Beat the cold by thinking of a hot first kiss!
For those of you who had convinced yourself that the balmy weather we’ve been having all autumn was here to stay, I have bad news: winter is coming. In the last few days, parts of the UK have been colder than the Icelandic capital reykjavik and we had the first widespread frosts of the season, with temperatures falling to -2c (28f) in some rural areas.
But just before you dig out the fleece pyjamas and hot water bottle, I’ve been interested to read about some proven ways to trick your body into thinking it’s warmer than it really is.
Now, I’m not saying these are going to stave off frostbite — but I certainly am a great believer in the power of the mind.
We also know that feeling hot or cold is not only very subjective — some people just naturally seem to feel more comfortable at certain temperatures compared to others — but also dependent on a number of factors such as our emotions.
So here are my top six tricks to mentally help keep you warm during the bitter days ahead . . .
CATCH UP WITH A LONG-LOST FRIEND
I REMEMBER during the lockdown standing outside supermarkets in queues in what felt like sub-zero temperatures.
The waiting seemed to go on for ever and I’d hop from one foot to the other to try to keep warm in vain.
It was almost unbearable — in fact I even gave up once and left empty-handed.
Yet on that occasion I went on to bump into a friend on the street and spent about half an hour standing chatting to him.
At no point did the cold weather even register — I certainly didn’t feel the need to hop from foot to foot or even rub my hands together. Why? Because of lockdown we hadn’t seen each other for months so we were delighted to catch up. my mind was occupied with our conversation. There’s also some research that suggests talking to people we like raises our core body temperature slightly — so being sociable is like utilising our own internal heating.
But also the more we have to concentrate on the conversation — if, for example, we haven’t seen that person for a long time so there’s a lot of information to process — the more this helps boost our core body temperature.
REMEMBER FIRST KISS
NEXT time you find yourself feeling nippy, close your eyes and replay your first kiss in your mind’s eye.
It might sound strange — but studies have found that people who focus on an intensely emotional memory associated with love, affection or psychological warmth then feel warm too.
It’s thought this is because psychological warmth activates the same circuitry in the brain as physical warmth.
So, by thinking of something tender, loving and warm, our brains think we are experiencing physical warmth too.
GET COSY AND WATCH A ROMANTIC COMEDY
There’S something very cosy about sitting on the sofa, mug of tea in your hands, and watching a rom-com, isn’t there? But research suggests it’s also a great way to feel toasty. In one study, subjects felt warmer after hearing stories about caring, loyal, kind and sensitive people than after hearing similar stories in which the characters were competent, efficient or creative. So turn the central heating down and crank up the richard Curtis instead.
REMINISCE ON THE GOOD OLD DAYS
NOSTALGIA can help us feel warm, shows a 2012 study published in the journal emotion.
Participants who recalled a nostalgic event from the past were able to tolerate low temperatures better than those that recalled emotionally neutral historical events. So if you find yourself stuck outside, indulge in a bit of nostalgic daydreaming and hopefully you’ll feel warmer.
DO VASE BREATHING AND VISUALISE
THIS Tibetan technique has been shown in studies to increase body temperature in novices within ten minutes. Tibetan nuns combine this breathing exercise with visualising balls of heat moving up and down their spine and when doing this, they can withstand below freezing temperatures. The breathing technique involves holding your breath while contracting the abdominal muscles and pelvic floor and doing it in a way that makes your stomach protrude in the shape of a pot-shaped vase. There are videos on YouTube to guide you.
CERVICAL cancer might become a thing of the past, according to research published this week. It showed that cases are plummeting thanks to the HPV vaccine. With jabs, yet another deadly disease could be confined to the history books. What else will it take before the anti-vaccination brigade realise they are wrong?
DRINK A WARM TEA OR HOT CHOCOLATE
I KNOW, you’ve already thought of this. But what’s interesting is that from a physiological perspective, drinking warm tea or hot chocolate only increases our body temperature slightly and relatively briefly. research suggests that because we think the warm drink will warm us up, our mind convinces us it does.