Whenever winter rolls around, I remind myself, “It is perfectly fine to be Canadian and fear the cold.”
Truth be told, the most probable reason for my low affinity for the Great Canadian Winter is my high probability of getting sick – multiple times per season.
Bad as my lackluster immune system may be, here are some tips on how to make the most of a long, cold winter season from personal experience. Be you an international student experiencing your first-ever Canadian winter or a long-time Canadian resident, I hope they prove to be helpful to you, too!
Take vitamin supplements, and eat fruit. It never hurts to boost your immune system with an extra dose of vitamin C, even though researchers are still unsure if it provides benefits on its own or works with other micronutrients. It definitely does help, however, with maintaining clear skin, which never hurts – especially when it comes to preventing the development of stress acne that comes with finals.
Get enough sleep! Getting sufficient sleep on a nightly basis is integral to optimizing our immune system. For instance, T-cells are special type of blood cell that terminates infected cells or orchestrates an immune response. Their numbers just so happen to peak in the bloodstream when we’re asleep at night and are at their lowest during the day.
Leave for class/work earlier than you normally do. There’s nothing worse than starting off the day with having to rush to class, and in the process, slip on a piece of black ice. Ouch. Spare yourself the pain and walk at a reasonable, safe pace.
Speaking of traveling between classes, take advantage of Waterloo’s tunnels to stay cozy while still being able to get around campus. There’s an app called WATisRain that provides detailed instructions on how to get from point A to point B with minimal – if any – travel outdoors. However, take note that traveling indoors might double your total travel time, so save this tip for freakishly frigid days.
Dress in layers. Suffice to say, I’ve felt the heaters on full blast, and other times, I’ve had random chills run down my spine. As good as the idea of dressing in a thick, winter sweater sounds, that might not be the most strategic choice. Instead, try wearing a thin shirt with a hoodie over top. As for pants, I wouldn’t recommend wearing jeans, nor would I recommend wearing pants with a fuzzy inner lining.
Invest in a couple of pairs of waterproof, warm boots that have good traction. There is nothing worse than walking to class and thinking, “I can feel the cold radiating out of the ground through my shoes.” Personally, I prefer leather boots because they become more comfortable the more often they’re worn, they normally have some sort of fuzzy inner layer for additional warmth, and they can last a solid number of years – if you’re willing to maintain them.
On a similar note, invest in a warm coat. Personally, I prefer down jackets. They might be on the pricier side, but they’re a lot warmer than coats filled with synthetic materials. In addition, many of them go past the thighs, so if you’re the type of person whose legs get itchy whenever an icy wind blows, a longer coat would suit you well. Stores like Costco and Winners carry them at reasonable prices.
Gloves/mittens, hats, and scarves are winter essentials here in Waterloo. I haven’t been here for long, but I find it dreadfully cold in the mornings. Since the human body loses heat the fastest through extremities, keep your head and hands covered! Scarves double as an effective impromptu mask to protect your cheeks from ice-cold winds that slice through your face like knives.
Always carry lip balm and moisturizer with you. On top of the dryness that comes with Ontarian winters, the heaters propagate it. If you own a Costco membership or know somebody who does, I highly recommend EOS lip balms (which come in packages of four) and Glysomed hand cream (which come in packages of three – two larges and one on-the-go size). If either your hands or lips are extremely dry, apply a thin layer of Vaseline on either area before sleeping.
Wear sunglasses. The glare due to sunlight reflecting off of snow is deadly for your eyes. Guard them with your life – you’ll only have the ones you’ve got now!
In general, don’t be fooled by the presence of sunlight. For the nine years that I’ve lived in Ontario, I’ve observed that super sunny days tend to be colder than clear or cloudy days. It turns out that there is a scientific explanation for this. During winter, the Sun lies low on the horizon, so the sun angle is at its lowest out of the entire year. This phenomenon causes thermal energy radiating from the Sun to be spread over a larger surface area. On top of that, thermal energy is more likely to reflect off of the Earth’s atmosphere or surface rather than be absorbed by the Earth’s surface. Who would have thought?
Most importantly, learn to enjoy certain aspects of winter! This will make your first or nth experience with snow all the more enjoyable. Go outside and play in the snow. Try skiing, snowshoeing, ice-skating, or any other winter activity. Have a snowball fight. Build a snowman. If necessary, watch Frozen, and then go build a snowman – no promises that it will come alive, though!
Winter only comes once a year, so don’t fret – it will be over before you know it.
In the meantime, stay warm, and keep smiling!
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