Boston during Winter Storm Juno; Image via Jaminnbenji/Shutterstock
Boston is currently experiencing its third major snowstorm in two weeks, and as a city, we’re all reaching our collective breaking point when it comes to this disruptive winter weather. Yes, as Bostonians, we should be used to the snow, but no matter what Midwesterners have to say on social media, a sizable three-storm beating in such a short amount of time is enough to cripple the city, or at least, make all of our lives les mis.
One trip outdoors in a city swamped by nearly 70 inches of total snowfall this winter is enough to damned your decision to settle anywhere but sunny Florida. While it’s too late to relocate this winter, we have some tips for surviving this third – and hopefully, please, final – snowstorm of February 2015. Because otherwise, we’re literally going to lose it.
So, we present a guide to keeping your cool and finding your zen, even when it’s expected to keep snowing into the night.
If you’re at work…
1. Wear your commute to work as a badge of honor. Got friends or family out of town? Use this opportunity to text your mom and tell her the snow mountains you had to climb over just to get to your place of work. Even if no one in Boston can properly commiserate with you (everyone is having the worst day, remember), your mother or loved ones are sure to feel your pain and curse your company for making you come in.
2. Compliment yourself on your awesome snow-driving skills. You made it to work safely, that’s right. You’re from Boston, and snow doesn’t slow you down. OK, it slows you down, but that’s just because you know how to properly operate a vehicle even when the white stuff is covering the roads and still falling. But it sure doesn’t stop you.
3. Treat yourself to a delicious lunch. Brought a can of soup to heat up during your lunch break? Save that for suckers, put your boots back on and go straight to the local lunch spot that you usually avoid because of its sky-high prices. And get a drink, too. Maybe even a dessert. Don’t hold back!
4. Set yourself up for a distracted commute. If you take the T to and from work, bless you. It’s not looking great out there – considering some commuters were stuck on a Red Line train for two hours before getting evacuated into the snow. There’s not much you can do to save the MBTA from its snowy, frosty fate, but you can make things better for yourself. Sync up a calming new playlist on your phone from iTunes, or an offline playlist on Spotify, and queue up something you can read or watch even if your service goes out somewhere underground. The app Pocket lets you save articles and videos for later on your phone.
If you’re working from home…
1. Take advantage of your surroundings. Nobody hates a work from home day, but when there have been multiple isolated days in one month, cabin fever sets in much faster. Don’t let it. Most of us try to make use of a home office in order to fuel productivity, but today’s the day to give in to the advantages of working at home. Stay in your pjs, lounge on the couch, and maybe even put on a favorite sitcom rerun in the background as you plug away. Don’t forget to put on music and sing loudly to yourself as often as you please.
2. Go all-out with your midday meal. In an age when many of us are taking our lunches at our desks with coworkers in very close proximity, lunch has become a hastened experience, our meals limited to what won’t offend those around us. Today, you don’t have to think about anyone else. Set up a spread on your kitchen table with the most outrageous, pungent combinations you can find in your pantry, and dig in. We’re not saying you should top it off with a wine spritzer or craft beer, but we’re also not saying you shouldn’t.
3. Squeeze in some exercise. Lots of fitness classes across the city are canceled, and you likely won’t want to commute to the gym anyway. That doesn’t mean you can’t get your blood flowing on your day at home. Pull out your yoga mat and go through some stretches on the floor, do some laps up and down the stairs, or just do jumping jacks and dance moves all over your living room. Anything you can do to get your heart pumping will help you blow off some steam and brighten your outlook on the day on the couch.
4. Turn off the news and go outside, for ten minutes. Re-watching the same news segments about all the snow will only make you dwell on your misfortune. But remember how much fun snow can be? When you don’t have to trek outside in clothing suitable for the workplace, you might actually enjoy yourself outside. Pile on the layers and pull on your boots, and venture outside. It’s a winter wonderland out there. Soak it up! Then go back inside and make more coffee.
How do you stay sane with all this snow?
