy enough to lay in bed all day, but I find when I do this it makes me super lethargic, and then I don’t sleep well, so I’m tired the next day, and it turns into a vicious cycle. So attempt to maintain a normal sleep cycle, and it will make it a lot easier to wake up for class the next day.
6. Don’t wear pajamas 24/7.
For example, if you’re going to do work, change into real clothes. I love lounging around in my pajamas. But I also don’t like doing work in my room, to separate my living space from my work space. This means I spend a lot of time in Mod B. But when it’s cold outside, I often don’t want to make that trek across campus. One way to create this separation when I don’t want to leave my dorm is to do my lounging around in my pajamas, and get dressed in real clothes if I’m going to do work. Getting dressed is also helpful if you just want to feel more awake.
We still have another month of winter left at least, but just try and keep imagining spring, and we’ll get through it together. And remember, when it’s hot and humid again, how you feel right now.