Your Body Wasn't Designed for Constant Stress
Nature changes its pace during the darker months. We often don't.
As daylight decreases and the seasons change, plants and animals adjust their activity, energy use, and rest patterns. Humans are influenced by seasonal changes, too. Our circadian systems respond to light, and research suggests that sleep patterns can shift with changing daylight.
Yet what do we do?
We fill our calendars with holiday gatherings and obligations.
We stay up later, often sacrificing sleep.
We travel, entertain, shop, cook, and socialize.
We eat differently and sometimes at irregular times.
We push through exhaustion because there's simply too much to do.
And we often feel guilty when we want to slow down.
Just when nature seems to be inviting us to slow down, we often respond by speeding up. While we may not follow the same seasonal patterns as plants and animals, our bodies are still influenced by the changing environment around us. Perhaps there's something to be said for allowing ourselves to ebb and flow with the seasons rather than trying to maintain the same pace all year long.
What if we approached this season a little differently? Instead of fighting the darker months or pushing ourselves to maintain the same pace year-round, what if we made more room for rest, reflection, and restoration?
In my first two articles, I discussed how the adrenal glands play an important role in helping your body respond to stress. Through the HPA axis, your brain communicates with your adrenal glands, signaling the release of cortisol when your body needs to respond to a challenge. And as we discussed in Cortisol: Friend, Foe, or Just Misunderstood?, cortisol isn't something we need to eliminate. It's an essential hormone that helps us adapt to the demands placed on us.
The important part is what happens next.
Our stress-response system is designed to help us respond when needed and then allow our bodies to move toward recovery when the challenge has passed. But modern life doesn't always give us those opportunities. Work, family responsibilities, financial pressures, poor sleep, and the constant demands of everyday life can leave us feeling as though we're always on the go.
It's not that winter automatically causes adrenal dysfunction or that our adrenal glands need to hibernate. Rather, this time of year offers an opportunity to recognize how much we're asking of our bodies, and whether we're giving them enough time to recover.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), the kidneys are associated with vitality, resilience, and the body's reserves. The adrenal glands aren't traditionally treated as a separate organ system in the same way Western medicine understands them today, but because they sit atop the kidneys, modern integrative practitioners sometimes discuss them together. The TCM concept of the kidneys as the “seat of the will” is an interesting parallel to our discussion of stress, resilience, and how we care for ourselves.
When we continually push ourselves without allowing time for rest and recovery, we can lose touch with these natural rhythms. Instead of replenishing our energy, we may find ourselves carrying exhaustion from one season into the next; feeling depleted, less vibrant, and simply not quite ourselves by the time spring arrives.
Nature reminds us that periods of rest and renewal are not signs of weakness or inactivity. They are an essential part of the cycle.
What if we gave ourselves permission to follow that same rhythm? Here are some ideas and tools:
Sleep more!
Yes! Try going to bed a little earlier or sleeping in a bit later—or both! Remember, our bodies are influenced by seasonal changes, and the shorter days can be a good reminder to make more room for rest. If you're someone like me who doesn't naturally fall asleep before 10:30 or 11, start by creating a calming wind-down routine. Give yourself permission to step away from stimulating activities, avoid the news or stressful conversations before bed, and make room for relaxation. I make sure I'm fully ready for bed (teeth brushed, face washed, etc.), and I end the day reading, doing red light therapy, and expressing my gratitude for the day.
Learn something new!
Is there anything that you wanted to learn or read about for fun? This is the time of year to nurture and feed yourself. Self-paced courses are great because you can learn at your own pace without the stress of commitment or expectation. Maybe there’s a course that you have been wanting to dive into? I usually take an aromatherapy course over the winter months. I also love to look at seed catalogs and map out my vegetable garden for the upcoming season.
Reflect!
Take time to reflect on the previous year and think about what you have observed and experienced-good or bad. What have you learned? What did you achieve? Could you do anything better? Are there any goals that you didn’t make that you could focus on in the new year? Think about your accomplishments and what you did make happen and make sure to acknowledge them. Be kind to yourself as you are doing the best you can.
Eat!
There are some foods and herbs that tend to be more nourishing in the darker months. These assist in helping to keep the body warm.
Foods that are beneficial in the winter season include root vegetables, good fats and protein. Examples include:
Beets, turnips, carrots, onions, sweet and white potatoes. According to TCM, cooked vegetables in general are better at this time of year versus raw veggies and greens. In the colder months, focusing on warm foods and beverages is a good practice.
We can lean into warming herbs such as ginger, cinnamon, cardamom, nutmeg, cayenne and turmeric. I love drinking Golden Milk at this time of year! Golden Milk, also known as turmeric milk, is a traditional warming beverage made with milk, turmeric, and other aromatic spices. It's comforting, easy to prepare, and a lovely way to incorporate warming spices into your winter routine. Here's a simple recipe that takes about 10 minutes to make:
Ingredients (1 Serving)
1 cup milk (dairy, oat, almond, or coconut milk)
½ to 1 teaspoon ground turmeric
¼ teaspoon ground cinnamon
¼ teaspoon ground ginger (or ½ teaspoon fresh grated ginger)
A tiny pinch of black pepper (it helps your body absorb the curcumin in turmeric)
½ teaspoon coconut oil or ghee (optional, healthy fats also aid turmeric absorption)
1 teaspoon honey or maple syrup (optional-to taste)
Instructions
Combine ingredients: Add the milk, ground turmeric, cinnamon, ginger, black pepper, and coconut oil (if using) to a small saucepan.
Simmer: Whisk everything together and warm over medium-low heat. Let it gently simmer for 5 to 10 minutes so the flavors infuse, being careful not to let it boil over.
Sweeten: Remove the pan from the heat and stir in your honey or maple syrup, if you wish.
Strain and serve: If you used fresh ginger or whole spices, pour the mixture through a fine-mesh sieve into your favorite mug. Garnish with a tiny pinch of cinnamon and sip warm.
Root herbs are beneficial too like licorice root (use with caution for certain individuals, licorice containing glycyrrhizin can raise blood pressure, lower potassium, and interact with certain medications. This is especially important for people with hypertension or heart or kidney conditions), marshmallow root (both licorice root and marshmallow root are great demulcents which means they provide mucilage to dry, inflamed mucous membranes) and burdock root (which has been traditionally used for liver support). All of these can be utilized in cooking as well as taken in tea form.
Good fats to include in your diet are avocados, coconut oil, extra virgin olive oil, ghee, and grass-fed butter. Dietary fats provide energy, help with the absorption of fat-soluble vitamins, and contribute to satiety. When combined with protein and fiber-rich carbohydrates, they can also help support a more balanced blood sugar response. Stable blood sugar levels help to support adrenal health.
Proteins to consume include grass-fed meats, pasture-raised eggs, pasture-raised poultry and wild-caught fish. Protein is very important in promoting muscle-building ability, proper hormone formation and helps to stabilize the blood sugar.
Movement/Exercise!
Shorter days and colder weather can sometimes affect our motivation to exercise. This may be a good time to explore different forms of movement, including restorative yoga, Pilates, Tai Chi, walking, or strength training. The goal isn't to stop moving, but to find ways to stay active that feel supportive rather than forcing ourselves through workouts when we're already exhausted.
Winter Wellness Rituals: Creating Space for Rest and Renewal
Kidney Belts. Many cultures have been supporting the health of their kidneys (including adrenals) for centuries by using kidney belts or sashes. From the Mongolian Deel to the Japanese Obi, kidney belts are one of the most ancient items of clothing we know of, with examples stretching back to the beginning of recorded history. They are especially important in colder climates to help the kidneys and adrenals stay warm and snug. This can be worn daily and especially in the colder months.
Red Light Therapy. Red light therapy can be helpful for a number of things, it is touted for enhancing mood, cognitive function and assists in healing. Doing red light therapy for about 20 minutes a day can be helpful (and you can divide this time up if needed-for example I do 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the evening).
Make sure you are minding your D3 levels. Low D3 levels can impact mood, causing a depressive-like state in addition to a whole host of health issues. Many functional medicine sources recommend that D3 levels should be at least at 50 nmol/L. To find your D3 level, you can request this from your doctor or simply get a D3 finger prick kit, which is available online and at certain pharmacies. For those of us living in northern latitudes, seasonal changes in sunlight can make it more difficult to produce adequate vitamin D through sun exposure alone. Above 37 degrees latitude, UVB availability can become insufficient for meaningful vitamin D production during portions of the winter, although the timing varies by location and environmental conditions. So it is important to make sure that your D3 levels are sufficient. If your levels are low, discuss an appropriate supplementation strategy with your healthcare provider.
Candle Gazing. This is an Ayurvedic practice, but other ancient cultures have used this technique as well. It involves a focused gaze for a concentrated period of time. The benefits are said to relieve anxiety, calm the mind, sharpen insight and intuition, strengthen eye muscles, improve memory and willpower.
You can create your own ritual around this technique and make it unique. You can use your favorite essential oil to inhale while doing this. Having a journal handy is good in case you get some answers or insight into something you have been thinking about. I also suggest using a good-quality, unscented candle that is free of toxins (scented candles are often scented with synthetic fragrances and can contain lead wicks-something you want to avoid). Using a plain old beeswax candle is the best, actually.
How to do this:
1. Find a comfortable seat.
2. Begin by lighting your candle, set at eye level to your seat.
3. Place 1-2 drops of your favorite essential oil into your palms, cup over the face and breathe in deeply-OPTIONAL.
4. Shift your attention to the flame of your candle and focus comfortably on the flame.
5. Allow the flame to fill your mind, breath, and body. If your eyes begin to feel tired or teary, close them and relax the space between your eyebrows. Return to the flame and repeat again.
6. Once you have finished, record any insights that may have come up in your journal.
Make Time for Yourself and Slow Down!
I realize that not all of these tips and tools are doable or practical depending on what's going on in life. But simply focusing on one or two that may be easiest for you is a good way to start. We all have to start somewhere, and that first step is often the most important.
Realistically, this could look like setting aside quiet, uninterrupted time for yourself each week. Perhaps start with 1-3 hours and make a commitment to yourself to hold this time as sacred. Your time.
Remember, slowing down doesn't mean you're falling behind. Rest and recovery are not wasted time, nor are they something you have to earn. They are part of how we care for ourselves and make room for the energy and vitality we want to carry into the next season.
If you're noticing changes in your energy, sleep, blood sugar, stress response, or hormones, you don't necessarily need another list of things to eliminate or another supplement to take. This is an opportunity to step back and look at the bigger picture. Remember that you don't have to figure it all out on your own. Every person's health story is unique, and sometimes it helps to have someone connect the dots. If you're looking for personalized guidance, I'd love to help you understand what your body may be trying to tell you.
Your body has an incredible capacity to heal. When we learn to listen to our bodies instead of fighting against them, that is where healing begins.