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Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs
Ways to Beat the Winter Blahs
Brenda Jaeck –Certified Nutrition and Lifestyle Counselor
inspired by an article in Health Magazine Jan/Feb 2004 by Abigail Walch
Simple strategies to keep your energy levels soaring all season long.
The holidays are over and the reality of the long winter ahead has set in. Even if
you don’t live in a climate where cold or snow is an issue you can still be affected
by the change of season – the colder temperatures and shorter days. Getting up
in the morning is difficult at best, your energy sags in the afternoon and by the
end of the day you can just make it home to dinner before crashing. A large
percentage of the population notices some seasonal mood changes. Women are
more likely to notice a difference – some think this is due to hormonal fluctuations
already occurring in women’s bodies.
So, short of hibernating or moving down-under for the winter what can you do?
Here are some ideas:
Get some light
- Take a break in the middle of the day to get outside – especially if you
commute to and from work in non-daylight hours.
- Make sure you have a sufficient amount of lamps and/or other lights in the
rooms where you spend a lot of time. Take into account the lower level of
light coming in from the outside.
- Sit near a window whenever you can: at home, at work (can you move
your desk?), in meetings, in transport, at lunch
- Create rainbows – buy a crystal or prism of some sort
Energize your space
- Rearrange your space – to liven it up a bit
- Incorporate earthy touches – expose more wood floor, add indoor plants
or flowers. Getting in touch with nature is another way to garner energy.
- Add color with affordable accessories – pillows, scarves, sheets, towels,
etc…
- Light candles at dinner -- it brings in another force of nature
- Clean your house – why be dragged further down by clutter?
- Charge the air – try an air ionizer
- Experiment with a different room temperature – either cooler or warmer
Get Moving
- Find a way to get exercise in – either outside or in the gym or even
walking in the mall!
- Try a new winter sport – snowshoeing or ice skating are particularly
fun
- Invite a friend
- Walk instead of driving somewhere close
- Experiment with a new exercise class
- Breathe – notice how you breathe – are you inhaling and exhaling as
effectively as possible. Taking more oxygen in can energize you as well.
- Get some sleep – maybe you DO just need more sleep
Eat Well
- Last but certainly not least in my book – eat well – a balanced diet full of
WHOLE foods (not processed) – fresh fruits, vegetables, grains, clean
protein sources and lots of water. Need help here? That’s what I’m here for!
Brenda Jaeck is a Holistic Nutrition and Lifestyle Counselor, Lecturer and
Workshop Facilitator. She can be contacted at 917 213 9305 or
brenda@seedstochange.com.
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