‍Lance shares his secrets for coming through winter unscathed: snuggle in a sauna wearing mittens and second-hand clothing while watching Mike McRoberts and Seinfeld.

1. Mittens. These are all about first impressions. Shaking people’s hands in winter can leave a lasting impression you can do without. Warm welcomes are always in fashion. It also shows confidence and elegance when you say, “I do not need my fingers individually wrapped.”

2. Hunker down for winter! The one thing we can learn from nature, is the amount of animals that hibernate for the cold season. My research team confirm there are at least two animals that do this through winter, those two know how life should be done. So, when the street lights go on, come inside and get some rest.

3. Seinfeld! Every winter we all need to relive the entire nine seasons of the most brilliant comedy show of all time! The “show about nothing” will make you feel you have actually watched something, when in truth you haven’t. Michael Richards as Kramer is amazing. If you have seen him in his more recent stand-up work, you may struggle to get back on this wagon.

4. Shut the front door. If you have children, they will be spending more time inside. You may have notice a lot more noise in the home lately, so, here’s a tip: initiate the “two door policy”. Make sure there are at least two doors closed between “us” and “them” at any given time. The more doors you have closed between you, the better. If you only have one door, ask a tradie, or handyman to add another (there is currently a six-year wait period for tradies). 

5. Snuggle more. This is the perfect time of year to re-introduce yourself to your loved one and so benefit off each other’s radiated heat. They may have some questions about where you have been for the last nine months, but you will smooth this over in your usual way I am sure.

6. Get out of here! Go on holiday … somewhere warm ... nothing more to add.

7. Move your desk. If you have watched a movie where a boat has sunk or a plane has crashed in the mountains, the people will always huddle together. This is also a great idea in the winter work place! Move all your desks to one spot in the office and stay tight. Just remember that unlike the movies, no one will come to rescue you. So you may need to come up with your own words to yell if you are concerned for your safety.

8. Got a sauna in your living room? Why not? Ever wanted to go find a warmer part of the house, but still wanted to keep up to date with the latest current events and news on TV1? For this you will need, a living room, a sauna, and 1x towel. The sauna and living room are self-explanatory, the towel is to wipe the sweat and mist off glasses so you can keep your eyes on Mike McRoberts.

9. Pre-warmed clothing. They say that your bed mattress doubles in weight after eight years of use. Imagine how much extra warmth could be found down at your local second-hand clothing store after someone has worn that jacket for eight years. As our skin gets thinner with age, the combination of pre-loved wool and skin cells could be the new feather down!?

10. Warm someone else up. Winter can be a tough time for all of us. It is dark, we get stuck inside, the wind beats us up, and our umbrellas turn inside out. Research shows that when we give, we not only brighten the other person’s day, we actually feel warmer ourselves. Send someone a card, make someone soup, do something to warm someone’s day!

Lance Shearman is a Registered Financial Adviser with Velocity Financial. No investment decision should be taken based on the information in this blog alone. A Disclosure Statement is available free of charge upon request