Smart tips for home, work and travel
Yup, we’re deep into winter! We’ve put together a few helpful tips for staying hale and hearty during the chilly weather. These reminders will help you take care when you’re at home, at the office, or in the car on your wild and woolly adventures.
At home
Get a little vitamin D
Okay! Granted, it’s a little difficult to get an optimal amount of vitamin D during the winter. That being said, the winter sun does make an occasional appearance on a crisp day, so let’s make the most of it. Enjoy some natural sunshine now and then. Have a little chat with your neighbour, or wander around the block when the sun is out.
Sunlight helps regulate our sleep and waking cycles, and adds a little brightness to our day. Supplement with a good-quality vitamin D if your levels are tested to be low. If you’re consistently not feeling well, have frequent colds or infections, experience fatigue and tiredness or muscle pain and weakness are some of the symptoms of low vitamin D.
The dreaded lurgy
Colds and flu abound during the cold months. Endless tissues, damp misery and foggy hazes. Bleh! You can help prevent the spread of these germs with thorough cleaning and/or the convenience of disinfectant sprays/wipes.
Five a day - Enjoy a well-balanced meal
Fruit and veg add lovely colour to your dishes. Warm protein-rich stews, comforting soups, sprightly stir-frys, delectable Sunday roasts, or even luscious fresh berry and clementine-covered desserts bring nutrition and variety to your meals! Go on, give it a bash. Add a little colour to your next kitchen creation.
Be adventurous
Couch days turn into couch weekends and featureless couch holidays. Beat the chilly sluggishness and add a little zest! Try something new with your people. There are a lot of fun activities to do in the winter: teach the kids to ice skate, go find a sparkly still park to wander through with a beloved, or let the ocean spray blow out the cobwebs on a fun-filled day out with your friends! Go forth and make a few unique memories this winter; they’re guaranteed to add a twinkle to your eye!
Remember the liquid
Stay hydrated - water, juices, herbal teas or a hot toddy. It goes a long way to protect your immune system when you ensure you’re getting the recommended two litres a day of fluid. Don’t forget to remind small kids and elderly folk to have a bit of juice. It’s probably a good idea to remind the big kids stuck on the TV games to have something to drink now and then, too!
Clear a path
Shovelling snow isn’t everyone’s idea of fun, but if you think about the safety factor here, you’re sure to be more inclined to get out that shovel and use it frequently. Do your good deed for yourself, your family, your friends, and perhaps even your neighbours. Keep the ice and snow clear to help minimise the risks of injuries.
You’ll be really glad you did when your dinner companion can sweep up your garden path in her new stilettos and long evening gown! Or do it simply to avoid your partner wagging a finger. Not to mention evading having to reclothe the wet toddler that chose to roll up the snow-covered path. (It’s more fun to roll in snow than trudge in it).
A steamy reminder that using boiling water is NOT an option. Your garden path will turn into a slip and slide. An icy surface is not a good idea for visiting guests, or the forgetful path clearer (who me?).
Cosy and careful, and lanterns in the fort
Gas boilers, fires, wood burners and coal burners all create carbon monoxide. An excess build-up can cause carbon monoxide poisoning. People are still succumbing to this risk; it’s not just an old-fashioned fallacy. Be sure to have your gas appliances and crackling fire flues checked. They need to be installed correctly, maintained and well ventilated.
Small children and infirm or elderly folks are most at risk of this easily preventable hazard. Keep the cosy gatherings over the holiday season safe. Have a couple of light sources around in case the power hiccups. A few battery lamps and a head lamp are extremely useful. They’re also great fun when you build that blanket fort!
Holiday excitement
The festive season inspires letting your hair down, having a good time and zooming around like a firecracker.
Let the cheer in and help it whizz around. A glance now and then keeps everyone safe and sound.
While you’re on your party rounds, have a look around occasionally. Keep an eye on small children and the dangerous ‘button cell’ lithium batteries. These are those teeny tiny batteries found in kids' toys, musical cards and remotes. They may look like a treat, but they’re extremely poisonous.
At the office
Keep it bright
It’s a good idea to check the internal and external office lighting now and then; it will help make the workplace a little brighter. Most people will be arriving and leaving when it’s dark. Nobody wants to go skiing on that shadowed ice, fall up the steps first thing in the morning, or walk into an unseen door!
Keep in touch
There will no doubt be a few night owls working through the cold weather. Remind your colleagues to have a little jaunt around the office now and then when it’s dark and lonely. It’s good for the blood flow, good for the brain, and a great way to check if any other night owls are doing ok.
Keep it comfortable
Have maintenance professionals check out the heating systems. Nobody wants to be trapped indoors during a storm and have to cover themselves with office packing boxes to keep warm!
Keep it clean
Ensure that leaves around the walkways and entrances are regularly eliminated. It’s not the most pleasant of tasks to pick soggy leaves off your new pretty winter boots, but more importantly, wet leaves and debris turn paths into impromptu skating rinks. When it’s likely to be a frosty day, cover the most frequently used paths in salt or grit to mitigate the ice.
In the car
You’ve no doubt already prepared your car for winter. Now that we’re on top of the Winter Solstice, it’s a great idea to have another quick check your car is ‘good to go’ in the winter weather. You have all those holiday outings and parties to get to!
Check ALL the lights
Duh, I know. But let’s be honest, you probably race to put the car heating on, not check the lights every time you climb in!
Test your battery
Simply start the car. If it sounds dodgy, consider having a professional check that your battery is fully charged. You really don’t want to miss that fun outing at the last minute! And more sobering, be shivering on a dark road when your battery dies, and there’s no nice warm heating to switch on!
Screen wash
Well, now, that's probably not something you think about often. But imagine you’re driving through a nice sloshy mud puddle. Sploosh! Ok, now imagine trying to clean the windscreen so you can continue on your adventure. No water, no screen wash, no visuals.
The round things
Yes, the tyres. Winter is not the time to be sliding around. Check your tyres and ensure the tread is of a legal depth. A low tyre tread significantly reduces the tyre's grip and increases stopping distance. Not something you’d want on an icy road.
The power of stopping
Yes, your brakes. A rather important function in the car! I’m sure you don't want to be bursting through that farm fence, bumping over the ensuing rocks, only to end up stranded in the middle of a frozen lake with a bruised posterior.
cosy
Checking the brakes and fluid will help keep you and your family safe this winter.
Be a scout, be prepared
You’re probably extremely organised and already have a first aid kit in your car. Give it a winter upgrade and supplement it with a foil blanket or two. If you’re feeling really outdoorsy, a compact fold-up shovel won’t go amiss if you need to clear a path on your travels.
A spare torch is always a grand idea in these dark, wintry days! You never know when you’ll need to signal the alien spaceship where to land.
Frostbite, it really does bite
And it’s not fun. It sneaks up when direct exposure to cold is prolonged, turning fingers, toes, noses, ears and lips into ice sculptures before you even realise what’s happening. The skin may start to tingle, go numb, or change colour, which is your body’s subtle way of saying, “Get me indoors quickly.” It can lead to loss of sensation and eventually tissue death.
The cure? Layer up and keep dry in sub-zero conditions to protect those extremities.
Keep an eye out for:
The change of the colour of your skin from white to blue,
numbness and sensation of ‘pins and needles’.
The skin may become black due to the loss of blood supply.
Treatment of frostbite
Move the person indoors somewhere warm.
Gently remove any items such as rings, gloves and shoes.
Warm the affected part with your hands. Do not rub the area to avoid damage to the skin, or expose the affected body part to direct heat.
Place the affected part into warm but not hot water.
Dry the area gently and apply a light dressing.
Help the casualty raise the affected part to minimise the swelling.
Taking the casualty to the hospital is advised.
Someone suffering from frostbite could also experience hypothermia, so look for the signs and symptoms and treat if necessary.
Don’t be a victim of hypothermia
As temperatures drop, your body can lose heat faster than it can produce it, putting you at serious risk even during short periods outdoors. Your body temperature falls below 35 °C. Dress in warm, layered clothing, keep dry, and limit time in freezing conditions wherever possible. If you begin feeling unusually cold or disoriented, seek warmth immediately.
Hypothermia is serious and can become a life-threatening situation. Anyone who shows signs and symptoms of hypothermia must be treated quickly.
Here’s what to look out for:
Early signs such as confusion, fatigue and slurred speech
Slow, shallow breathing and a weak pulse
Shiverng, with cold and pale skin
Reduced level of response
Treatment for hypothermia
First aid is about keeping it simple.
If the person is outside, get them indoors quickly, where possible
Cover them with dry clothing or wrap a blanket around them
Wrap the person in a foil blanket if available. It’s useful to retain body heat and protect against the elements in an emergency to prevent hypothermia
You can use your own body to keep them sheltered and warm
Call for an ambulance
Offer the person a warm drink if they are fully alert
Keep an eye on their breathing and response levels until medical help arrives
So in short...
Get outside now and then, add some colour to your food, and have a light source to help other worldly beings land safely in your back garden. Celebrate Winter, enjoy the cosy gatherings and have some festive fun. Stay warm and safe, and have a go at making some epic memories this winter!
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