Working in unheated barns

Working in unheated barns

Nick November 12, 2019

There truly is something valid behind the idea of desensitization. I think about this often as cold air starts whipping through our area following months of blistering heat and sunshine. The transition is extremely rapid, and it never seems like there’s enough time for my body to get accustomed to the rapid air temperature change. During this time, I often try to force my system to adapt to this new climate. I will seek out cold temperatures and expose myself to the unpleasant air conditions, in order to build up some stamina and tolerance for the looming cold air. It’s extremely uncomfortable, and I don’t enjoy this practice of purposely freezing myself at all. However, I know that I need to get through it or else the winter is going to feel unbearably cold and depressing. It’s not difficult for me to become attached at the hip to my central heating system if I can’t tolerate to the low outdoor air temperatures. Often times, for mental stamina, I think back to my youthful days working at horse barns. Back in the day, I was more than happy to run around outside in the dead of winter. I would be bundled up in many layers, but I was still freezing cold to the point that I couldn’t feel my fingers or toes. The horse barns were completely unheated, and there was no source of warm relief. At that time, I knew that it was best to just jump out of the car and plummet into extreme cold air. After a few minutes of shivering and painful muscle tensing, my body would become accustomed to the intensively frigid air. As a sensitive adult, I always tried to channel these cold-weather experiences. Even without any source of modern heating, I always had a great day working on the farm.

Wireless thermostat