The O'Hara Way: Cabin Fever Preventatives

Well, the winter weather has returned again bringing with it the multitudes of snow and ice. This leaves us few options for getting place to place and gives us no choice but to wait in our rooms for the coming spring to get a little breath of fresh air.

To the students who are new to this phenomenon, you may feel some anxiety curling up inside. Hell, students who are familiar will feel that too. Yes, the dreaded cabin fever has come rearing its ugly head, dampening a beautiful snowfall.

            To those who are unaware of the term "cabin fever," it is a term coined in 1918 in the American Heritage Dictionary of Idioms and was used to describe the feelings that settlers of the early United States had endured when dealing with the long, boring winters. With little stimuli and little actual human contact, settlers would suffer from various different symptoms. They would suffer from depression, irritability, and the overall feeling of crippling boredom.

Now, the "disease" stated above is fictional. However, if you are suffering from the affects of a long, boring winter and just need to get away from it all, here are some of the best ways to fight them:

            1. Start a Project - This one will be rather simple for most students (with the coming semester snipping at our heels). All you really need to do is start a project. Create some stimuli for yourself. Start writing the next great American novel, read that book you really wanted to finish over break, or just start some doodles. Do Something! Just create some good goals to strive for and some fun to entertain you.

            2. Bring Summer to Winter- Bring inside what reminds you the most of the outside. If more sunlight is what makes summer for you, bring in more sunlight (There are sun-lights you can buy). Flowers? Same thing. Whatever reminds you of the old blue skies and green grass, bring it to your humble abode.

            3. A Sluggish Body Creates a Sluggish Mind - Try your best to steer clear of the more fattening foods during these long winter months. If you over indulge in the comfort foods or just plain over eat, the mind will become sluggish, leading to a deeper feeling of cabin fever.

            4. Make Some Plans- If you want to go out with friends or stay in with friends, it really doesn't matter. Either way, you won't be bored.

            5. Go get some Sunny-D!- The best thing for a cooped up person to do, is simply not to be cooped up. Go get some exercise, learn how to ski, snowboard, snowshoe, or what have you. You can meet up with some friends outside the halls. Most amazing of all, just go for a walk. At the end of the day, that will be the one thing keeping you sane during these winter months.  

            So, hold down the fort fellow students. The winter months will soon fade and melt into the inevitable spring. Until then, hold onto the bits of summer you need, and let the winter months play on. Keep in mind the winter is no big deal. The feeling of spring will feel that much better once the snow has thawed away.