By: Owen Trumbull

When the winter months set in, we all experience a thing called cabin fever. Cabin Fever, also known as feeling stir-crazy due to being cooped up inside during the wintertime, is a reaction to claustrophobia.

There are several factors that contribute to cabin fever. Brody Porter, The Squire’s interviewee for this article, believes that inclement weather contributes to cabin fever. Experts from verywellmind.com confirm this by explaining, “it is linked to such disorders as seasonal affective disorder.” This is a disorder during which depression sets in because of lack of light, usually around autumn and winter. See our article by staff member, Courtney Arp, for more details about seasonal affective disorder.

You may wonder what some symptoms of cabin fever are, and, when questioned on the topic, Brody said, “I would say that the signs of cabin fever are obviously a fever, dry eyes, and paranoia.”  Although the symptoms of cabin fever are not life threatening, they are apparent and you can tell when they set in. According to the American Medical Association, there are more symptoms than what Brody stated. It appears that, “A lack of patience, always feeling tired, feeling unproductive and unmotivated, feeling sad or depressed, lethargy, difficulty concentrating, and social withdrawal” are also signs of cabin fever. There are several ways to cope with cabin fever on your own, since it is unnecessary to go to the doctor for your symptoms.

When trying to solve cabin fever, there are two ways to approach it, mentally, and physically. If you are someone whose love for the cold weather varies from day to day, then you are similar to Brody. His approach includes two simple ways to get over cabin fever. The first method is using his own mental strategy. Brody said, “My mental strategy is envisioning the summer and the activities I enjoy to do during it.” This is an extremely swell idea to cope with being stuck up inside if you dislike the cold weather. If you’re more of a go-getter and less into day dreaming, then doing something outside is for you. There are several winter activities to do that will help you get out of the house and combat your cabin fever, such as building snowmen, sledding, or just going for a walk.

Overall, cabin fever is not life threatening, but is certainly not uncommon during these long winter months. There are unique ways to overcome it. If you think you have been stricken with the fever, just remember to go outdoors or visualize fun warm weather activities. The Squire wishes you the best of luck during the upcoming winter months.