Do You Get Cabin Fever Over the Holidays?



Cabin fever is a claustrophobic reaction to being stuck indoors for prolonged periods of time. 

It results in some mood problems. Some of them include irritability and lack of patience.  Patience? Yes patience. 

Now I get it… I just self diagnosed my lack of patience without a psychology degree. But in all seriousness we have just come through a spell of rain and flooding in our area, so that can make you feel isolated and a little guilty for the kids being indoors so much.   Today the rain has started again.  If your feel the need to get out and experience some sunshine, so do your kids. 

But what if there is no sunshine? For some people, depression, frequent napping and food cravings raise their heads as symptoms of cabin fever. 

Reading can assist.  In fact, using your brain, is a known remedy for easing some symptoms of cabin fever.  That is the reason that we love books that create imagery and build worlds.  It exercises your brain by stepping into a different world. 

TV is a distraction, but it does not provide enough mental stimulation to suppress feelings of isolation and helplessness. Book reading, crossword puzzles, and board games are more effective ways of elevating your moods. In medieval times versions of chess, dice games were games that exercised the mind. Their version of television was the plays they attended and this had the added benefit of social interaction, but was not prevalent in the winter months.

But while you are on a reading marathon, don't forget to keep regular eating patterns. Good nutrition helps to regulate moods. If you usually grab a cup of coffee, tea or hot chocolate, you may increase your sugar levels.  Increased sugar levels increase your risk of mood disorders, more specifically depression, which only adds to cabin fever. 

Try making a simple but nutritious homemade soup and leave it on the stove or in a flask to drink through the day.  This was a practice used in medieval times, where a pottage was made by throwing boiled vegetables, grain and whatever bits of food they had lying around.

For our readers in the northern hemisphere, sunshine is not as accessible over the Christmas season, but for those who can get into sunshine, it helps to release endorphins. But a good alternative is exercise. 

These simple and effective techniques can make a significant difference to your mood over the holidays without affecting your budget.

If you are looking for a read over Christmas, check out our ebook.




We also print bulk hard copies for goodie bags for events in South Africa.

Subscribe to my author newsletter on www.kimvermaak.com and receive a free download of the Dragon’s Whisperer’s Field Guide.

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