The Winter Blues

Tis the season when many of us begin to experience those all familiar feelings of depression, anxiety, or just an overall feeling of “blahness”! The winter blues can be frustrating and definitely put a damper on our lifestyle and relationships.

There are several reasons people get the winter blues.  My personal challenge is the time change — a lack of sunlight and warmth.  Winter days are shorter in sunlight and in most parts of the country much colder.  I know that here in Tennessee, we tend to get a lot of rainy or overcast days so that warm, happy sunlight is few and far between.  Another reason we may feel down is from the stress of the holidays. For some, holidays are filled with love and laughter while others may dread that time with fighting family members and busy, multi-family schedules. Whatever your reason for the blue season, there is help!

For those of you who suffer from seasonal depression which is often referred to as Seasonal Affective Disorder, try purchasing a sun lamp or full spectrum light boxes to help give you that much needed light therapy.  Exercise is a great way to increase endorphins in the brain.  Since it is harder to exercise out doors, you may consider joining a gym for the winter months and participate in more group exercise classes to help keep you motivated.  Instead of trying to do all of the cooking at Thanksgiving, have family members pitch in and bring their favorite dishes so one person isn’t doing all the cooking….. or better yet, hit your favorite Cracker Barrel for lunch that day!  Christmas shopping seems to bring the most stress during the holiday season so try drawing names this year.  Everyone has been impacted by the stressed economy so this is a perfect opportunity to start some new family traditions.

I must mention good nutrition and some helpful herbs that can support your body during this stressful time.  Watch your sugar intake.  Holiday seasons bring reasons to eat more sugar!  Instead of eating a slice of every pie on the table, take smaller bite sizes of each one and quickly walk away!

Here are some suggestions from Nature’s Sunshine Products:

Vitamin D3- make sure you are getting plenty of D3 as our levels tend to drop more during the winter months.  Vitamin D3 helps prevent colds and flus by boosting the immune system.

Nutri-Calm- this is my favorite supplement for supporting the body during stress and anxiety.  It is full of vitamin B’s and some calming herbs that will help to “take the edge off”….it is a favorite among my clients.

Mood Elevator- this is a great herbal supplement to support depression and low moods.  It is a blend of Chinese herbs that have shown to be effective in turning that frown upside down!  It is also available in TCM (concentrated form for those who prefer taking it once a day)*not recommended  if taking anti-depressants or with bi-polar disorder

Nervous Fatigue Formula – another favorite Chinese herbal formula that is great for those who are feeling “burned out”, exhausted, or overly stressed.  It’s helpful for those who wake up during the night with a racing mind.  It helps to nourish the adrenals and support the body during times of fatigue. Also available in the TCM formula.

Clean Start- this is a great, overall cleanse for the body.  It contains Environmental Detox to help rid the body of those daily toxins we are all exposed to, as well as cleansing formulas to support intestinal health.

For product orders visit www.mynsp.com/offeringhope

And most of all, remember to find something each day to be thankful for and focus on those things. Find reasons to laugh and smile…..make your own sunshine and be a light to others.

May you all have a healthy and happy winter season!

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