It’s the truth. Winter is coming and we can’t escape it but here's how you can cope with winter.
Winter is coming.
It’s not just a line from an epically popular television series. It’s the truth. Winter is coming and we can’t escape it. The cold bite to the wind, the short days and long nights, the busyness of the holiday season and the inevitable January crash that comes after long moths of merry making are enough to send me into hibernation until Spring. But that’s not real life, no matter how much I want to be a bear.
Real life means there are obligations, like work and family and all of the other things that demand your attention and mental/emotional/spiritual capacity. By the time January 2nd rolls around we are all at the end of our energy reserves.
There are a few things you can do during and after the holidays to help with the inevitable energy crash that follows the holiday energy rush.
1. Set a bedtime for yourself.
I know. How old are we? My kids have a firm bedtime that I try my hardest to make them adhere to. I am much less compliant than they are, and I’m the only one who suffers when I choose Netflix over sleeping. Studies show that going to sleep and waking up at the same time every day is fantastic for you. Being a responsible adult is pretty stupid sometimes. And it’s also necessary.
2. Eat real food.
I know it’s easy to believe that you can easily subsist on sugar and holiday food all day every day until January. Hypothetically, you can. But you’re going to feel like utter sh*t, which will make coping with the holidays even harder. If you know you can’t handle eating real food for every meal every day (and nobody expects that of you for chrisssake), endeavor to eat a protein heavy breakfast. This will help your adrenals regulate the cortisol that kicks in when your sugar crash begins it’s nosedive.
3. Take your B vitamins.
I call them my Babe vitamins because they make me feel like total hotness when I do and a giant hot mess when I don’t. B vitamins provide a natural energy boost and regulate cortisol. This means you will crave less sugar and caffeine to function. Most of us are deficient in B vitamins, so find a good one and get to it! The good news is, B vitamins are water soluble so your body will just pee out whatever it doesn’t use. Fantastic, right?
4. Find ways to cope with stress.
Nadi breaths are fantastic for this and I HIGHLY recommend them. Lighting candles and finding ways to feel cozy. Hygge is a Scandinavian tradition that finds ways to embrace the cold months and attach comforting ritual to the short days of winter. And I feel like the Scandinavian s know what they’re talking about here since they spend their winters in cold, damp, darkness.
5. Eat some maca.
Maca is a great energy booster. You can add it to your morning coffee, buy chocolate bars with it already added, stir it into your almond butter with a little coconut nectar, or take it in capsule form. It’s naturally heating, so if you run warm or find that you have a short temper most of the time, take a hard pass on it. Otherwise, enjoy it any way you can get it.
6. Practice self-soothing.
A hot cup of tea, a bubble bath, a little mid-day Netflix, journaling, collating, or just doing something you love that you find relaxing. Engage your mind and body in a soothing ritual that feels extravagant, even if it’s simple. This will help reduce cortisol levels.
7. Get some skin to skin time.
And if it ends in orgasms, even better. Skin to skin time releases oxytocin which immediately reduces stress and promotes feelings of love and well-being. Your body, mind, and spirit will all be grateful.
8. Drink your water.
It’s winter. We forget. But your body still needs hydration and the constant indoor heating dehydrates you something fierce. Try drinking your water at room temp or slightly warmer to help your body stay warm.
