People all around Madison College have been desperately yearning for some warmth and the sun to shine its way onto to us. We have been shivering in this bitter cold for months, as winter seems to last forever. It is already March, spring break is near and yet winter drags on. Will it ever end?

Constantly checking the forecast and wondering why the meteorologists can’t seem to predict the weather beyond 10 days is not decreasing anyone’s desperation. We are eager to ditch our winter coats. We crave the ability to walk outside without cringing.

Despite all of this suffering, Mother Nature will do as she pleases. We are left to embrace the cold and remain as optimistic as possible during the rest of this torturous winter. How can we possibly trudge through the remainder of winter without too much struggle?

Staying warm and cozy are important steps to psych ourselves into not feeling so cold all of the time. Don’t linger in denial. Don’t start pulling out the shorts and tank tops; this will only make things worse. Pile on five sweatshirts at once. Concentrate on making yourself so warm and generating so much heat that you feel too hot. Then, the cold winter air might even feel refreshing.

Use this time of covering up in stuffy coats and sweaters to your advantage. You may have gained a few pounds over the depressing winter. No one can see your less toned physique under thick layers of clothes. However, when good weather finally does grace us with its presence, you will be stripping off all of those layers. Start working out so, when spring arrives, you can unveil a shapely physique. Not only will you soon look even more amazing, but you will also feel better during this time of desperation. Setting some sort of fitness goal will help take your mind off of the lack of warm days you’ve been craving.

In addition to upping your exercise, the colors you surround yourself with during these last days of winter can help lessen your winter blues. Eating a rainbow of foods and dressing in bold colors and patterns will surely brighten up your days. Surround yourself with brilliant colors, and you will feel a little better.

Hopefully, soon enough, we will be able to step outside for more than five minutes without turning into a block of ice. There will again be sunshine, flowers blooming, trees budding, birds chirping and bees buzzing. In the meantime, follow these tips to survive the rest of winter.