Intentional Self-care for the Winter Doldrums

by Olivia Ruffin, MS, LPC

As the excitement and cheer of the holidays come to a close, friends and family go back to their homes, and it’s time to get back to reality, it can be difficult to find balance in our ordinary schedules. In addition, for those who experience loss, negative experiences, or struggle with Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) the winter months can present as a physical and emotional challenge. So as not to get stuck in the “New Year, New Me” wave, here are some tips that can help increase self-care through the winter months and support new experiences, self-compassion, and inner peace.

Live-in alignment with the seasons

“Slow down and enjoy life. It is not only the scenery you miss by going too fast — you also miss the sense of where you are going and why.” Eddie Cantor

Winter is a time for hibernation and to slow down and reflect. It can be difficult with our ever-growing “to-do” list and social pressures to resist the urge to take on new projects. It can be hard to shift our focus from a doing state to one of rest and reflection. The key is to give yourself permission to slow down. A few steps you can take is to practice saying “no”, especially to events and activities that you find draining. I like to support my clients in developing a sense of serenity by practicing mindfulness.

Mindfulness is paying attention to the present moment on purpose, which creates an opportunity to experience happiness and joy. The practice of mindfulness can include guided meditation, practicing gratitude, observing the activity around you on a nature walk, or singing your heart out in the shower. One of my favorite activities to do with clients is to create a gratitude jar; as they accumulate the collection, they are reminded that even on our toughest days, there is still goodness in our world. Developing your own brand of mindfulness is what makes the experience fulfilling and unique.

Maintain a healthy seasonal diet

“In Chinese Medicine, the season of winter is thought to be the most yin of seasons: dark, cold, and slow; a time of conserving energy, rest and stillness, with our qi moving deeper inward to help keep us warm.”-- Jayne Whitman

Chinese medicine teaches us to live in harmony with the seasons. The best method to keep our bodies in balance in winter is to have a mainly warm diet with foods available in the session. To find out what your body needs, stay up to date with your doctor's visits and maybe consider working with a nutritionist. If you struggle to be creative in the kitchen, working with a nutritionist can be a great support to increase confidence and knowledge about foods that bring you joy and keep you satisfied. Sometimes the best medicine starts with what's on the plate.

Revisit a hobby

Hobbies have great benefits for your mental health, whether it’s creative, athletic, academic, by yourself, or with others. Hobbies help us to slow down and unwind. Hobbies also help us to reduce stress, increase mood, and boost creativity. Revisit the joy of reading or try listening to an audiobook and allow yourself to be swept away by the story. Maybe you'd enjoy learning a new skill like crafting, cooking, or learning to play a musical instrument. These are all methods to not only practice mindfulness but bring back simple joys. Does a hobby come to mind? Don't be shy. Now could be the time to enjoy it again.

Stay connected

Just because the holidays are over doesn't mean the fun has to stop there! Staying connected to others is a great way to beat the loneliness of winter. If you are feeling healthy and confident, maybe get back to in-person activities like attending faith-based events, meeting a friend for coffee or dinner dates, or finding friends through new experiences on Eventbrite or Meetup. These are all methods to keep and find meaningful connections.

Intuitive movement

“Intuitive movement is the practice of connecting and listening to your body to figure out how it feels and what type of movement it needs that day.”-- Rachel Harley

I support my clients with the Dialectical Behavioral Therapy (DBT) skill of opposite action. We all have that nagging feeling, “I should get up and move,” but what you might not know is that “should statements” motivate us with guilt or shame.  While that can sometimes get us started, rarely is that movement or change enjoyable or sustainable. Learning to settle into your body and asking yourself what movement would be fulfilling for you right now could be the key to unlocking sustainability and creativity. From yoga to dancing to playing with your kids in the snow, noticing if it feels good to move your body differently is what counts!

Although the winter months can be cold and gloomy, that doesn't mean your self-care routine needs to suffer. By living in alignment with the season and slowing down, staying warm, and reflecting through mindful engagement, you can increase joy and connection even in the middle of winter. If this sounds like a new resolution you can get behind and you need support to get started, then I might be the therapist for you! Let's get connected!

Olivia Ruffin, MS, LPC is a Licensed Professional Counselor that works with teens and adults. She specializes in working with individuals with anxiety, depression, and life transitions to cultivate joy and develop helpful and relevant strategies to empower clients with concrete tools for lasting change. To connect with Olivia, please call 267-434-1030. Learn more here. 

Big Picture Living

by Catherine McLaughlin

The term “holistic” can mean different things to different people. To me, it means looking at your life from a “big picture” viewpoint, and noticing patterns (good and bad) that may have developed. Some of your patterns may be detrimental to your life experience, while others may be supportive and guiding you through. While everyone has unique factors that comprise their “picture”, there are a few common lifestyle factors that work in everyone’s favor. By making small changes in specific areas of your life, you can move from dis-ease to ease.

As a psychotherapist, I see people who are struggling in various aspects of their life. But psychotherapy is only part of the picture. Visiting a medical doctor to rule out any medical conditions that could be interfering with your overall well-being is the first step. You may also be taking prescription medication to address your symptoms. In addition to psychotherapy and medication, assessing your current lifestyle habits could improve how you interact with your symptoms - and your life.

Good [psychotherapists and] psychiatrists most often look not only to medication and talk therapy, but also lifestyle changes, regularizing sleep patterns, daily routines, circadian rhythms, exercise and diet can make an enormous difference. A mind body connection continues to grow in relevance for everyone. – Riding the Tiger, PBS Documentary

I love working with people as a “lifestyle detective” to figure out how all the pieces come together and interact. Once we determine your personal lifestyle factors, we can start putting it all together to create a picture of wellness and ease. There are a few lifestyle factors everyone has in common, including exercise, nutrition, and sleep.

Exercise

If you’re experiencing symptoms of depression and/or anxiety, exercising may be the last thing you feel like doing. But scientists have proven that not only can make you feel better, it can help prevent symptoms from returning. Exercise helps the brain release chemicals that make you feel good (neurotransmitters, endorphins and endocannabinoids), strengthens your immune system, and raises your body temperature. This combination can have a calming effect on your nervous system, which makes you experience fewer symptoms. Sticking with an exercise plan can positively affect your confidence, connect you more to a social network, and serve as a form of “moving meditation.”

Nutrition

Have you ever noticed how you feel after eating? Do some foods make you feel “different” than others? Foods with high nutrient density - like fresh vegetables, fruits, whole grains, and lean meats - provide our bodies with nutrient-packed calories to use as fuel. Eating nutritionally rich foods can leave you feeling energized, alert, and light. Conversely, foods that are high in fat, salt, and sugar can leave you feeling bloated and tired. Foods like doughnuts, chips, and french fries are high in calories, but low in nutritional value. Eating nutritionally sparse foods in excess can make you tired and irritable, then lead into a vicious cycle of overconsumption and a worsening of negative symptoms. Researchers have demonstrated that eating regularly (not skipping meals) and maintaining a healthy, well-balanced diet can support holistic well-being and positive mental health. They are even finding that eating certain foods can help reduce symptoms of anxiety and depression.

In addition to paying attention to the foods we eat, it is important to pay attention to what we’re drinking. Drinks like juice, soda, and alcohol are high in sugar and calories, and low on hydration. While it may feel as if they quench our thirst in the immediate moment, their sugar content dehydrates us. Water is the best drink around: Not only does it lack calories and sugar, it contains nutrients vital to our brain development and maintenance. Appropriate water consumption not only make our brains work better, but enhances our memory and performance.

Sleep

According to the National Sleep Foundation, adults need 7-9 hours of sleep every night (while teens need 8-10). As we know, lack of sleep is a factor in poor memory, concentration, performance, and mood. Individuals with insomnia are ten times more likely to suffer from depression. Paying attention to your sleep habits (hours per night, how you feel when you go to bed at night/ wake up in the morning, patterns) may help clue you in to how your symptoms may be connected to your sleep.

In addition to exercise, nutrition, and sleep, there are many other factors that can be considered when using a lifestyle approach. Monitoring media consumption, screen time, and stress levels - and adding in self-care routines, daily habits, hobbies, and alternative therapies, such as Reiki, Rubenfeld Synergy, Qi Gong, mindfulness meditation - can work together in harmony to support your well being. The Resiliency Center offers many of these programs; Check the calendar for times and dates. The most important factor, though, is to discover how it all fits together for you. The holistic picture of your life is yours, and yours alone.

To learn more about Catherine McLaughlin, MA, NCC, LPC, please call 267-800-5073, email catherine@cjmcounseling.com, or visit www.cjmcounseling.com.

Increase Your Energy Naturally

 by Dana L. Barron, PhD, Health Coach and Advocate

Do you find that you don’t have as much energy as you’d like? Do you have highs and lows throughout the day? Do you look to certain foods or drinks to give you a boost? Do you have trouble falling asleep, or staying asleep? Fatigue and low energy are among the most common reasons that people seek guidance from health care providers. They can be mild or extreme, but they are NOT inevitable. There are many natural and easy ways to increase your energy, and along with it your mood and your outlook.

Nutrition

The foods and beverages that you consume have a huge impact on your energy level. If you can stabilize your blood sugar throughout the day, you will be amazed at how much more energy you have!

Here are some tips (which are also good for weight management):

• Eat real, whole food rather than packaged or processed food
• Balance macro-nutrients (fats, proteins, carbohydrates and fiber) with every meal and snack
• Eat every few hours to get ahead of hunger
• Educate yourself - know what is in your food (read labels or consult reference sources like www.self.nutrition.com)
• Get enough fat (yes, that’s right!) But all fats are not created equal. Healthy fats, which are essential to energy and health, include fatty fish, olive and coconut oil, nuts and seeds. Include them in EVERY meal or snack. Avoid processed fats and most vegetable oils. Limit animal fats, especially from grain-fed animals. Choose pastured and grass fed meats.
• Limit or eliminate sugar (including fructose which is found in fruit), processed grains, and starchy foods. Choose complex carbohydrates from whole grains, beans and legumes, low-glycemic fruits, and vegetables.
• Watch out for hidden sugars (e.g. corn syrup, fructose, agave, and words ending in “tol.”) Read labels and know what is in your food
• Minimize processed foods and food additives which will zap your energy
• Limit caffeine, especially after noon
• Pay attention to the nutritional content of your food MORE than the calorie count

 Sleep

Most of us do not get enough. And it’s not just the number of hours of sleep we get – it’s the quality of that sleep that matters. We need periods of deep, restorative sleep to have energy and stay healthy. Take a good look at your “sleep hygiene” and find the areas where you can improve. Small changes can have big effects.

Here are some tips to train your brain to wind down around bed-time:

•  Set and maintain consistent times for going to sleep and waking up
• Get enough hours – this varies from person to person, and with age, but most of us need at least 7 or up to 9 hours per night
• Avoid stimulating factors in the hours before bedtime:
• “Blue light” from electronic screens is interpreted by the brain as sunlight. They tell the brain that it’s time to get up and go, not to wind down and rest. Shut them down (including your phone!) two hours before bed
• Caffeine within 4-6 hours of bedtime will make it harder to fall asleep and will diminish the quality of sleep
• Exercising too close to bedtime will stimulate your system
• Engage in relaxing activities that signal to your brain that it is time to wind down. Take a warm bath, read, listen to music, meditate, practice relaxation exercises, or do anything you like that relaxes and calms you
• Be sure your sleeping environment is completely dark and as quiet as possible
• Stabilize your blood sugar. Blood sugar drops are the main cause of middle-of-the-night wake-ups. Follow the nutrition tips above and have a nutrient-balanced snack at bedtime (protein, fat, fiber, complex carbohydrates).

Nutrient Deficiencies

Most of us are low in some essential vitamins and minerals. These deficiencies are huge energy zappers. Talk to your health care provider to see if you are getting enough, especially the following:

• Vitamin D
• Iron
• Magnesium and zinc
• B vitamins (in the right form for your genetic type)
• Iodine (for thyroid health)
• Antioxidants (for liver function and cardiac health)

Food sources for vitamins and minerals are best, but supplements may be helpful, especially for nutrients that are not readily found in our food supply.

This is a long list and it is easy to get overwhelmed. I suggest taking one area, or a few tips, and focusing on them for a week or two. Keep track of your energy levels using a log or diary. See what works. Most people will see changes fairly quickly. However, if your fatigue feels extreme, if you notice a sudden change in your energy, if you have other symptoms, or if none of these strategies is helpful, please talk to your health care professional.

Dana Barron is a health coach and advocate. She collaborates with clients to investigate the root causes of symptoms, apply holistic and natural approaches to healing, and enlist the body’s innate capacity to heal. She also supports clients in getting the care they need from their doctors and other health care providers. Contact her at 215-688-5108 or healingpathcoaching@ yahoo.com, or see http://www.theresiliencycenter.com/bio_dana-barron.html.