Here’s How Winter Impacts Your Emotions
WINTER IS IN FULL SWING AND UNFORTUNATELY, SO IS THE PANDEMIC. WE DIDN'T NEED COVID TO INCREASE OUR SEASONAL STRESS & DEPRESSION, BUT IT SEEMS TO BE OUR CURRENT REALITY.
I'll be honest - the last several weeks have caused some unexpected feelings to bubble to the surface for me. I've been feeling more “blah” and not as bubbly and energetic as my usual self. Have you felt any changes in your demeanor or emotions? It's important to check in with yourself periodically so that you are maintaining a healthy state of mind. After all, our outlook instructs our energies to create our own personal reality (this is why two people in the same circumstances can have two very different outcomes).
The fact that winter is in full effect doesn't make it any easier. As the sun recedes and we experience less and less sun exposure, our body's stores of vitamin D are also greatly reduced. Vitamin D functions like a hormone in the body, and has healing properties that benefit our immune system, gut health, breasts, reproductive system, and more. When we're low in vitamin D, we can easily experience mood changes, hormone imbalance, increased susceptibility to colds and infections, and increased risk of cancer.
To make things more complicated, people of color convert vitamin D more poorly than Caucasians, doubling their risk of deficiency and symptoms. Vitamin D supplementation is essential for optimal health, making it a smart choice to include in your daily regimen, especially during the winter months. When you add the complexities of COVID-19 to an already susceptible mind and body that may be impacted by low vitamin D levels, it can feel overwhelming. Like with anything, a shift in your perspective may be all you need to see things more clearly right now.
A lot of people choose “one word” at the top of the year to set an intention for the way they want things to unfold. But what I think is more powerful is choosing a quality that affects you right now - one that allows you to move through any challenge, including COVID, with grace. Despite the sadness we've all experienced from this pandemic, I'm challenging you to choose your “one quality” that can improve your current outlook, even if nothing were to change anytime soon.
I DON’T KNOW YOUR PERSONAL NEEDS, BUT I CAN PROMISE THAT IF YOU SPEND MORE TIME DOING SOME INNER WORK, YOU’D BE SURPRISED AT WHAT YOU’RE CAPABLE OF!
When you think about choosing a quality that will enable you to become accepting of a situation (even if temporary), what comes to mind? Whether your quality is forgiveness, patience, joy, acceptance or something else, the idea is to discipline yourself to embrace this quality and focus on that instead of the pandemic or any other personal challenges.
Here's how to do it…
Improve your daily health regimen.
Take your herbs and supplements faithfully and be intentional about what you want them to do in your body. Nutrients like vitamin D, Zinc, and vitamin C (you already know how much I love Buffered Vitamin C) are critical for your immunity and overall health. While these nutrients play a huge role in your immune health, they also work on other areas of the body like the antioxidant defense system, wound healing, thyroid health, and so much more. You can find any of these in our online dispensary. We also have herbal formulas for reducing stress and infections available here in our Apothecary.
Focus on the positive vs. fear.
Remember, fear is just an energy that can create illness as effectively as the illness itself! It also takes the same amount of energy to be afraid as it does to be happy. When we feel fear, worry takes over - and worrying is like praying for something you don’t want to happen.
I hope this article was informative and shed a little light on a gray area, seemingly worsened by colder climates and less sun exposure. No matter how you’re feeling, you’re never alone (even when it feels like it). Call a friend, spend time with a loved one, help someone in need. You’ve got to find a way to add a bright spot to your day, which may naturally encourage someone else in the process.
