Maybe you’re new to Wisconsin. Or maybe you’re just new to apartment living, outside the dorms and the convenience built into them. But when the temperatures turn frigid and the days grow short, it’s easy to feel trapped within the four walls of your Madison apartment.
Luckily, Rentable can do more than just help you find a cheap one bedroom in Madison. We’re from here, and we know a few ways to keep your sanity through the winter solstice and beyond. Here are four tips for surviving your Madison winter, sanity intact.
1. Buy Outdoor Winter Gear Before Winter
It can be hard to motivate yourself to leave your apartment once there’s 6 inches of snow on the ground. But one of the best things about winter in Madison is that the town doesn’t shut down just because it looks like Hoth outside. Sledding, snowshoeing, ice skating, ice fishing — Madisonians (and Wisconsinites) love to be outdoors in the colder months. To make sure that you can join them, make sure you buy your gear early. That means down parkas and snow boots… but also fun items, like skis or a snowshoes. If you have a new piece of gear to try out, you’ll greet the first snowfall with excitement, not dread.
2. Get Really Into Cooking
You don’t have to be the second coming of Julia Child to reap the benefits of a wintertime culinary passion. Even if you’re not much of a cook, what better time is there to learn a new skill than when you’re literally trapped in a room? Cooking passes the time, makes your apartment smell great, and best of all, you get to eat the results. Plus, winter is a great time for braises, bakes, and stews — all of which can warm you up and keep your kitchen toasty for hours.
3. Work Out, Indoors
You can’t just sit around and eat all day. But that doesn’t mean you have to trek across town to the SERF in the middle of a blizzard. Instead, try out some indoor exercises. Whether you’re into pilates or pull-ups, working out in your apartment can do more than just tone your abs. Moving your furniture around to make room for your yoga mat — and then moving your body around, too — can also help you see your space in a new way. And if you’re doing The Seven Minute Workout — which includes jumping jacks, planks, and sit-ups — you’ll see it from a different set of angles, too.
4. Just Buy a Light Therapy Lamp Already
They really work. Light therapy lamps emit light at a far higher intensity than standard bulbs, and positioning yourself in front of one for 30-60 minutes per day is supposed to inhibit melatonin, re-establish normal circadian rhythms, and help normalize vitamin D levels (usually fostered by regular exposure to sunlight). Even if you look like a crazy person sitting in front of one, who’s gonna know?
