Steps to curing the cabin fever

Meenakshi Sathish
Features Editor

              Even if you don’t particularly like snow days, there is that spike in dopamine you feel when your Twitter goes off with your friends cheering about school being cancelled. It is an excuse to stay home all day and binge watch Parks and Recreation and Whose Line is it Anyway with Drew Carey (or at least that is what I did). As we do such activities, we forget that being idle is going to bite us in the butt when it’s time to go back to school and have to--wait for it-- move. Just the thought of moving and not being able to wear sweatpants and raggedy t-shirts is horrifying, but it must be done. It doesn’t have to be. It may take some struggling, but with a little bit of willpower, you can beat the cabin fever.

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                 Start following a schedule: For the past couple of days, chances are that your schedule has been completely wrecked. Write down a schedule for you to follow. Start with school, then after-school activities, followed by school-work, etc. By writing down a schedule, you are making it a point to complete a certain number of things without giving yourself a chance to think about it and bail. If you write it down, you do it. It’s tough love, baby. 
                Start exercising: You’re feeling sluggish because you haven’t been moving for the past two days (go figure). Also, winter causes the air to be dry and cold which results in dry eyes, negative sleep, stronger migraines, and an increase in viral infections among people. Fun, I know. Hence, it is important to start moving. Whether it is practicing early morning yoga or running to your favorite Spotify playlist, exercise is a great way to bid adieu to that cabin fever. The dry air sometimes can cause the sinuses to hurt so if that is the case, focus on meditation, stretching, weight lifting, or some other sort of activity that isn’t cardio-heavy. 
               Get some sunlight: Sometimes just a little bit of sunshine can do the trick. Dramatically open your bedroom window and feel that vitamin D on your face. Go the extra mile and hum a tune and invite in some canaries, hummingbirds, and squirrels. If that seems too far-fetched for you, maybe invest in a well-lit lamp. Light brightens your mood and can help you kick cabin fever to the curb. 
               Clean your room: I don’t really want to sound like your mother here, but good grief, get it together. Just kidding--but seriously, clean your room. Living in your own filth can be quite comfortable when you do it for two days. Maybe there is a system to your messiness where you know where everything is. Nevertheless, it is easier to think in a clean room. Plus, a clean room brings in more positivity. By cleaning your room, you’re moving your body which gives you exercise; you have a change in scenery; things are organized, so your mind is clear; and you can finally see your floor! 
             Eat better: It was two days of no school, so you finally had the time to watch that Gilmore Girls revival everyone is talking about. Consuming a healthy, movie snack would be more sensible, but eating celery and apples while watching Gilmore Girls is almost disrespectful. Many of us found comfort in eating our favorite, less-than-healthy foods in order to keep us warm during the snowfall, but it is time to start thinking about our body. Eating comfort food makes us more sluggish and more comfortable in our comforters. It is important to eat foods that nourish our bodies, especially during the winter when they are more to illnesses and idleness. Hearty foods with vegetables, fruits, and complex carbohydrates like sweet potatoes, lentils, fish, and avocados are the way to go in order to keep your body at tip-top shape. Many people forget to hydrate themselves during the winter season assuming that since they are not sweating in the sun, there is no need. Make sure to drink at least sixty-four ounces of water a day. 
       It seems almost impossible to survive another couple of weeks in school after this anathematized, winter weekend. However, before you know it, the snow will melt; spring will come, and we will be begging for the snow to come back as we sneeze senselessly with pollen in our nose and sweltering heat on our back. Happy winter, everyone!