[Body & Soul]  Beating Those Winter Blues

by Michelle Baker
Photo by Darren Schwindaman
February 28, 2007

March is a stressful month. Thanksgiving, Christmas, New Year's and Valentine's Day are all long gone, the days are often gray and cold, and we can't count on another holiday from work for months. The trees are all still bare, the lawn is still brown. I always get a cold or have sinus problems in March, wondering when it will ever warm up. When will the buds start sprouting and the weather warm up enough so I don't have to bundle up every time I go out?

In my work as a massage therapist, I see lots of clients in March—a good month professionally, even as it's bad for my health. I get tired and cranky lugging my table in and out of the car, out into the cold and into people's warm homes. Once you get inside, everyone's sick with an unspecified sinus condition that leaves them sniffling and blowing, hacking and coughing. Nobody feels well.

Besides the cold weather, half the trouble with March is stress. When the weather is gray and cold, the body has to work harder to keep warm. The extra exertion caused by cold outside and warm inside, combined with everybody's coughs and colds, is a great strain on the immune system, which causes all sorts of coughs, colds, sinus problems and more. Luckily, my experience working in the field of complementary and alternative medicine have given me a large tool chest of ways to get well—and stay well.

To beat those winter blues and get well fast, just remember "F-A-S-T." Fluids, in the form of eight 8-ounce glasses of water a day, will keep you in top shape. Note that coffee, tea, juice, milk and soft drinks (even diet soft drinks) do not count toward your daily intake of water. In fact, caffeine dehydrates you, making it necessary to drink additional water. Even if you drink four cups of coffee in the morning and four Diet Cokes in the afternoon, you still should drink eight glasses of water.

Your attitude is also important. This point is absolutely key, and is one of the easiest ways to stay healthy. Each morning, wake up and set your intention for the day. "Today, I intend that my healthy body functions perfectly and effortlessly at all times." State it aloud, and ask for what you want. Focus on the positive of what you want rather than on the ailment or problem that is bothering you. Be aware during the day of the thoughts that pop into your head: Are you constantly irritated by circumstances and people around you, or do you see each "problem" as an opportunity for change? People who are able to see the glass as half full are healthier people.

The "S" in FAST is for sleep. If you are a person who normally requires seven hours per night, try increasing your rest time to eight hours. Even this small change can mean the difference between a cold lasting six days and a cold that disappears in four or five. When possible, get some extra rest. If you have a weekend when nothing is "due," take some time for a nap. Relax on the couch and snuggle up with a good book and a cup of hot tea or cocoa.

Finally, the "T" is for therapy. This is where the fun begins. Therapy can be whatever you want it to be, and it's unique for each person. The only requirement for therapy is that the activity is fun and relaxing. Maybe for you that means a nice relaxing massage from Poplar Place or a weekly yoga class at Butterfly Yoga. Is it a green salad full of delicious organic veggies from High Noon Café? Or a spa day complete with facial, manicure, pedicure and body wrap from Barnett's with the girls? A chance to spend an hour alone jogging in Parham Bridges Park could be nice, too. Whatever it is, make time for your therapy every week (preferably, every day) because it's time you gift yourself—an important part of keeping yourself on track and staying healthy.

Those winter blues can cause stress, but the power to heal is inside you at every moment, and it's FAST. So, take some time for yourself, drink your water, watch your attitude, get enough sleep and indulge your body's need for its own unique brand of therapy.

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