There’s nothing worse than a cold winter morning. Seeing the frost on the window panes can make you want to delay getting up. Bracing the cold is never fun. You pull the blanket over your head. Just a few more minutes. You’re not quite ready to leave the warmth of the bed right now. You know the bedroom will feel unpleasant as soon as you emerge from under the blanket. The prospect of tiptoeing with your bare feet on the hard floor is uncomfortable. But that’s nothing compared to how much you’ll be shivering after your shower. 

Not everyone is an early riser. But on cold mornings, the last thing you want to do is to get away from the soothing heat of the bed. Being cold is uncomfortable. So when you start your day with it, you’ve got a lot of work to fight off the grumpiness that follows. Nobody enjoys being cold! Not only does it put you in a bad mood at the beginning of the day, but it also can lead to delays and avoidance as you figure out alternatives that will keep the cold temperatures at bay. You’ll have a hard time arguing that you’re not late because you overslept but because your bedroom was too chilly. So how can you keep chilly mornings at bay? 

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Check your insulation and heating solutions

You expect your home to be comfortable during any season. Therefore, there are some core elements you want to check if you have trouble keeping the house heated in winter. Poor insulation can let the cold air in and cause the temperature in your bedroom to drop. Thankfully, insulation issues are easy to diagnose. You will be able to notice a significant difference in temperature in areas with air infiltration. Typically, these tend to be around windows. You can change the sealing around the window frame to prevent most window-related problems. If the wall is cold to the touch, it will also indicate an infiltration problem. If the ceiling of your bedroom is cold, it could be related to the under-roof insulation. This is something that can be replaced easily for immediate results. 

When cold air isn’t the cause, malfunctioning heating could be the underlying issue. You may not be ready to call an engineer for repair, but more often than not, there’s no need to. You can troubleshoot and fix a lot of problems by yourself. For instance, if the thermostat isn’t set properly, it will not be able to kickstart your heating system. Additionally, your thermostat needs to be in heat mode, aka it needs to call for heat, rather than just track temperature fluctuations. 

Make the bathroom warm and welcoming

You have the brace yourself to get out of the shower in the morning. The bathroom feels so cold! Why does it happen? There could be many reasons why your bathroom is unpleasant. Here too ventilation plays a huge role in your comfort. Unlike the bedroom, the bathroom requires plenty of ventilation so that the moisture doesn’t stay inside the room. However, with old bathrooms, the ventilation system could be ineffective or damaged. This means the bathroom gets cold and humid, which contributes to mold growth. If you’re going to improve your ventilation system, you may as well consider trendy bathroom renovations. A brand new bathroom will be mold-free and warm. 

Your shower is too hot

We get it: You don’t want to take a cold shower in the morning. However, hot showers can increase the risk of feeling cold if there’s a significant difference between the water temperature and the room temperature. Ideally, you don’t want your shower to be hotter than moby temperature. It’s a good idea to aim for a warm temperature such as 86°F or slightly below. 

Have a hot breakfast

Are you the kind of person who prepares a frozen acai bowl or a smoothie in the morning? While these are healthy alternatives to your typical morning coffee, they can make you feel cold. It’s unpleasant to hold a glass of cool smoothie. Our extremities are more likely to get cold. According to researchers, women’s hands are typically up to 2.8°F colder than men’s. Exposure to cold temperatures reduces blood flow to protect the heart and other vital organs, which is why your fingers’ temperature drops quickly. Women’s bodies respond more rapidly to temperature stimuli, therefore holding a glass of frozen smoothie will cause your hands to stay cold for a long time. There’s no secret about it: Holding a warm drink makes you feel warm. So, it’s a good idea to bring warming ingredients to your breakfast routine. In winter, you may want to replace the bowl of frozen acai berries with a warm porridge and a cup of tea.  

Help your metabolism heat up

A slow metabolism could struggle to regulate body temperature. In other words, you become more sensitive to cold, and you find it hard to stay warm. A doctor can help you diagnose the issue. Hypothyroidism, for instance, is a common cause of low body temperature. With the appropriate medication, you could transform your morning routine! However, you can also help your body stay warm through exercises. Working out in the morning can elevate your body temperature, making it easier to get out of bed! 

Are you still tired?

Pandemic anxiety can lead to insomnia and restless nights. When you’re tired, your body can’t perform as effectively as you expect it to. You lack mental focus. You find it tricky to ignore sugar cravings. You also can’t regulate your temperature. Scientists believe that it is linked with your energy level. The body needs to rest at night. But if you don’t sleep well or enough, your body doesn’t have enough energy to mention its temperature. Therefore, your temperature drops and you feel cold more easily. During the natural body cycles, the temperature drops at night while the body rests. When you’re underslept, the Circadian rhythms become erratic, which leads to unexpected temperature fluctuations during the day. In short, you need to make your bedtime routine a priority, if you want to wake up feel warm and refreshed in the morning. 

Cold mornings are the worst! But, they don’t need to become a habit. Keeping your home and your body warm can turn you into an energetic morning person! Are you ready to seize the day and rise early? Then it’s time to inject some new heat into your morning routine.