Secrets to Staying Warm in a Freezing Office

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It’s cold.

Last week, I woke up on my birthday to find a nice message from my phone: “The wind chill is -15 degrees Fahrenheit.”

No one asked you, phone.

This would be fine and dandy if I never had to leave my apartment. But alas, I have a full-time job I need to show up for and a puppy who isn’t toilet trained. Yet.

And I could (try to) survive the walk to and from the car if the office wasn’t so cold.

So, how am I staying warm when the temps inside are just as bad as the ones outside? (Okay, that may be an exaggeration, but still.)

Ask to Turn the Heat Up

This one is a bit obvious, but it still needs to be mentioned.

As long as you go about it nicely and you have a good relationship with your boss / the office manager / the IT guy / whoever knows where the heck the thermostat is, there isn’t anything wrong with asking to turn the heat up.

But, if they turn you down, or if you’re still having trouble staying warm after they turn the heat up, here’s what I suggest:

Ask to Work Remotely

It’s easy to survive the cold office if you don’t actually show up there, right?

Not every job allows for this, but if you’re able to, see if you can work from home. Tell your boss what exactly you’re planning on accomplishing that day, so they know you aren’t just sitting around watching Netflix all day.

Walk Around Often

To keep the blood flowing, make sure you’re walking around every so often. Use the pomodoro technique and walk around for 5 minutes after every 25 minutes of hard work. It’s a great excuse to socialize with your coworkers!

Wear Leggings Under Work Pants

This one is especially great if you don’t want to get out of your nice warm pajamas every morning. Wear leggings to bed, and then put your work pants on right over them!

Get a Space Heater

Not every office allows space heaters, but if yours does, they can be real lifesavers. It’s easily the best advice I have for staying warm.

Just make sure you ask first. And if they’re allowed, be warned that you may trip the breaker several times. Not that I know that from experience or anything…

Another, less breaker-tripping version is a USB space heater.

Sit on blanket while using space heater

This is my favorite secret. Rather than covering your lap with a blanket while having a space heater pointed at your legs, sit on the blanket so the hot air gets trapped under your desk.

If you cover your legs with the blanket and then point the space heater at it, you’re just blocking your legs from the warm air. So sit on the blanket and feel the warmth!

Layers, Layers, Layers

Again, this one seems obvious, but I feel the need to include it. Wear lots of layers. Leggings under pants, long shirts under sweaters, etc. Layer up!

Blanket Scarf / Shawl / Poncho

Blanket scarves are the best inventions, in my opinion. Invest in some and keep them with you always. It’s the socially and fashionably acceptable version of having a Snuggie on all. the. time.

Hot Chocolate, Coffee, and/or Tea

Keep hot beverages around, always! And to keep it staying warm, it wouldn’t hurt to have a USB coffee warmer.

Heated Keyboard and Mouse

If you need to be on your computer all day, it might as well be keeping you warm. You can find heated keyboards and mice on Amazon.

How do you stay warm in a freezing office? I’d love to hear your tips!