How to survive in the states where snow falls: instructions for winter
'30.11.2018'
Source: Lifehacker
Real winter has come to America - with a minus on the thermometer, snow drifts and other indispensable attributes of this season. What associations do you have with the word "winter"? Cold, ice and eternal colds? More optimism, winter is wonderful. Lifehacker I collected for you a variety of tips that will help to cope with the typical problems of the cold season and make life easier and more enjoyable.
How not to freeze in the street
After all, you also have a thought that it would be great not to leave the house at all until about April? Alas, you still have to pull yourself together and go to meet the winds of winter. To minimize worries about the cold will help our recommendations.
1. If you have to spend a lot of time outdoors, in advance remove metal decorations. Earrings, rings and bracelets in the cold quickly cool, cooling and our skin. Rings also interfere with proper blood circulation. For the same reasons, replace metal-rimmed glasses with contact lenses.
2. Before going out Do not drink alcohol and do not smoke. In a state of intoxication it is difficult to realize whether you are cold or not, and smoking leads to impaired blood circulation. All this together significantly increases the likelihood of frostbite.
3. Going for a walk eat good. The calorie food, the longer you will not freeze. But to drink hot tea or coffee before going to the frost is not worth it, set it aside before returning to heat.
4. Leaving the house outside, hold for a few minutes in the entrance. Usually there is cooler than in the apartment, but warmer than on the street. So you will help the body gradually adapt to the cold. Put on gloves here, so hands really do not freeze longer.
5. Do not carry tight shoes It should be strictly in size or even slightly large. Choose winter boots or boots so that the woolen sock can be worn down freely.
6. If possible, try hide from the wind, be sure to cover your face. But do not hide your mouth and nose under a scarf all the time, as moisture accumulates on the fabric, which cools the incoming air. Ultimately, this can lead to colds or frostbite.
7. Watch out for skin color. If some of her plot suddenly turned pale - faster in the heat, it seems you have frostbite.
8. Try breathe nose. Inhale and exhale should be uniform and not very deep, you can do them in time with the steps.
9. As soon as you feel that you are freezing, immediately go to the room. A store, a pharmacy, and anything, the main thing now is to at least warm a little. 5-10 minutes of respite in the heat will help to escape from hypothermia.
What to do when frostbite
A typical winter attack attacking those who did not follow the advice given above. The skin on the affected area turns pale, there is a burning sensation, and then the sensitivity decreases to numbness. Traditional recipes such as rubbing with snow or alcohol will not work here and will even be dangerous.
1. In no case do not rub the damaged area. Neither mittens, nor even snow. There is a risk of scratching the skin and causing infection.
2. Rubbing alcohol or oil also meaningless. Alcohol has a sharp warming effect, and it is just not needed during frostbite.
3. Keep warm gradually. If you immediately put your hands under a stream of boiling water, it only hurts the already exhausted skin. Start with a little warm water and gradually increase the degree, but do not reach the frankly hot one.
4. Overlay the affected area. tight but not tight gauze bandage. It will provide an adequate level of heat and protect against infection.
5. Warm up not only frostbitten plotbut the whole body. The easiest way is to wrap yourself in a blanket and drink a couple of cups of warm sweet tea.
6. Do not letso that the damaged area is frozen again. The consequences of secondary frostbite can be much more serious.
Stand upright
Another specific danger is ice. You can avoid bruises and more serious injuries if you know how to deal with ice.
- The first step to victory is good shoes.
Embossed sole and lack of heels will significantly reduce the risk of falling. If the sole is too smooth, put small pieces of coarse sandpaper on the toe and heel.
- An important point - walking technique
Usually our feet touch the surface at an angle, but in ice, try to lower them in parallel, stepping completely on the sole. Body position will be much more stable than with traditional walking.
- Go better on the edge of the sidewalk
There is usually not as slippery as on the central part of the road. And a snowdrift is near, there is something to soften the fall, if suddenly that.
Tips for drivers
The beauty of owning personal transport is fully appreciated in the cold season. We have already told how to start the car in the cold, and now we will share life hacking, which will help to cope with other winter disgraces.
- So that in the morning you do not have to tear off frozen wipers from glass, in the evening wear socks on them or put pieces of cardboard between the wipers and glass. It looks not very elegant, but comfortable.
- If possible, park the car "facing" to the east. The morning sun will melt the snow accumulated during the night on the windshield and at least a little, but it will warm the interior of the car.
- In order not to scrape long and painfully frost from the glass, treat it with a special mixture: one part water into three parts of food vinegar (namely vinegar, and not strong essence).
- To remove ice from the glass and to prevent its further occurrence, salt will help. Wrap a handful of salt in a handkerchief and gently wipe the resulting wrap with glass until ice disappears.
- Another way to avoid frost: after stopping the engine, leave all car doors open for 5-10 minutes for warmth and moisture to leave the cabin.
- To prevent the lock from freezing, inject some WD-40 grease into it. Open the frozen lock will help the same operation, but with medical alcohol or a sanitizer for hands.
- A car stalling on the ice will be saved by cat litter. If you put it under the wheels, the filler will provide the necessary grip.
- Keep a spare pair of warm socks in the glove compartment just in case. It will be something to warm up when wet feet or freeze.
Resist Disease
In winter, catching cold is easier than ever. Once you walk without a hat or wet your feet, characteristic symptoms appear the next day. Keeping healthy until spring is quite a real task, if you approach the matter with proper thoroughness.
Sleep enough
Lack of sleep adversely affects our well-being, pushing straight into the arms of the disease. Try to give sleep at least 8 hours a day, because this is the easiest way to protect against disease.
Move more
Cold and snow outside the window is not a reason to wrap yourself in a blanket for three months and play seal. Every morning, be sure to do exercises, even 10 minutes of physical activity will help to stay in good shape. We have a complex for office workers and a selection of exercises that will make you a real superhero.
Eat well
The diet should include sources of fiber, protein and vitamins. Sauerkraut, Bulgarian pepper, carrots, radish, broccoli, milk and dairy products, chicken broth, cranberry juice and dogrose decoction are your best friends for the next three to four months. They will help strengthen the immune system and prepare the body to meet with the infection.
Immunize
If you often get sick or work with a large number of people, get vaccinated beforehand. The advice is obvious, but many people ignore it for some reason.
Ventilate the room often
If at work you share the office with colleagues, occasional airing will save you from general infection.
Wash your hands
This simple ritual helps to reduce the probability of acquiring an infection several times.
Home remedies for colds
First you need to decide on the concepts. We will tell you what to do when you are frozen to the bone or wet your feet, but you don’t want to get sick. If you have flu symptoms - a sharp rise in temperature to 38-39 ° С, exhausting cough, severe headache and aching joints - contact your doctor immediately. The consequences of a banal hypothermia is quite possible to overcome on their own.
- Keep your feet warm
Woolen socks should not be removed even at night, and the bed for more effect warm up in advance with bottles of hot water.
- Slice lemon
Cut into small cubes, place in a glass jar and mix with 4-5 tablespoons of honey. Cover and steep. Eat the resulting mixture simply or add it to tea.
- Drink plenty - what you need
Cranberries and lingonberry fruit drinks, chamomile infusion, fresh ginger and lemon drink, green tea with fresh feijoa will help you to feel unwell.
- Aromatherapy works
Fumigation with essential oils of lemon, lavender, rosemary, tea tree and eucalyptus (individually or in mixtures) will fill the room with a pleasant aroma and mobilize the body's defenses.
Rules of insulation
At this time of year you prepare for each exit to the street as if you are going to go into outer space. And rightly so, because a sharp drop in temperature and humidity becomes a real shock for our body. In order not to freeze even in freezing frost, it is important to follow a few simple rules.
The more layers the better
Each layer of clothing creates an extra layer of air that retains heat. In a long-sleeved T-shirt and a wool cardigan you will be more comfortable than in one thick sweater. The main thing that the first layer adjoined to the body.
Jeans, even the most dense, you will not warm
If you still do not want to abandon them in favor of warm pants or trousers made of fabric with the addition of wool, be sure to wear a thermal underwear.
Cotton is a bad choice for winter
It absorbs moisture well, and in frost such an ability becomes rather a disadvantage. Suitable materials for underwear - merino wool, natural silk and synthetics.
Mittens are better than gloves
Yes, they are not so convenient to perform any actions that require small movements, but the fingers warm each other and therefore they are very warm.
Choose windproof and waterproof synthetic fabric
For long walks, it is better to choose gloves and mittens on the basis of a windproof and waterproof synthetic fabric. Knitted gloves will get wet quickly if you have to mess around in the snow.
Winter skin and hair care
In winter, we are tested for strength at the same time heat and cold: frost and wind bite the cheeks outside, and in a heated room, dry air is accepted. As a result, the skin peels off or vice versa becomes unusually oily, and the hair is completely electrified and generally does not look very good. All this can be controlled.
1. The skin must be moisturized. Stories about water molecules that freeze in the skin and injure it could be true, lower our body temperature to zero, which, of course, does not happen. Apply moisturizer for an hour before going out, so he will have time to fully soak.
2. For hair advice about moisturizing also applies. The conditioner after each wash, regular moisturizing masks and oil-based products for the tips of the hair will help the hair not to turn into electrifying straw.
3. Choose products with more saturated textures than in summer. Replace the gel with a light cream, and for dry skin, use nourishing oil balms.
4. Apply cleansing masks a maximum of twice a week. If you have sensitive skin, then it does every 7 days. If possible, replace the exfoliating agent with acidic or enzymatic peels.
5. Instead of long gatherings in the hot tub, take a short warm shower. So the skin of the body will suffer much less from dryness.
6. Use coconut oil as a shaving aid. Two in one: gliding and moistening.
7. For best results, apply body cream on the still moist skin. At the same time it will relieve the unpleasant feeling of the film.
8. To quickly soften the skin of the hands, apply a thick layer of cream or oil and wear cotton gloves. It is best to do this before going to bed, but if there is no time to wait, pull on rubber gloves for cleaning and wash the dishes in hot water.
9. Dried cuticle will quickly bring a decent look of hygienic lipstick. It is better, of course, to regularly nourish and moisturize it with a cream or oil mixtures, but lip balm will also come off as an emergency way.
Life hacking for home
It is cold, the air is unpleasantly dry, and in the corridor entire lakes have leaked from the boots. It's okay, with all this you can easily cope.
- Dirty puddles of melted snow will drive out of the corridor the usual shoe pan, filled with gravel. Put your shoes in immediately after you are out. The water will flow down and the shoes will remain dry and relatively clean.
- If you baked something in the oven, after cooking is complete, leave the door open. The remaining heat will warm the kitchen, and not be wasted.
- Stick a piece of foil or heat-reflecting insulation (the same foil in the company of polyethylene foam) onto the wall behind the battery approximately the size of the radiator. At the same temperature, the batteries in the room will become noticeably warmer.
- To make the dry air in the apartment a little more suitable for a normal life, periodically boil for 15 – 20 minutes (under the watchful eye, of course) water in a saucepan without a lid. You can add there citrus peels, cinnamon sticks or cloves, then it will all be nice to smell.
- Before removing the snow, apply some vegetable oil on the blade of the spade. It is more convenient to do this by pouring the oil into a bottle with a spray. So the snow will not stick to the shovel, and you will spend less nerves trying to shake it off.
25 winter fun
And finally, about how to occupy yourself for a long three (let's be optimistic) months. We have outlined a sample list of things you can do alone or with family and friends. Above all, remember that winter is cool and fun. After all, when else can you eat snow? 🙂
1. Play snowballs
Yes, classes are not obvious. But remember when was the last time you did this? That's it, for a long time. So it's time to repeat.
2. To make a snowman
Just like in childhood, with a carrot nose, twig hands and a bucket on the head.
3. Build a snow fort and make its assault
Just dress warmly and take a thermos with hot tea.
4. Color the snow
Mix water and food coloring in a spray bottle, the solution should be highly concentrated. This mixture can be painted snow and all that is made of it - even a snowman, even the walls of the fortress.
5. Go skiing or skating
Fresh air and movement - the best combination at any time of the year.
6. Fall into a snowdrift
In childhood we were forbidden to wallow in the snow, but now you can afford it. Of course, you first need to dress warmly.
7. Cook mulled wine on the fire
A bottle of wine, grape or apple juice for the non-alcoholic variant, sliced orange, sugar to taste, five buds of cloves, two or three sticks of cinnamon, a pinch of cardamom, nutmeg and ginger. All mix and heat, not boiling.
8. Go for a walk in the winter forest
Search for animal tracks there, collect cones and fir branches. They are useful for translating the idea from the following point.
9. Make a wreath on the front door
The thick wire is rolled up into a ring, on which you fasten the forest gifts. You can add a wreath of beads or ribbons, and you can leave it in its original form.
10. Make a bird feeder
Fill it with raw sunflower or pumpkin seeds, crumbs of white bread and oatmeal. Tits will be very grateful if you treat them to unsalted lard or cottage cheese.
11. Blow bubbles in the cold
The most suitable temperature for this is below -15 ° С.
12. Grow a snowflake
From 4 toothpicks do the workpiece, which is wrapped with woolen threads. Fill a half-liter jar with hot water and add salt and a teaspoon there until it stops dissolving. Fix the future snowflake on a string and put it in a pickle. About a day later the snow miracle is ready.
13. Dressing a Christmas tree in the street
Make jewelry with your own hands - for example, garlands of dried slices of oranges and apples.
14. Watch the Nutcracker ballet
“Dance of the Fairy Dragee” everyone learns from the very first notes, but not everyone has seen a completely classical work. It is best to fill this gap in the New Year holidays, when a good Christmas story will be most welcome.
15. Arrange a marathon
Movies, films and more films - from morning to evening. You can invite friends or enjoy a good movie alone.
16. Review all Oscar-winning films.
In total, as of the release date of this material, such 87 tapes, if each is diverted a separate day, will suffice just before the end of winter. Or for three months of weekly movie marathon.
17. Organize a picnic
It’s not necessary to go outside, everything will happen at home. Lay a blanket on the floor, throw a couple of pillows, and then, like on a regular picnic, food, guitar, fun, only without a fire.
18. Cook Gingerbread Cookies
Recipe options there are a great many, so leave the choice for you.
Do not feel sorry for the spices, and instead of white sugar, use brown, so the cookies will be more fragrant.
19. Build a gingerbread house
The dough is the same as for the cookie. Find the template on the Internet or make your own: two rectangles each for walls and a roof, two figures that can be described as a square, topped with a triangle, for the ends. Details will reliably hold together caramel from sugar, butter and water, and you can decorate the finished house with the help of icing based on powdered sugar and whipped protein.
20. Cook hot chocolate
Layfhaker collected the best recipes in infographics. Definitely worth a try. 🙂
21. Make pomander
Need a beautiful orange and a bag of cloves. Schedule a toothpick pattern on the fruit, and then stick a clove into the prepared holes. The result is pleasing to the eye and smells great.
22. Swim in the hole
Cold, hot and very fun at the same time.
23. Try new tea recipes
With walnuts, dried orange peel, apples, cherries, red wine, cloves and cinnamon - tea can be very different, but always tasty.
24. Make a winter playlist
It is not necessary to be songs about snow and ice, the main thing is that they create a special mood.
25. Spend all day in bed
On the long New Year holidays, everyone must do this.
