5 Tips for Starting a Winter Day Well. Winter is here and
I’ll not go on about the cold. Needless
to say warming, nourishing foods are the go.
Rest is recommended. Chinese
Medicine says wearing a singlet (camisole for the feminine fashionistas) will
help to keep your kidneys warm and it’s what my Mum always said so it must be
true. But what about the emotional aspects of Winter? Shorter days, less warmth and less sunlight
can create a challenging situation…. In
the world of TCM (Traditional Chines Medicine) and acupuncture we see more
people with sadness, “the blues” and receiving a diagnosis of depression from
their doctor in Winter. Well before our modern understanding of conditions such as Seasonal
Affective Disorder (SAD) Chinese Medicine identified a disturbance in the
Kidney energy due to Winter cold effected out mood. Whilst we don’t have long, wet winters here (leave that for
England) we do have a life that is often centred around outdoor
activities. In short we love to be out
in the sun having fun and cold short days don't help in that regard. So here are our top 5 tips for starting a Winter day 1.
Resist the urge to sleep in; get up and be
active– activity on waking helps set you up for the day. 2.
Hydrate – In winter we still need to hydrate
with quality fluids after waking. Soup
for breakfast? 3.
Sunshine.
There might be less of it but it’s important to get out in the sun in
the morning (as soon as possible after waking) to keep your sleep cycle synced
up. 4.
Eat a healthy breakfast. So important in Winter. 5. Implement self care early. Meditate, exercise do whatever you do to help yourself first so it doesn't get missed in a short Winter day. |