Chicago winters are cold, windy and snowy, prompting many Oak Park apartment residents to spend a good deal of time indoors. And, as the season wears on, it’s not unusual to start feeling a bit stir crazy. If you’ve come down with a case of cabin fever, here are 5 suggestions to help you pass the time until spring arrives.
Plan a Summer Vacation
There’s nothing like planning a warm-weather getaway to get your mind off winter. Instead of waiting until the last minute to book your summer trip, why not use the time indoors to surf the web for deals on airfare, hotels, excursions and more? Even if your budget doesn’t allow you to book just yet, you can at least get all the research and planning out of the way.
Exercise
Speaking of summer vacation, all this winter downtime is the perfect opportunity to get in shape for bathing suit season. Rather than binge-watching TV shows, consider checking out the variety of on-demand fitness classes that are now available. Not only will you welcome spring as a healthier, fitter you, but the endorphins released during exercise will actually help you beat the winter blues.
Take an Online Class
Adding a new skill to your resume or even just learning how to do something you’ve always wanted to try on a personal level can help boost your mood and your self-esteem. Invest in yourself this winter by taking an online class, or watching tutorials on YouTube. Just don’t get sidetracked with too much social media and cat videos.
Keep in Touch
Demanding schedules and full calendars make it difficult to keep in touch with friends and family for much of the year, but winter evenings and weekends are the perfect time to reconnect. Whether on the phone, through Skype or on Facetime, chatting with others can help ease seasonal depression and loneliness – and you’ll be surprised at how fast the time goes by.
Get Organized
Have you been avoiding cleaning out your closet, your email inbox, the photos on your phone? Winter is your chance to get organized. You’ll feel great about accomplishing something that is long overdue and just imagine how much relief and satisfaction you’ll feel when you open your closet, your inbox, or your phone’s photo gallery and everything is neat and tidy.
More Ways to Embrace Winter in Oak Park IL
In search of a new place to hibernate this winter? Oak Park Apartments has one-bedroom, two-bedroom and three-bedroom apartments, as well as studios and pet-friendly units in Oak Park, River Forest, Forest Park and Chicago. Browse our available apartments or contact us for more information.
