Winter hit me SO much harder than in years past – has it for any of you?
You see, I recently realized from a webinar by Dr. Anderson (a great resource for ALL things Coronavirus) that I truly had long Cov*d – albeit a milder version. I score a 1 on the post-Cov*d functional scale (PCFS). Even though my physical strength is fully back and I can carry out my daily tasks, things still didn’t feel 100%.
This winter I felt an unfamiliar and pervasive heaviness/lack of motivation – symptoms of depression that were more pervasive than SAD. So mid February I committed to getting away to a warmer climate because I knew it was just what my body needed for healing.
3 flights, a taxi ride, and 14.5 hours later, I arrived in a place where the energy of the Earth is more powerful than pandemic, war, and political energy combined. I didn’t realize how much I needed to get away until I got here! Fantasies about buying a retreat center someday are in full effect!
My hope is that winter will be over when I return in advance of the vernal equinox. Here are 5 tips to support us in having a smooth transition:
1) Rebalance
What does your work/life/self-care rhythm look like?
How connected do you feel to your body? Spring is a big transition and not everyone springs forth effortlessly, a portion of the population can feel anxious or depressed. Consider getting some bodywork or massage in March and April to support your body in opening to the Spring season.
2) Release
It’s time to remove a layer of winter ‘gunk’ – consider a GI reset (and a good declutter of your closet at the same time!)
Commit to a week or two of clean eating:
- Eliminate the trifecta of gluten, dairy, and sugar
- Start your day with lemon in warm water to support your liver
- Hydrate (adding in electrolytes to support)
- Fiber – 2 Tbsp of ground flax daily is great way to promote regularity
If you feel a force has been driving you to eat carbs this winter, or you tend to suffer from seasonal allergies, inflammation signs, you may consider a more focused GI reset. (Stay tuned for a new offering I am cooking up for early summer!)
3) Reconnect
Spring carries the energy of the wood element. It’s an upward and outward extroverted energy that propels buds and shoots to emerge from the deep winter slumber.
What drives you, what are your dreams and passions? Take time to attune to the extroverted energy of spring, with the intention of reconnecting to your path. Spend more time outside to connect to nature in your locale with intentionality. How many different species of birds and trees do you see, what is blooming? Aligning in this way enables us to live with more flow versus ‘force.’
4) Rest
The time change can be exhausting for those who continue to burn the candle at both ends even in the dead of winter. If you didn’t put enough fuel back into the tank during the darker months, then your adrenals could be feeling it now. Commit to a minimum of 5 earlier nights in a row, lights out by 10 pm at the latest and get out of bed 7-8 hours later. Add in legs over a chair for 12 minutes before bed to nourish your parasympathetic nervous system for quality restorative sleep.
5) Root
Take a week to unplug from technology for 12 hrs a day. (Yes, 12 hours!) Even consider a tech free day/weekend sometime. You’ll be surprised at how this creates the space and ease – all the better for acclimating to the seasonal transition.