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.