12 things you only know if you feel cold all the time
Yes, even in summer, says Katie Wright.
I recently learned a word I’d never heard before, a word that made me gasp when I realised it describes me to a T.
‘Nesh’ is used in part of the Midlands and north of England to describe someone who feels the cold – a lot.
Personally, my ideal air temperature is 30 degrees and I get angry when people complain about heatwaves. Why would you wish away such glorious weather?
I know I’m not alone, though. Even when the sun is shining, Twitter is full of people complaining that it’s boiling outside but freezing inside.
We just can’t win. And that’s not the only problem with being ‘nesh’ – it’s a struggle all year round.
From air conditioning arguments to fashion dilemmas, here are 13 things you only know if you feel cold all the time…
1. You have to dress for two seasons
First, there’s what you wear when you’re outside. Shorts or a floaty dress, perhaps. A pair of sandals or flip flops.
Then, there’s what you wear indoors, which involves jumpers, socks and, sometimes, your coat wrapped round your legs as an ad hoc blanket. Anything to stop your knees knocking.
2. You take extra clothing everywhere
Living in constant fear of the cold means you never leave home without at least one extra layer of clothing, and you stash a variety of woollies at work, in the car, at the bottom of your bag, the list goes on…
If you happen to forget your spare sweater, get ready for some unpleasant physical side effects, like head to toe goosebumps and the risk that you’ll end up ‘smuggling peanuts’. It’s not a good look for a big office meeting.
3. You row about the air temperature inside, with everyone
It’s freezing, you plead. No it’s not, your colleagues insist, telling you to put on another jumper and stop whining.
This happens virtually every day from April to October when the heating comes on – and then you argue that the heating should be on higher from October to April.
4. You drink a lot of hot beverages
Tea, coffee, hot chocolate… who cares if it’s 28 degrees outside, you need to raise your core temperature and a steaming brew is the only thing that will do it.
Does that mean you’re less productive at work because you’re doing endless tea rounds or popping to Starbucks five times a day? Probably. Do you care? No.
5. People think you’re in a bad mood
With crossed legs, folded arms and a face more sullen than Anna Wintour’s, you’re obviously in a terrible mood. Aren’t you?
No, you insist when anyone asks, I’m just really, really cold, and I’m doing everything I can to preserve my body heat.
6. You miss out on outdoor activities
Beer gardens, al fresco dining, film screenings under the stars – these are all delightful activities you want to enjoy, but can’t because the minute the sun sets you start to shiver so badly your Pimm’s goes everywhere.
How other people can stand to socialise outdoors happily until late in the evening you’ll never know, because by then you’re bundled up inside, trying to convince the pub landlord to light the fire (to no avail).
7. You miss out on treats
A large scoop of strawberry ice cream is delicious when you’re on holiday somewhere hot and want to cool down, but the thought of ingesting a sub-zero dessert is a lot less appealing when you’re just as cold.
Same goes for salad. Instead, you want steaming porridge for breakfast, hearty soup for lunch and sausage and mash for dinner.
8. Coat shopping is impossible
When it comes to buying a winter coat, not just any old jacket will do. It’s got to be uber-insulated and unbelievably warm, because the colder months are particularly arduous.
You end up shelling out a fortune at North Face for the kind of coat an arctic explorer would pack for a month-long trek, but you don’t care, because it feels so good every time you zip it up.
9. Nighttime is a nightmare
The lengths you’ll go to to stay cosy at night in winter cannot be understated.
There are flannel pyjamas and fluffy socks, of course, perhaps topped with a towelling dressing gown (with the hood up). A 15 tog duvet also helps, but the real holy grail for shivering, sleep-deprived folks is an electric blanket.
Once you’ve experienced the feeling of snuggling down in a bed pre-heated you’ll never go back.
10. You self-diagnose yourself with SAD
They say Seasonal Affective Disorder is caused by a lack of sunlight in winter, but you’re convinced that the real reason you’re miserable from October to April is because you’re never not cold.
That’s why you have to come up with all these strategies for warming up, Frankly, it’s exhausting.
11. You love public transport
It’s not all bad, though. While some people can’t bear even ten minutes in a boiling hot train, you revel in the sauna-like conditions, feeling sad when you have to disembark and head to your next overly air conditioned destination. Sigh.
12. You seriously consider moving abroad
Even in swelteringly humid Singapore or bakingly hot Dubai, where other tourists wilt like daffodils and barely venture outside, you’re happy to wander for hours, and it makes you wonder why you haven’t already relocated to a country nearer to the equator.
But, the fact is, wherever you live you’ll still be faced with the tyranny of the air conditioned office. Truly, being cold all the time is an unsolvable global curse…
