Australian winter is thankfully milder than that of most places (London, for instance) but still its fickle weather and unpredictable ups and downs in temperature have been causing some health issues. According to Deakin AIRwatch, Melbourne had ‘one of the world’s worst recorded asthma thunderstorms, after which nine people died and countless other experienced severe respiratory problems.’ 

Given that we go through our winter while most of the world is going through their summer, it is easy to understand why Australians dread the winter despite the fact that it’s still much milder than anywhere else. 

To help you avoid the winter blues and sickness, we’ve gathered some tips to upgrade your house for the season.

1. Humidifier

Having a humidifier will help negate some of the effects of Melbourne’s dry weather and will help you and your skin hydrated. It also helps fight allergy (hay fever) symptoms which are prevalent in the colder months. 

2. Weighted Blankets 

I personally swear by gravity blankets but there’s a lot of variations in the market. You can get weighted and/or electric blankets (some claim to be therapeutic) and place them in all lounging areas in your home such as family room, bedrooms, patios, etc. My ability to fall asleep noticeably improved once I started using weighted blankets. 

If combined with the right mattress, they help to keep the perfect body temperature for restful sleep. 

3. Matching Loungewear 

Winter is universally the season where many prefer to stay in, cozied up in a blanket with a cup of hot chocolate. Since it’s inevitable that you and your family (or flatmates) will be spending more time together, you might as well use this opportunity to do some team bonding. 

Get matching pyjamas, loungewear, and slippers for the season. It’ll definitely be an Instagram-worthy picture. 

4. Fake Fireplace

You don’t need an actual working fireplace to create the idyllic winter home. You can easily buy a portable electric fireplace with realistic logs and flames visual. If this is too much of an investment, you can simply go to YouTube on your TV and play a 4K fire burning video in the background. 

Ayo technology! 

5. Waterproof Mattress 

We can now expect more from our mattresses. Each mattress should be customised specifically to the person sleeping on it and his/her surroundings. Did you know that there are mattresses that are designed specifically for the Melbourne weather

Their layers are designed to circulate air in a unique way to help stabilise your sleeping temperature regardless of the extreme temperatures that the city you live in might be experiencing. 

6. Upgraded Water Pressure

Nothing feels better than running into steaming hot water after a cold, miserable day. Why not make your life warmer by investing in a better electric shower head for your ideal water pressure?

You don’t even have to buy an expensive shower head to upgrade; you can do it yourself by getting the right tools and parts. Check out a step-by-step guide here.