Overcoming Winter Blues

During the winter, it is natural to feel a little sleepier, slower and possibly less motivated or have the Winter Blues.

It’s the season of stillness and conservation. It’s a period of hibernation and our time to rest, slow down and revitalize our reserves. Winter is a great time of year to reflect on our health, replenish our energy, conserve our strength and heal on a deeper level.

According to the traditional theories of the Five Elements, Water is the element that is associated with Winter and with the Kidneys, Bladder and Adrenal Glands. Our Kidneys are extremely important organs that have various functions–the main one is that they store our inherited constitution, also known as our Source Energy or Jing Qi. Consider it your body’s internal battery.

According to Chinese Medicine, our internal Kidney batteries are powered up with a supply of energy that will carry and sustain each of us throughout our lives. This power supply is imparted to us from our parents, and provides us with the energy for all of our bodily functions.

It is believed that every action we take deplete’s energy from this power supply. Some people quickly deplete their Jing Qi; others preserve it. Jing Qi is finite, so if not protected, it will be easily wasted and eventually, when it becomes depleted, various symptoms and signs may appear.

How does Chinese Medicine view winter?

During the winter, it is important to conserve our battery reserves. Our bodies are instinctively expressing the fundamental principles of winter–rest, reflection, conservation and storage. The “downtime” that winter provides, gives us an opportunity to slow down, check in, take account as to how our life-style supports or detracts from our health, and to recharge our battery.

Check out Dr. Heintze’s previous post on SAD, here.

As for getting some exercise, it is always healthy to get some form of it daily, but during the winter months, it is best to participate in gentler, less exerting exercise, such as, yoga, Tai Chi, Pilates, swimming, walking, and other low impact sports. Save the extreme exertion activities for the spring and summer months.

How can acupuncture help?

Acupuncture is widely known for its ability to help pain management but did you know it can also help symptoms of seasonal affective disorder? Yep! Acupuncture has been shown to help curb depression as well as stimulate endorphins, the ‘feel good’ hormone which can help lift mood. A recent study found that acupuncture significantly reduced fatigue in those with chronic fatigue syndrome which was measured by the Chalder’s Fatigue Scale and the Fatigue Severity Scale compared with other types of control used in the study.

If you or someone you know suffers from change in energy or mood or signs of Seasonal Affective Disorder, acupuncture and naturopathic medicine might be able to help curb symptoms.

Contact our office at (425) 686-4498 to schedule your consult today with Dr. Heintze today to learn how we can help!

Sources:

Acupuncture and Fatigue: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/10.1136/acupmed-2017-011582?journalCode=aima