How to Hibernate Until Spring

Now that Christmas and New Year is over, it’s back to real life and having to be responsible adults. No longer can you spend all day in your onesie and comfy slippers eating Quality Street while watching movies – well, you could, but your boss might have something to say about it.

Although you will need to drag yourself out of the house occasionally this cold and rainy January, we all know there’s nothing you want more than to stay inside where it’s cosy. Never mind the fact that December has left your bank account looking miserable and you decided that Dry January sounded like a good idea so you can’t even go to the pub.

We think that the bears definitely have it right, as hibernating until spring sounds like the best idea. You get to relax in your PJs, catch up on all the shows you recorded over Christmas but haven’t got around to watching and – best of all – miss out on getting rained on and blown away by the British winter.

Going outside in January really is overrated so here’s what you need to do for a successful hibernation until spring:

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Who needs to go outside when you’ve got every single episode of House to watch or Gilmore Girls to get through? When you’ve finally got through all the Christmas movies you recorded, signing up for a streaming service like Netflix or Amazon Prime means you’ll never run out of things to watch.

Whether you like comedies, documentaries, original dramas or obscure films, there will be plenty for you to enjoy without having to get out of your PJs. In fact, you don’t even need to get out of bed! Plus, if you sign up for Amazon Prime you get free next day delivery for some items, so you could just order everything you need, allowing you to avoid the shops.

Now all you need to do is try and decide which great show or film to watch first.

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There’s nothing worse than realising that you need to go to the supermarket to restock your kitchen cupboards when you’re all warm and cosy on your sofa. Beat the need for regular food shops – even if, technically, you could go to the supermarket in your onesie – by ordering online.

Not only will this mean all your groceries are delivered to your door, it also allows you to check out all the offers so you can save money and do a big shop that could keep you going for a month rather than a week.

Just freeze anything you won’t use straight away and ensure you’ve got all the essentials and then you can just sit back and relax, safe in the knowledge that you’ve stored enough food to see you through until spring, or at least until some time in February.

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It can be easy to simply turn up your heating and enjoy how warm and toasty your home is. This may make winter more bearable, but it will also hit your bank balance where it hurts when your energy bill gets delivered.

Be clever with your heating and only put it on when it’s needed, avoiding peak times. When it is on, close doors and use draft excluders to help avoid heat loss.

However, the easiest way to stay toasty and comfortable is to layer up. Pop on that extra jumper, wear slippers over thick socks and don’t be ashamed to wrap yourself in blankets – perhaps even spoil yourself with the electric kind. Not only is this the best way to hibernate, it will make doing so a lot less pricey.

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If you are going to hibernate, it can mean missing out on socialising with people. Even if you do develop a very committed relationship with your Netflix account, this doesn’t really make up for talking to real life humans. Just remember that your streaming service checking if you want to continue watching something is generally a sign that 25 episodes is too many and you need social interaction.

This doesn’t mean you need to leave the house and deal with other people in order to see those you actually like, as they can come to you. Why not throw a dinner party or get people over for a movie night? They could even bring their own PJs and join in with the hibernation, although they may not want to leave at the end of the evening.

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Yes, you may just want to stay inside all the time and hide from the world until it is warmer, but to be honest, this isn’t totally healthy. Remember to get some air and take some exercise regularly to stay healthy and avoid getting a reputation as a recluse.

It probably isn’t as bad as you think outside, so as long as you wrap up warm and avoid the rain, a bit of a walk will be a welcome change. Plus, you’ve then got an excuse to get back in the blanket fort with a hot chocolate and binge-watch your latest show.

If you do all of this, the winter months are sure to pass before you know it, meaning you can throw aside your dressing gown and embrace the joyous season that is spring.

If all of this just feels like too much to remember as you settle in for your hibernation period, here’s our handy guide of everything you need to see you through the winter.