OT: winter survival tips?
annalisbeth74
Posts: 328 Member
Winter temps have never bothered me before, but this year? Holy cow! After losing all my insulation my hands are like ice cubes all the freaking time. And I work in a hospital, so of course my patients get tortured too.
It's only December! How am I gonna survive until April?
It's only December! How am I gonna survive until April?
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Google HotHands or HotSnapz. You can find them at a golf shop or sporting goods store. Your patients will thank you.2
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If you work with patients, that gives you a reason/opportunity for extra hand washing with WARM water.0
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Google HotHands or HotSnapz. You can find them at a golf shop or sporting goods store. Your patients will thank you.
Don't know how practical that would be, but it did give me an idea. Perhaps keeping a mug of hot tea with me as a hand warmer might work!If you work with patients, that gives you a reason/opportunity for extra hand washing with WARM water.
Unfortunately, we only have cold water in my room.
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I have the same problem but luckily I don't work with patients. I know nurses have always apologized first while rubbing their hands together to warm them up
I work in an office sitting but I have totally converted to wool socks and I wear a smart wool jacket every day just to say warm. I have fingerless gloves in my desk drawer too The problems we endure after losing our insulation 2 -
Are you a nurse? Get one of those traveling nurse jobs and work down south in the winter months. Problem solved.2
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Yea, I don't know if it is because I'm getting older or because I've lost the most weight since going low carb around March this year, but... i just cannot keep my hands warm. The rest of me I can deal with. In fact, I was out trail running on Sun. when it had warmed up quite a bit. Yes, I was bundled, but I got so hot in my core that I was sweating like it was 100 degrees. Meanwhile, my hands with double-layered gloves were just about right or maybe a little cold.
It's cooled down again and I've not been out for a run since that terrible thing I tried on Sun. I used to hike and camp in single digits and below. Need to get over my new-found aversion to the cold. 0 -
I feel your pain. A 50-pound weight loss means I FREEZE in the winter. I'm sitting here now with a long sleeve shirt, sweater, and light sweatshirt on and I'm still freezing. On the upside, I'm much more comfortable during our hot, humid summers!
Have you tried lightweight long underwear under your scrubs? If your core is warmer, it should help your hands, too.
And, the tea should help. I work out of my home and I keep a cup of hot tea next to me. In addition to drinking it, I use it regularly to warm up my hands so I can type on my ice cold computer keys.1 -
I have always been sensitive to the cold. It is definitely worse now. To further complicate things, my wife was thrown into menopause early because she had to have a hysterectomy and is now always warm and frequently has hot flashes. I am so happy her car (which is the nicer one so is used when we travel together) has the dual climate option and seat warmers. I will have my seat warmer on with my hands under my legs and the vents on my side closed while she has the A/C blowing on her.0
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I've invested in thin thermal insulation layers, like long-sleeved tees. It won't keep your hands warm, but layers will keep the rest of your body toasty. I like to wear the Underarmour brand of compression wear underneath, they even have thick ones for the extra-cold days. I also found some fleece-lined thermals in Walmart. Usually I layer a long-sleeved t-shirt under whatever I am wearing. If it's extra cold, I will throw a short-sleeved shirt under that. You can invest in running long sleeved shirts that end in mittens that you can either wear or roll back, and wear the mittens when you're not actively using your fingers.1
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annalisbeth74 wrote: »Google HotHands or HotSnapz. You can find them at a golf shop or sporting goods store. Your patients will thank you.
Don't know how practical that would be, but it did give me an idea. Perhaps keeping a mug of hot tea with me as a hand warmer might work!If you work with patients, that gives you a reason/opportunity for extra hand washing with WARM water.
Unfortunately, we only have cold water in my room.
@annalisbeth74 - If you have pockets in your pants or scrub jacket, these will work great. The less air they have around them, the cooler they are. They even have a Toasty Toes version that you put on the top of your toes in your shoes if you will be on your feet at all - not on the bottom as instructed - it causes blisters! Best thing invented EVER for the cold... I find that if I keep my toes and core warmer, my hands don't get as cold....
Just rub it in your hands for a bit or stick your hands in your pockets before you walk into the room then wash your hands, etc. I also find that since I wear magnetic bracelets for pain management, my hands don't get nearly as cold as my feet, so maybe something like that which works by increasing circulation would help? Or a fidget tool, to keep your hands moving?0 -
I've invested in thin thermal insulation layers, like long-sleeved tees. It won't keep your hands warm, but layers will keep the rest of your body toasty. I like to wear the Underarmour brand of compression wear underneath, they even have thick ones for the extra-cold days. I also found some fleece-lined thermals in Walmart. Usually I layer a long-sleeved t-shirt under whatever I am wearing. If it's extra cold, I will throw a short-sleeved shirt under that. You can invest in running long sleeved shirts that end in mittens that you can either wear or roll back, and wear the mittens when you're not actively using your fingers.
I'll have to check those out! My cotton tee isn't cutting it. I will be going to the outlet mall Saturday, so I'll hit the Underarmour store.
And my hot tea hand warmer only lasted an hour. Joint commission is coming today so we had to get rid of our drinks.
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@annalisbeth74, let me know if they works for you. Also, I found really good cheap thermals in TJMaxx or Marshall's on the sports clothing racks.0
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@Lillith32 - I stocked up on UA this weekend, and it definitely helped. I got the long sleeved ones with the thumb holes. Still had cold fingers, but I did warm up eventually. Thanks for the tip!!2
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Fantastic! Hope you stay warm and toasty!0
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midwesterner85 wrote: »Yea, I don't know if it is because I'm getting older or because I've lost the most weight since going low carb around March this year, but... i just cannot keep my hands warm. The rest of me I can deal with. In fact, I was out trail running on Sun. when it had warmed up quite a bit. Yes, I was bundled, but I got so hot in my core that I was sweating like it was 100 degrees. Meanwhile, my hands with double-layered gloves were just about right or maybe a little cold.
It's cooled down again and I've not been out for a run since that terrible thing I tried on Sun. I used to hike and camp in single digits and below. Need to get over my new-found aversion to the cold.
I often participate in sports in the winter where I will be in a technical T shirt and tights but still need to wear gloves or even mittens. It's not uncommon where we live... Lots of athletic people running or x-country skiing or cycling in lighter clothes but still needing something extra for the hands or ears or feet.
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