Brr! Chilly weather, even here in Florida. But have you ever noticed that sometimes after a few days of cold weather, there comes a sunny day and you suddenly notice that it’s warm out — that it’s actually warmer outside than it is in your house? It catches you off guard; it’s a nice surprise. That happened to me today.
If I were still in the habit of using a heater (which I haven’t been for some years), yesterday and last night would definitely have been a time I’d have cranked the heat up. And would have kept it cranked up this morning. Instead, after a couple of hours of work, huddled at my computer in my down vest, long knit skirt, and other layers that make up my wintertime home-office working attire, I walked outside around 10:00 and noticed it was really warm!
At noon I made my lunch and sat out on my little south-facing porch. As I sat in the sun, feeling the warm concrete against my back, a neighbor stopped by to chat. A butterfly came along to forage the flowers of the Spanish needle and aloe plants. Other neighbors passed by and browsed the Little Free Library.
Of course after lunch, I needed to get back into my office and do some more work. But even though it was still chilly indoors, the temperature felt warmer somehow, not so bottomlessly cold. I find that a lot of times, temperature is almost as much psychological as it is physical. And of course I’d just fueled my body and absorbed a bunch of sunlight, which surely helped.
If I had been one to just crank up the heat when I felt cold, I’d have missed a really nice part of the day! Feeling the sun kissing my head and shoulders, the warmth radiating from the concrete; visiting with my neighbors; enjoying nature.
So that’s one of my favorite tips for low-footprint living: Notice when it’s warmer outside than in. (Or in the case of hot summer weather, notice when it’s cooler outside than in.) And go outside, and enjoy!