Expert-Backed Tips on How to make yourself feel hotter?

September 21, 2025 •

4 min read

Did you know that the human body's core temperature can fluctuate by nearly a degree throughout the day, influencing how warm or cold you feel? This authoritative guide explains how to make yourself feel hotter through proven, healthy strategies.

Quick Summary

Feeling warmer involves activating your body's natural heating mechanisms through simple, safe adjustments to your diet, clothing, environment, and physical activity. Small changes can make a big difference in your overall comfort and well-being.

Key Points

Layer Up: Wearing several layers of clothing traps heat and provides more effective insulation than one thick layer.
Move Your Body: Light physical activity, such as walking or jumping jacks, immediately increases blood flow and generates body heat.
Eat Warming Foods: Incorporate thermogenic foods like complex carbs, fiber-rich vegetables, and warming spices into your diet for sustained internal warmth.
Drink Hot Liquids: A warm beverage provides immediate relief from the cold and helps to raise your core temperature.
Improve Circulation: Regular exercise, maintaining iron levels, and avoiding caffeine and alcohol can all contribute to better blood flow throughout your body.
Psychological Control: Practices like meditation and specific breathing techniques can help train your mind to influence your perception of temperature.

Immediate Warmth: Quick Fixes for Feeling Chilly

When a sudden chill strikes, you can take immediate action to feel warmer. These quick fixes are effective for boosting your body heat fast.

Drink a hot beverage: A warm drink like herbal tea or hot cocoa can raise your core temperature quickly. Holding the warm mug also heats your hands, a common area for feeling cold. Avoid caffeine and alcohol, as they can negatively impact body temperature regulation.
Do light exercise: Getting your blood flowing is an excellent way to generate heat. A few minutes of jumping jacks, walking in place, or even just some dynamic stretches can provide a quick boost.
Put your hands in your armpits: The armpits are a natural heat source for the body. Tuck your cold hands there to warm them up quickly.
Dress in layers: The air trapped between layers acts as an insulator, holding your body's heat close to you. Start with a moisture-wicking base layer and add insulating layers like fleece or wool.
Warm up your clothes: A quick spin in the dryer can make your clothes and socks toasty and comfortable, especially when first getting dressed in the morning.

Long-Term Warmth: Lifestyle and Dietary Strategies

For long-lasting warmth and improved overall temperature regulation, consider these ongoing lifestyle adjustments.

Dietary Adjustments for Internal Heat

Your diet plays a significant role in how your body generates and maintains heat.

Eat warming foods: Incorporate foods known for their thermogenic properties, which require more energy to digest. Examples include complex carbs like brown rice and roasted fibrous vegetables such as sweet potatoes or butternut squash.
Increase your iron intake: An iron deficiency (anemia) can make you feel cold more often. Ensure you are getting enough iron from sources like red meat, poultry, beans, and leafy greens. Consult a doctor before taking supplements.
Try warming spices: Spices like ginger, cayenne pepper, and cinnamon can help promote thermogenesis and increase blood circulation. Add them to meals and hot beverages for a cozy effect.

Exercise for Enhanced Circulation

Regular exercise boosts blood flow and metabolism, key factors for staying warm. While intense cardio can cause sweating that cools you down, consistent moderate activity helps your body's thermostat function better over time.

Environmental and Habit Changes

Creating a warm environment and adjusting your routine can provide consistent comfort.

Insulate your home: Seal drafts around windows and doors with weather stripping or draft stoppers. Close curtains on cold days and let the sun shine in on warm, sunny ones.
Wear socks to bed: Keeping your feet warm at night signals to your brain that it's time to sleep and helps your entire body feel cozier.
Take a warm bath or shower: Hydro-immersion therapy, or simply taking a warm bath, is a quick and effective way to raise your core body temperature.

The Psychology of Temperature Perception

Your mind has a powerful influence over how you experience temperature. Visualization and breathing techniques have been shown to help regulate body heat.

Meditation and Visualization: Research on Tibetan monks has shown that certain meditation techniques can increase core body temperature. By visualizing a warmer place or a fire within, you may be able to influence your thermal sensation.
Vase Breathing (G-Tummo): This specific breathing technique, practiced alongside meditation, involves breath retention and muscle contraction to generate and retain heat in the lower abdomen.

Understanding Underlying Causes of Feeling Cold

While these strategies can provide relief, persistent coldness could indicate an underlying health issue. Conditions such as anemia, thyroid problems, and poor circulation can contribute to feeling cold frequently. If simple remedies don't help, it is important to consult a healthcare provider for a proper diagnosis and treatment plan. Your doctor can run tests to rule out any medical conditions. To learn more about the regulation of body temperature and potential issues, consult authoritative medical resources such as this article from the National Institutes of Health: Physiology, Temperature Regulation.

A Comparison of Warming Methods


Method	Speed of Effect	Longevity of Effect	Best For...
Hot Beverages	Immediate	Short-term	A quick warm-up on demand
Light Exercise	Immediate	Medium-term	Breaking a chill and boosting energy
Eating Warming Foods	Medium-term (with digestion)	Long-term	Sustained warmth and metabolism support
Layering Clothing	Immediate	Sustained	Maintaining comfort in cold environments
Warm Bath/Shower	Immediate	Medium-term	Soothing chill and relaxing
Meditation/Breathing	Requires Practice	Medium-term	Improving mental and thermal awareness

Conclusion: Embrace Your Inner Thermostat

Learning how to make yourself feel hotter is a multi-faceted process that combines smart habits, dietary choices, and even mental techniques. By understanding your body's needs and implementing a few of these simple strategies, you can take control of your comfort, whether it's a cold day or a chronic chill. Stay active, eat well, and remember that sometimes the simplest solutions, like a warm mug or an extra layer, can make all the difference.

Frequently Asked Questions

Yes, spicy foods containing capsaicin, like chili peppers, can create a sensation of warmth by activating nerve receptors. Your body responds by sweating to cool down, which is why it works in both hot and cold weather. However, it does not significantly change your core temperature.

Wearing socks to bed can help you feel warmer and may even help you fall asleep faster. Warm feet help signal to your brain that it's time to rest and can improve overall circulation and comfort.

For a quick fix, try tucking your hands into your armpits or under your thighs. For feet, put on warm, dry socks, or use a hot water bottle. Gentle movement like hand circles and foot stomps can also increase circulation.

Persistent coldness could be a sign of an underlying medical issue, such as anemia, thyroid problems, or poor circulation. If you feel cold constantly, it is best to consult with a doctor to investigate potential causes.

Yes, your body burns calories to produce energy, and heat is a byproduct of that process. Eating enough nutritious, calorie-dense food gives your body the fuel it needs to maintain a consistent temperature, especially in colder months.

Preliminary research, particularly studies on Tibetan monks, suggests that specific meditation and breathing techniques can influence the body's internal thermostat and increase core temperature. While it requires practice, it's a real and powerful tool.

To insulate a room, seal any drafts around windows and doors. Use thick curtains to block cold air and consider placing rugs on bare floors. You can also reverse your ceiling fan's direction in the winter to push warm air downward.