Prepare to Hibernate!!
There’s nothing we can do about the weather, as Albertans we know that all too well, but we can make the hibernation months safer and stress-free by being proactive every year.
The time change this year is on November 1st, 2020. One trick I’ve found that helps me remember to have my home checked for gas leaks is to schedule my annual inspections and maintenance every year on or around the same time as the clocks are changing.
Most of us are home more in the winter months, meaning our air quality is even more important than ever. It is a rare day in the winter months where the windows are open and the fresh air is coming in, so the quality of air in our homes is directly related to the health and cleanliness of our air flow systems.
Carbon Monoxide (CO) can make you very sick and is also a killer. People have asked us “we have a detector in our home, why would we need an expert to test for it?” Well, typical household CO detectors will only set off an alarm at lethal levels. Prolonged exposure to low, non-lethal levels of CO can make otherwise healthy people very sick with headaches, nausea, fatigue, and dizziness. And with a standard CO detector, you may not realize why you are feeling ‘off’. Why would you take that risk?
We take this threat so seriously, we test for gas leaks whenever we come in to do a furnace inspection and maintenance in a home or small office.
There are other things of a more fun nature you can do to alleviate the isolation of winter, because just like the air you breathe, your mind and body are just as important.
1. Watch what you eat!
I know, for me, when it gets cold out I start thinking of baking and breads. I lean towards higher fat content and carbohydrates and these foods, although they feel comforting when it’s cold out, can be directly related to “feeling blue” in the winter. It’s all about balance. Yes, eat the cookie or have that pasta, but make sure you’re feeding yourself healthy greens and vegetables to make sure you’re giving your body what it needs.
2. Make sure you’re doing things that feed your soul.
This means different things to different people. It can be reading a book you’ve been putting off during the summer, meditation relaxation practices, catching up with a good friend, or just taking some regular quiet time for yourself.
3. Get enough sleep!
When it’s dark in the morning and dark at night, it can become all-too-easy to stay on that screen until the wee hours. Your sleep time is restorative, it’s when you heal and refresh. Not sleeping enough or well can lead to the blues and problems with your though processes.
By Carla Berezowski,
Alberta Indoor Comfort
