A Winter Of Self-Care
This week, my friend Kristen is sharing her expertise with simple suggestions for taking care of yourself during the winter months. Pick a few, or do them all. Your body and mind will thank you for any extra care you choose!
A Winter of Self-care
There are four main challenges to staying healthy during the winter months.
The colder drier weather and shorter days
The increase of stress and busyness (thank goodness the holidays are over)
The abundance of high sugar and junk foods
The tendency of the above to leave us with a weakened immune system and more vulnerable to catching colds and flus
I have included a few simple tips for you to consider when developing your seasonal selfcare plan. As a massage therapist and life coach, I see these challenges on a daily basis. I want to help you create wellness strategies to support your immune system, acknowledge the cold/dry climate, bolster your body’s ability to become stress resilient and help counter sugar’s negative effect on your system.
Cooking
Bring out the crock pot! Emphasize slow cooked, warm, moist meals this season. Soups are a perfect match for the cold, dry days.
Roasting vegetables is another excellent cooking method for the winter.
BodyCare
Keep your skin and mucous membranes moist
Pay attention if your skin feels tighter these days; you may need to switch to a more robust natural moisturizer like cocoa butter.
Use facial steam to clear sinuses and lubricate nostrils with coconut oil
Increase Calming Practices
Soothe the nervous system through massage, hot towel scrub, dry brushing, warm baths, warm oil rubs.
Trigger the calming response through deep breathing, use essential oils.
Spend time in prayer, reading scripture, coloring, journaling, meditation, yoga, time in nature.
Hydrate Excessively
Drinking enough water is never as important as during this time when you are combating the cold, dry months of winter and the sugar cravings that surface as the temptation to snack increases. Be mindful from the start of your day to keep sipping water throughout. Choose a lemon slice, clove or cardamom pod in hot water to sip on something fun without the caffeine.
Kristen Jawad
BodyMind Coach, Massage Therapist & Owner of Women’s Wellness Studio
Kristen Jawad is dedicated to cultivating radiant well-being through traditional bodywork therapies & transformational life coaching experiences. As a wife, mother and business owner, she understands the challenges of integrating work, rest & pleasure. She uses The BodyMind coaching model to support her clients on a deeper level. She offers organic, seasonally inspired body care & coaching in her cozy Kirkland studio. She also hosts solo retreats via Airbnb & Selfcare Pop-Up events locally. You can find out more at www.kristenjawad.com.