A New Perspective on the Winter

For those of us living in Chicago or any other cold climate city, the wintertime can be brutal, and downright depressing.  Many of us experience symptoms of seasonal affective disorder (S.A.D) as the days get darker and darker.   Up until recently, I would dread the very thought of the impending cold and the many months of snow to follow.  Every year around January, my husband and I would seriously consider moving to a nicer climate, but ultimately decide that it was not worth moving away from family, friends, and jobs that we love.  So what changed you ask?  Why do I no longer go into the winter kicking and screaming and wishing the months away?

The inspiration for this shift came for me after learning the meaning of the seasons from the perspective of Chinese medicine.  In ancient China, the people believed that human beings should follow the natural cycles of the seasons and that with each season came a new and different chance for growth and wisdom. 

The Meaning of Winter

The wintertime is a chance for us to sloooow down by spending more time inside our homes, conserving our energy, and less time being active.  While resting more at home under our blankies, we might be nourishing our bodies with warm soup, hot baths, and a nice cup of tea or cocoa.  This kind of hibernating may even give us more free time to spend with our family or to read a good book. Instead of looking at the winter as a time to be stuck at home and disconnected from others, perhaps it is exactly this forced time and space that gives us the opportunity to connect with ourselves.  A time to re-evaluate our own needs and plant some new personal seeds for a renewed spring.

Because the winter is ruled by the water element in Chinese medicine, I decided that maybe my attitude about the winter should be more like the nature of water.  I would just go with the flow and stop resisting the change in season, much like water effortlessly flows over rocks and anything else in its way.  Choosing not to resist whatever comes our way ,whether it be something like the winter months or any other curveball we are thrown in the life, is the key to acceptance and moving foreward.  And if I was going to live happily in the Windy City from the months of December till March, acceptance would have to take place.

In addition to having a more positive attitude about the winter, the following is a list of other measures you can take to support yourself during this time.

Vitamin D supplements: Vitamin D is otherwise known as the sunshine vitamin, because one of the ways that we get it is through sun exposure.  It also naturally occurs in some foods such as fish and egg yolks, however most of us do not get enough of it in our daily diet, so we must rely on the sun or supplements.  Some of the things we need vitamin D for are a healthy immune system, mood regulation, and strong bones.  This is why many people may experience symptoms of depression, pain, or a weakened immune system during the winter months when we do not get enough sun exposure.   A good quality vitamin D supplement is something that most people can benefit from.  I use Iso-D by metagenics during the winter. 

Aromatherapy: Research has shown citrus essential oils such as sweet orange to be helpful in combating Seasonal  Affective Disorder.  You can use these essential oils for topical application such as in our happiness blend or diffuse undiluted oils in an oil burner or diffuser. 

St. Johns Wort- St. John’s wort has been shown effective in more than 25 double-blind , controlled studies to support stress relief and mood regulation.  St. John ’s wort increases serotonin (your brain’s happy hormone) and may help to buffer anxiety and mild depression.  This herb is excellent when used seasonally for mild mood changes associated with the weather or for year-round support.  My favorite place to pick up a great quality bottle of St. John ’s wort is at whole health Chicago’s fabulous apothecary. Make sure to read the bottle for dosage information and interactions. 

Exercise- Other than the obvious benefits of exercise for weight-loss and a healthy body, exercise has been shown to have positive benefits to your mood.  Exercise naturally increases serotonin levels and helps your body to release endorphins when you work out for a minimum of 20 minutes at an ideal heart rate.  The target heart rate that you want to shoot for is between 60% -80% of your maximum heart rate.  To find your maximum heart rate, subtract your age from 220.  Now take 60% of that number to get the bottom range of your ideal workout heart rate and 80% to get the top of the range.  To check your heart rate during your workout, take your pulse for 10 seconds and multiply by 6. 

Following some of these suggestions may not completely transform you from someone who dreads the cold to someone who wants to pick up and move to Antarctica, however hopefully you may be able to see the wintertime as an opportunity to practice acceptance and make the best out of the situation.  If not, there is always San Diego!