Taking care of yourself as the seasons change

Taking care of yourself as the seasons change

In the last week or so I’ve heard from a lot of people who have been feeling under the weather, or picked up a stomach bug or sore throat. I always find when the seasons are changing I am also a bit more susceptible to bugs going around and need to take extra care of myself.

We are cyclic beings and our bodies adapt to the changing seasons, temperature and other influences much in the same way as nature. Being in the northern hemisphere and moving in to colder, darker days it’s natural to crave more sleep and warming foods. Whereas in the southern hemisphere (where the days are getting warmer and longer) starting to introduce more detoxifying, fresh foods and getting outside more feels good.

I have found that learning to adjust and move with the flow of nature, not against it, is the best way to ease your body into the changing seasons, and feel as good as you can.

A few simple ways to help you adjust, no matter which hemisphere you are in, are:

1. Listen to your body Do you need more sleep? Could you do with saying no to a few social engagements so you can rest? Would it feel good to go for a walk instead of a hard training session, or perhaps it’s the other way around? What is your body telling you it needs?

2. Eat seasonally We have access to food from all over the world, year round now. But this usually means the foods not in season have travelled miles and been ripened in a warehouse losing a lot of their nutritional content. Nature provides us with what we need when we need it. Next time you are food shopping have a look at where you food has come from and pick items from close to home (or even better buy it from a local farmers market when you can).

3. Get outside every day No matter where you are in the world, getting out into the fresh air and sunlight (even if it is cold) is essential for our wellbeing. This is extra important for the shorter days. I suffer from S.A.D (season affective disorder) and really notice my mood drop if I don’t get outside enough during the winter.

Need some more self-care in your life? You can join my next free self-care challenge here.

If you would like support around your wellbeing in any way, please book in a free 30 minute call with me here and let’s chat to see how I can best support you.

Photo by Rose Erkul on Unsplash