As anyone who lives in Wellington will know, surviving winter is not an easy feat! The houses tend to be like giant sheds with very little insulation, so preparing for winter can’t be quite an unthankful task. BUT, let’s stay positive, there ARE things you can do to try and stay warm and dry and to just generally make winter in Wellington that little bit more bearable. These are my tips for surviving winter in Wellington:

Tips for Surviving Winter in Wellington:

  1. Wear your woolliest knits all the time

This is so important. It’s much easier to warm yourself than it is to warm a room, so the number one thing to do to keep warm is to wear your woolliest knit and all the time. Get your UGG boots on, hat indoors, basically don’t let any piece of skin touch the air at any point and you’ll be fine!

  1. TRYY (being the operative word) to heat + insulate your home

This is next on the list, the endless task of trying to heat your Wellington home. Maybe you are lucky and you have a heat pump or central heating. Or maybe, if you are like me, you live in a giant garden shed. Either way, you need thermal curtains, draft excluders, a couple of plug-in heaters for the most important rooms and you might be on your way to a warmer house.

My tips – buy a timed oil heater for the bedroom as this will make the room warm for when you need to get up and a dehumidifier is vital as you can’t heat damp air.

  1. Hot water bottles are your BEST Friend

Hot water bottles are non-negotiable for Wellington life. They are eco-friendly, cheap and they actually warm you up instantly. Cuddle up with one on the couch, keep your bed warm, hang it around your neck on a string. Honestly, I can’t live without one!

  1. Go to the sauna

This is a great one. The sauna is the perfect place to warm yourself up, right to the bone. Thankfully there are a few saunas in the city you can head to warm your cockles. My favourite is at Tory Urban Retreat and I wrote a blog post about the benefits of the Sauna and why I love this place which you can check out HERE.

  1. Have a bath

Having a bath is one of the best things you can do to relax and chill and to be honest, if I had one I would be in it all the time. It helps sleep, it’s good for your muscles and it’s a great place to read a book. However, if like me, you live in a place with no bath (nightmare) there is a beautiful place on Tory Street, Bodyhaven, where you can go and have a beautiful hot copper bath.

  1. Go for massage

Going for a massage in a cosy place like with Grace at Wellington Apothecary is the perfect way to relax and warm up on the wintery days and nights here in Wellington. Make sure the masseuse you go to keeps that room warm though because having your clothes off for a massage requires a very warm room!

  1. Go to the gym/hot yoga

Getting the blood pumping is a sure fire way to warm up and aside from the gym, going to a hot yoga class is the ideal way to do this. You could try Hot Yoga Wellington or Power Living for some beautifully heated classes.

It might be worth checking out my post: A Simple Guide to the Best Yoga Studios in Wellington to find out which Yoga Studio would be good for you.

Hot Yoga Wellington

  1. Drink copious tea

Tea is the ultimate winter drink. Herbal teas or a hot Yorkshire brew, whatever floats your boat. Drink lots and often. I also like to wake up with a hot water and lemon to get the warm goodness into me first thing.

  1. Eat delicious warm food

Similar to the for mentioned, warm food is the best option for these wintery nights. A warm stew or soup will just make you feel so much better.

For a really yummy veggie stew, try Hugh Fernley Whittingstall’s North African Squash Stew, or for a delicious soup, I love the My Darling Lemon Thyme, Roasted Pumpkin and Chick Pea Soup.

Or head to The Ramen Shop on Victoria Street for some yummy warming goodness!

ramen shop

  1. Curl up with films and books

Once you’ve warmed up with a hot yoga session and a warm cup of tea you can cosy down on the couch with your hot water bottle for some great films or your favourite book. Sometimes getting as cosy as you can is the best way to keep warm, even if the house is chilly!

  1. Get a wheat bag

My friend recently recommended this wheat bag that you can heat up in the microwave and wear around your waist. How amazing. If this isn’t practical then any old wheat bag will work, especially at work, this is a good way to get the warmth circulating and its good for back and neck pain too. Check out this awesome NZ Natural Wheat bag company.

  1. Bake!

This might seem like an interesting one, but I learnt this one 40 degrees day in Australia when I decided to bake a cake. I added about another 10 degrees to the room. This was really foolish but shows that baking you can warm up your kitchen by quite a few degrees which will help warm up your house and you!

  1. Burn beautiful candles

Now I don’t know if candles actually produce enough heat to keep you warm, but they certainly feel like it. Lighting a few candles and getting those essential oils flowing is a great way to feel just a little bit warmer and cosier.

  1. Wrap up and go for a walk!

It might seem counter-initiative to go out in the cold and walk around, but if you rug up in your winter gear, hat gloves and scarf and head out for a winter walk, this will ultimately get your blood flow pumping and make you feel much warmer when you come inside.

I hope this helps people. Stay dry and warm out there.

Thanks for reading and come back soon.

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Josie x