Switching on Your Rest Response
Winter is the time for deep rest - so that you can emerge in spring with energy
Winter Rest
Have you considered the seasons and how to tune into the natural cycle of the spinning of earth?
Have you stopped to consider that nature around us at the moment has slowed right down. Take your cues from this example. Our plant world is in hibernation with roots burrowing deep and building up energy stores such that when the earth warms again in spring new life can be reborn.
Winter is the time for rest. The days are shorter, the nights are long and cold encouraging us to sleep deep and long. Enjoy that, allow that.
Movement is still important, and walks or runs outside can be glorious as you breathe the fresh crisp air. Too little movement and excess food can exacerbate ‘sluggishness’. So as always it is balance. But perhaps those early morning exercise boot camps or the like may be better suited to engaging in at springtime, allowing for deep rest at this time of year.
So what can get in the way of us being aware and able to tune into the seasons?
- Usually stress and the demands in our modern day life.
Stress is a part of our every day life. A stress can be something that kicks us into action, causes a hormonal release and gets us moving. Often when stress occurs at this level stress can be considered a normal physiological response. This could be the nerves before a presentation, or to complete a task, or strenuous activity. However, in modern life the ‘stress’ experienced is often sustained, and the parasympathetic nervous system (the rest response) isn’t ‘activated’ on a daily basis.
This sympathetic stress can be all that we hold and carry in our everyday - jobs, households, children, mortgages, family disputes, traumas, relationship issues, health issues, caring roles. Often it is even just the perceived stress of this events, real or not, that can still cause physiologic change, ie the release of the stress hormones. Problems can start to arise with your everyday health and sense of well being when this stress is sustained.
How does this stress work?
A stressor (real or perceived) typically activates the sympathetic nervous system. Cortisol is released which may then cause:
a blood pressure increase
heart and breath rate increase
slowing of digestion
increased sweating
increased blood flow to the muscles allowing for a quick response.
You can see that these physiological responses all contribute to the fight or flight response - run from the lion (or the board room!).
Often I see in consult that people aren’t fully aware of the stress they are under, or the extent that this stress can influence their health. Physical signs of stress include:
changes in appetite
being unable to switch off and have adequate rest
poor concentration
forgetfulness
feeling jittery or agitated
feeling overwhelmed
trouble making decisions
recurring illnesses or colds
tense, sore muscles
elevated blood pressure
It is very unique and individual as to how you will personally experience stress interfering with your sleep. It may be felt as insomnia, lowered immunity, poor digestion, anger, or overwhelm.
So how do we deal with stress?
Often the first step is to prioritise our own health and wellbeing. Listen and connect with our natural world.
This can be as simple as ensuring we get good sleep with nighttime routines, or 15 minutes of movement a day (ie a walk in the morning or at lunchtime), or consistent breakfast. As you can see these suggestions are all free and should be achievable. Small shifts such as these recommendations can often lead to creating space so that bigger changes can then be implemented.
The sympathetic nervous system response as described above is like the accelerator - this response speeds us up when we are stressed - to fight or flight from the challenge. However, it is not usually a lion we must escape, but more out overfull busy demanding lives. Often there is quite simply not enough hours in the day to achieve what we are ‘supposed’ to. Take time out to assess the big picture and what you can actually conceivably achieve, even if it is difficult to realise or accept.
Modern day culture pushes us to take on more, achieve more, keep up with all that is around us. But, you do have a choice. There are times and phases of life where there is increased demand on our resources such as young children. However it is ultimately what we consider to be important (a life necessity) that can drive our ‘busyness’. So it is at these times it is very important to really keep life as simple as possible.
So, now that it is the winter season and we are forced to slow down a little take the opportunity to lean into that.
Read a book on a Sunday afternoon. Climb into bed earlier every night. Don’t say yes to everything.
Please reach out for further guidance and naturopathic treatment that can assist and guide you back to wellness.
See me in naturopathic clinic or at the apothecary for nutrient and herbal medicine to support the nervous system, gut health, hormonal health, stress, detoxification and methylation pathways.
