Have I mentioned that I’m not a winter-person. Being involved in winter sports doesn’t do much for me.
It was different when I was a kid, but something happens when you age. You get cold faster and stay cold, and it hurts more when you fall down and bump your head.
February is known as Cabin Fever month. The dictionaries say it’s a claustrophobic reaction. Claustrophobia is fear of closed in spaces.
Whether or not we fear it, cold weather keeps many of us inside when we’d rather be outside doing “things”.
According to Wikipedia, symptoms of Cabin Fever (or Stir Crazy) include “restlessness, irritability, irrational frustration with everyday objects, forgetfulness, laughter, excessive sleeping, distrust of anyone they are with, and an urge to go outside even in the rain, snow or dark.”
February has been a month of teases.
It warms up, the snow melts, and everyone just knows that Spring is coming. And then it snows. And then it melts. And then more cold weather...
And each time the sun rises, so do our spirits.
It seems wrong to complain about our weather when you look at what the rest of the country is getting, even people in Mexico complains about the cold winters there!
While we seek the warmth of our cabins, they get pretty uncomfortable when all we can think about it Spring.
The “experts” mostly agree that the best way to overcome Cabin Fever is to change your routine.
Get out of your rut.
Forget about Spring and enjoy doing something fresh and fun. Winter will be gone before you even notice.
A few ideas to make you forget about winter:
Be creative. Use your imagination. Turn on the music and dance! Find a friend and play some cards. Spread a blanket on the floor and have a picnic. Even if you aren’t an artist, get out a pencil and paper and draw.
Use your imagination to banish that Cabin Fever.
Ashcroft/Cache Creek Journal - Black Press