I love living in the countryside, surrounded by nature, away from crowds and city life. But even after years of living in rural Canada, I still experience cabin fever when I spend an entire winter at home.
In British Columbia’s Okanagan Valley, we enjoy some of Canada’s mildest winters. Unfortunately, sunshine doesn’t always come with the package. Weeks of grey skies, short days, and spending too much time indoors can eventually wear you down.
Some of Canada’s coldest regions enjoy more winter sunshine than we do. They might be freezing at minus 30, but at least they can see the sun!
Living in a remote area has its rewards, but after weeks of winter isolation, even the most beautiful surroundings can start to feel confining. That’s when I find myself dreaming of the open road and new adventures.
I enjoy solitude and have always been comfortable spending time alone. But there’s a big difference between choosing to be alone and feeling stuck indoors.
Over the past few winters, I’ve escaped part of the Canadian winter by travelling to Mexico or Europe. But travelling somewhere warmer isn’t an option for everyone, and it doesn’t solve the challenge of getting through winter at home.
Cabin fever is real, and even people who love the wilderness and a quiet lifestyle aren’t immune to it.
Cabin fever is a common experience across northern latitudes. It’s a state of mind often caused by prolonged isolation or confinement, especially when living in a remote location. For northerners, this can mean counting the days until the ice breaks up and they can finally get underway again.
During Canadian winters, extreme cold, short days, and long stretches of gloomy weather can keep us indoors more than we’d like, and that can affect our mood.
You know cabin fever has struck when you start feeling irritable, cranky, unmotivated, restless, and down in the dumps during the bone-chilling days and long, dull nights of winter.
If cabin fever has caught up with you, it’s time to make a few changes to your daily routine before you feel like crawling under the warm covers and staying there until spring!
There are plenty of ways to beat cabin fever, even when winter seems to drag on forever. The trick is to stay active, keep your mind occupied, and make an effort to break out of your daily routine.
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Yrene lives in the Okanagan, British Columbia, Canada, and is the founder of BackcountryCanadaTravel.com. She was born in Switzerland, lived and worked on different continents and has travelled the world. Yes, that's me, an Entrepreneur, wilderness nut and animal lover who prefers off-the-beaten-track places. I write about things I love. Mostely.
1 Comment
Noel googoo
Why don’t they put 3 mountys in a cabin anymore??