How to Survive Winter

Fire comforts us at a primeval level. If your accommodation has a fireplace, you’re lucky. Get firewood, coal, turf, briquettes, or whatever you can burn in it - smokeless fuels are available in most cities, even if other fuels are no longer sold. Make sure you know how to light it, and keep some kindling or firelighters around. If you can set up a fire in the morning before you go out, it only takes a single match to get it going when you come home. A fire like this doesn’t need to be a huge, roaring affair - anything that will stay going will keep your spirits up.

If you have a gas fire, instead of a “real” fire, it too will help a lot. It has the advantages of being quick to light, and not needing a separate supply of fuel. Gas fires can add heavily to your gas bill, though, so don’t leave them running when you’re out of the room.
Electrical fires were popular in the 70s in Ireland, although you don’t see them much any more. Nevertheless, they have the same advantages as the gas ones, even if they’re not quite as cheerful. Many electrical fires don’t have much protection in front of the heated bars, so a little more care needs to be taken than with the gas ones, which usually have a transparent panel.

If you haven’t any of these, go for candles. They won’t provide much heat, but they’ll trigger that fire-is-comfort reaction all the same. Medium-sized “church” candles are best; they last for a long time, are hard to knock over, and will stand freely without needing candlesticks. Scented ones can be nice in theory, but they can be a little artificial and overpowering, so plain or beeswax ones are often preferable. Put them where you can see them, on desks, tables, and counters. Small groups of candles are especially good.

As well as fire, people like light. It’s the darkness of winter, the short days and clouded skies, that depress people more than anything else. Indeed, there’s the whole condition of SAD. Even if you don’t suffer from that, though, the darkness can get to you.
So to counter this, go for light. You can get daylight simulating bulbs, which may well help, or you can place a lot of small lights around your living and working space. Even a simple desk lamp can help a lot on dark days - the actual light level doesn’t seem to be all that important, just having a light source helps.My preference is for the “crane” lamps, which can be pointed and positioned as you prefer, but you might like to go for the more traditional table lamp, or the “green shade” lamps.

Of course, you can’t beat actual natural light, and even if the day is dark, being outside will help. Go for a walk around mid-day, when the light is brightest, and try to get into some kind of open space so you can see more of the sky. Even on otherwise miserable days, this can help a lot.