It’s been a tough 10 months. Social distancing has kept most of indoors a lot more than we’re used to, a situation made worse by winter’s cold days and early sunsets.
It’s something we’re not immune to either. Yes, we install authentic paneled wainscoting — and write blogs about custom wainscotting online — but we still follow the news, still live in the world.
And we suffer from cabin fever, just like a lot of people. Fortunately, there are ways to combat this feeling.
Dealing with cabin fever
For some people, the term “cabin fever” just means the boredom and restlessness that develops when you’re indoors for too long, particularly in winter.
But for some people, the symptoms are more severe, as the isolation leaves them feeling:
- Lethargic
- Irritable
- Hopeless
- Depressed
- Impatient
Some people find themselves sleeping too much or not sleeping enough. They have trouble concentrating and feel distrustful of people around them.
How you deal with these feelings will depend on you and your situation, but there are some things you can do to cope:
- Get outside
Spending time outside can help improve your cognitive function, reduce stress and improve your well-being.
We would recommend checking all your local health regulations before going out and avoid spaces that are closed due to health/safety reasons. If you can’t get outside, try opening a few windows, putting a bird feeder outside your window, or buying some fresh cut flowers.
- Stick to a routine
Your days of commuting to work may be on hold, but it’s still helpful to stick to a routine, as a lack of one can disrupt healthy eating and sleeping habits.
Give yourself some structure by keeping to a schedule of work or at-home projects, exercise, meals and recreation.
- Socially-distanced socializing
Your days of going to the movies or having dinner with friends might be on hiatus, but you should still try to “meet” with them virtually, through services like Zoom or FaceTime.
Speaking to friends, family members or co-workers face to face can make you feel more connected to the outside world, even if you’re meeting through screens. It can help you recognize that you’re not alone. By speaking to other people, you’ll see what you’re feeling is totally normal and maybe even come up with some solutions for alleviating cabin fever.
- Change your space
We’re not saying you need to remodel your whole house to stave off cabin fever, but a change in decor can help change your mood.
Finding ways to introduce natural light and brighter, vivid colors into your surroundings. (Stay away from white. It’s bright, but it can feel stark in the winter.) Focus on how things make you feel, rather than how it looks.
Authentic wainscoting from Wainscot Solutions
Are you ready to change the look of your home? Does the addition of authentic paneled wainscoting seem like a good fit? Wainscot Solutions can help you reach your goals.
We can service all of your custom wainscoting needs, offering several different varieties of wainscoting and millwork services, including authentic raised panel wainscoting, recessed wainscoting and coffered ceiling and columns.
Our carpentry team is skilled at putting together authentic raised panel wainscoting. Simply pick out your panel profiles, rail heights and stile widths and we’ll mill them to match. Contact us today to get your questions answered or to begin your online custom wainscoting order.