A guide to getting through the last gasp of winter – Spring is almost on its way. It may not feel like it some days, but I have noticed the first spring buds on their way and greens poking out under the trees on our local walk. It is coming.
It is also this time of year that people struggle with most. That last gasp, when your resilience is worn down and you haven’t seen the sky for days. Add to that the pressures of working from home in a pandemic and you have a ready-made situation to max out our mental health.
If you’re feeling like it’s all just a bit too much, you’re not alone. The key to making it out the other side, is simple, small adjustments that don’t contribute to the overwhelm, don’t take a huge amount of motivation, but do make a big impact.
It’s back to basics – and here are the key components to turn around your wellbeing
Rest:
If you have trouble sleeping check over your sleep hygiene first
Take a calming, herbal blend for sleep every night before bed and leave a cup to cool by the bedside in case you wake in the night.
Stick to the same times every night to help your body get back into a routine.
Nourishment:
Eat fresh food and veg wherever you can. Home cook as much as possible – there is such a difference in the health of the elderly who have always homecooked!
A good quality multivitamin can help rebalance vitamin and mineral levels in all areas. In winter vitamin C and D are particularly important.
If you are experiencing real energy dips make sure you snack on protein rich foods (like nuts and seeds) every 3 hours to stabilise blood sugars.
Movement:
Whatever your level of fitness, start where you are and try to push up one level.
Whether it be chair exercises, walking, running or a full workout, get your circulation going and your heart rate increasing, and you’ll soon notice a difference.
Increased stamina helps speed up our metabolism, improve our blood flow and can help our sleep quality too. All of that in turn improves our mental health.
These steps are quite enough for you to start to feel better – and it’s the perfect basis for a deeper detox when spring does finally arrive. Then you can add in other layers – like drinking green tea for example or cutting out dairy or wheat. So, when the sap starts to rise, and the days become longer – you’ll be absolutely ready for a proper spring detox.
See you there in March? Pamela is a medical herbalist and runs an online community for busy women who do too much. Doors open again in March and kick off with a week of free content designed to help you reset your stress levels naturally.
To find out more and sign up to the wait list visit here.
Pamela Spence
Medical Herbalist