Nip those Winter Blues in the Bud

Another winter is here - and perhaps curling up under the covers with a hot cuppa never sounded better? This may well be why massages can also be more popular - to some of my clients' surprise - in the winter.

Here are four key reasons why we might seek out the comfort and relief of massages more often during the colder months - as well as lots more tips on how to thrive this winter.

We get SAD during the winter

If you’ve ever noticed that you start to feel out of sorts as the seasons turn from warm to cold, just know you’re not crazy - or alone in this.

Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) is a real thing and it can cause anyone to feel the effects of the winter blues as the nights get longer, the days get shorter and the weather gets bleak - or dreich as the Scots say so well.

SAD is a type of depression that occurs most during the winter due to lack of sunlight, low temperatures and gloomy weather. You might have SAD if you tend to be moodier, experience low energy levels, are easily irritated, find yourself oversleeping often and also gaining weight.

While a trip to the Caribbean may not be a feasible or environmental option, getting a massage can work wonders on winter blues. It can increase hormones like serotonin and dopamine while decreasing cortisol, helping us feel more relaxed and resilient to head back out into the cold.

Colder weather causes muscle tension

Have you ever been outside in the cold for a long hike or event in the winter and, once back home and warming up, noticed your neck, shoulders and even gluts were all achy?

In cold conditions, our body tenses up in defence. If we are exposed to low temperatures for a longer period of time, that muscle tension can remain well after we are back in a warmer environment.

Receiving a massage during the colder months can be a great way to combat the tension we may pick up in this way.

Festive days cause stress and anxiety

Even if we love the festive season, it can bring extra stress and anxiety due to the busy-ness of the season. If our days fill up with celebratory events, decorating, buying or making gifts, baking, sending Christmas cards - in addition to all that our regular lives bring - it can be difficult to fit in the down time needed to stay relaxed and well.

A massage during this time can be a great support to keep our stress levels low so we can really enjoy the holidays.

We can't get grounded

Unless we are year round wild-water swimmers, most of us don't run around barefoot in the winter. Being bundled up in multiple layers of clothes often means we feel our body less. Connecting to the earth - feeling our bare feet on the grass, sand or soil - so as to ground and sense our bodies is more challenging during the winter months and can inhibit our ability to let go of stress.

This is where a massage can reconnect us with our body, decrease muscle tension and help us feel ourselves again.

I'm feeling more balanced and energised at the same time. And, I always feel more myself, my real self, and more in my body, after an Esalen massage.

~ Debbie, Scotland

What else can help beat the winter blues?

While massage can be greatly beneficial during the winter, here are more tips to stay happy and healthy during the colder season.

Eat wholesome foods
It's easy to slip into eating comfort food when the weather gets colder, so it's good to keep the sugar and processed foods to a minimum and eat a lot of fresh veggies and fruits. Tea and soups will also fill our belly with both warmth and immunity boosting nutrients.

Move gently
Exercise is critical for lifting our mood, especially in the darker months of the year when we tend to be more sedentary. Don’t force yourself to do activities you hate. Any movement will do. Even if it’s walking up and down the stairs or dancing alone.

Catch some sun rays
We can brighten up our day by getting natural light exposure throughout the day. Sit in a sunny spot. Take a hot cuppa outdoors. Wrap up and warm your face in the sun. Even a short time in the fresh air can help to nourish our neurotransmitters and lift our mood.

Nestle in nature
Embrace the outdoors regardless of the weather. Bundle up and get outside. Make the most of activities that can only be done in the winter, especially if there's snow around - go sledding, winter-hiking, build a snow-wo-man, throw some snowballs...

Sleep plenty
Make resting a priority. Not getting enough sleep can lead to a slower metabolism and increased appetite - and in turn unhealthy food choices and inactivity. Curl up with a good book and some hot herbal tea before lying down to fall asleep more easily during stressful times.

 
Laugh
Laughter helps lower stress hormones and improve blood flow, all of which can increase our energy levels. Rent a funny movie, watch a comedy sketch online or play some games with others (cheating allowed :-).

Connect with sunny people
Surround yourself with people who make you feel warm. Touch in with friends and people who inspire you. Be around those who help you take life less seriously - having fun will brighten up any time of year.

Create something
Create something even in a small way that makes you feel cosy no matter the weather outside; cook a good meal or redecorate a corner in your home, hang up a picture you love or write a note of appreciation to someone you care for.

Generate random acts of kindness
Acts of altruism have been shown to activate parts of the brain that produce feelings of positivity and well-being. Assist a friend in need or volunteer with a local organization. Help a stranger. Pay a coffee or parking ticket forward to the next person in line.

Prioritise financial well being & sustainability
Get creative with gifting experiences and hand-crafted items, if you celebrate the festive days with gifts. Check out free online forums where people discuss ways to live more frugally and sustainably. Gift poems, home-grown plants and possibilities - add magic through meaning rather than monetary expenses.

Do what you love
Take care with over-booking. You don’t have to say yes to every event, invitation or extra project at work. Give yourself the freedom to decide what you truly want. Think about what makes you happy and lifts you up, and then spend more time doing just that.

Give your brain a break
Set aside time to care for yourself, so you have the energy and motivation to enjoy this time of year. If we feel like a deflated balloon (and ideally before), it's key to focus on ourselves first. Get those 5 mins of quiet while you sip a coffee. Take that 7-min meditation break. Allow those tears to run. All of these can help us feel ourselves again.

Watch those expectations
Who hasn't set themselves up for disappointment by expecting everything to be perfect - especially around the festive days? It's best to keep those comparisons in check (esp. if we're on social media) and to focus instead on what we can be grateful for.

Review the year
It's so easy to miss the magic of how life's twists and turns unfold - by taking some time to review our year we can uncover so much to celebrate that may have gotten snowed under along the way.

Look ahead
Dreaming into the new year, feeling into where we would like life to take us - even planning our vegetable garden or summer time off - will give us something to look forward to when those winter days seem both short and never-ending.

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However the winter months may affect us - including SAD-ness, increased muscle tension, holiday-induced stress, lack of grounding or just plain winter blues - there are lots of ways, along with massages and under-the-duvet days, to help ourselves not only get through the colder months but to actually thrive in spite of them.

Schedule your Winter Massage

Nip those winter blues in the bud.

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Healing powers of self-massage
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