How to revive after winter: 10 practical tips
Text: Karina Sembe
Spring is near, but on the generally accepted joy about this there is no strength left? We offer 10 proven ways to bring yourself back to life with the end of the season of thermal underwear and sadness.
Diversify sports loads
Over time, our body will get used to a certain type of physical activity, so trying out a new sport will not hurt anyone: you will not only work out previously unused muscle groups, but also provide yourself with an emotional lift with a new hobby. For example, stretching improves blood circulation and increases the oxygen supply to the muscles, which in turn improves the tissue regeneration processes. Kickboxing due to the active work of the limbs leads to a furious release of endorphins. However, a surge of endorphins occurs under any load of sufficient intensity - from running to volleyball. By the way, with the arrival of spring it becomes more comfortable to play sports in the open air. Have a warm-up in the park, take part in a fitness flashmob or go jogging. Even a 10-minute walk with a quick step is enough - blood circulation will improve, energy will increase significantly.
Restore sleep mode
It is no secret that healthy sleep is the main way to replenish energy reserves. Our circadian rhythm, the biological process that guides the cycles of sleep and awakening, requires well-coordinated work, which we often break when we go to bed and wake up when we have to. Try to wake up at the same time - and your body will tell you when to go to bed to get the optimal dose of rest. If you are accustomed to go to bed deep after midnight and you can’t tear your eyes in the morning, try to wake up five minutes earlier every day - this will be given easily, as the light day gradually increases. Do without caffeine and intense workouts before bedtime, air the room in the evening. Doctors do not recommend using gadgets: the light of the display makes the brain think that it is now day. Programs like F.lux adjust the warmth and color balance of the computer display under the lighting in the room according to the time of day.
Do not forget to rest from work
Neglecting rest, we risk unexpectedly for ourselves to burn out at work and exhaust all the resources of the body. To avoid this, regardless of your workload, find one day off per week and do anything other than direct professional duties. During intensive work, it is important to take breaks - at least for ten minutes every hour. It is advisable to spend these ten minutes actively - do a warm-up or exercise for the eyes, walk around the room, but it will be enough to just sit back and relax. The fact that it's time for a break will be reminded by such applications as Time Out and Awareness. And so that by the evening I still want to live, try to find time for a half-hour walk in the middle of the working day.
Forget strict diets
Forever, and especially in the off season. To deplete the body with a diet of 700 kcal under conditions of constant changes in temperature and atmospheric pressure is not a very wise idea. But there is a reason to finally go on a balanced healthy diet. Beware of fast food - processed trans fats not only leave a feeling of heaviness, but also increase the level of "harmful" cholesterol in the blood, which entails the risk of cardiovascular diseases. Instead of french fries and barbecue wings, lean on foods containing healthy fats, namely omega-3 - unsaturated fatty acids: fish, walnuts and peanuts, beans, chia and flax seeds. We recommend eating more seasonal vegetables, now it is broccoli, celery, beets, but soon there will finally be a local spring crop: asparagus, artichokes, beans, radishes. The main thing - do not rush to buy tomatoes in April, firmly believing that they are from a rural garden.
Eat Protein Breakfasts
Fitness bloggers are advised to start the day with complex carbohydrates, mostly contained in cereals, but not all nutritionists share the enthusiasm for carbohydrate breakfasts. We will not question the dignity of oatmeal and toast with avocado, but for a change, we recommend to try protein breakfasts. Protein, eaten with sutra, triggers the active production of dopamine - a neurotransmitter, which is an important part of the brain's “reward system”, because it causes a feeling of satisfaction, which affects the processes of motivation and learning. Feel free to add protein-rich foods to your morning ration: lean meat or poultry, seafood, beans, eggs, soy products, nuts and seeds. Breakfast, energizing, should be nutritious, but not too dense.
Think of vitamins
Seasonal hypovitaminosis not only makes us lethargic and apathetic, but also affects mental activity. Concentration of attention is disturbed: in order to remember a couple of read lines, titanic efforts are required. For example, a lack of magnesium in the offseason often exacerbates chronic fatigue, and a lack of B vitamins, especially B2, riboflavin can result in brittle hair and nails, problems with skin regeneration and dysfunction of the thyroid gland. Nevertheless, it is important to remember that the need of each of us in a particular trace element is highly individual. For a start, it is better not to get involved in purchasing complex dietary supplements, but to stop on monovitamins - ideally after consulting a doctor, since vitamins have contraindications, and the dosage you need may differ from the recommended one.
Take care of the thyroid gland
The thyroid gland is an internal energy generator. It produces hormones T3 and T4, which regulate metabolism, heat transfer, and also increase our physical and mental potential. In winter, the thyroid gland works more intensively than in summer, because it throws all its strength to protect us from the cold, and with the arrival of spring it gives up, as a result of which we feel tired and exhausted. To support the thyroid, consume foods rich in iodine: tuna, cod, sea kale, and persimmon and buckwheat - and if you suspect that the thyroid gland has failed, do not be lazy to go to the doctor.
Moisturize your body inside and out
All long ago learned that water starts the metabolism in the morning and is needed during the day in sufficient quantities to maintain vigor and vitality. It is not necessary to force yourself to drink three liters daily: the rate for each is different, it depends on weight, level of physical activity and other individual characteristics, and if you believe the statements of the National Health Service of Britain, the water consumed in excess can cause puffiness, digestive problems and by the kidneys. Whatever it was, 1.2 liters of clean water per day - at least, which certainly does not hurt anyone. Do not forget about moisturizing the body outside: purchase a humidifier and regularly use products to intensively moisturize the skin, periodically resorting to a soft peeling - this will increase the absorbency of the cream.
Go for a massage or a bath
Legends and scientific facts speak about the miraculous influence of the bath on the body and the spirit. To maintain the tone, there is plenty to choose from: a Russian bath, a Finnish sauna, a Turkish hammam, or even a Japanese ofuro water bath. To add strength in the offseason will help and the general course of massage: the procedure will not only allow you to relax, but also start the blood circulation, adjust the lymph flow. Excellent job with the task of deep Thai massage and lymphatic drainage massage with pressure therapy - exposure to specific parts of the body with compressed air using a special suit. Note that both techniques are quite intense and are contraindicated for people with cardiovascular diseases and problems with the nervous system.
Work on morale
If everything is sad and there is no limit, first try to gather strength and stop cheating yourself. Positive thinking does not hurt anyone: concentrating on pleasant thoughts and things that are enjoyable, in the end you will find that you have forgotten to give others a charge of complaints. Stop reproaching yourself over trifles, change the listened playlist to a new podcast, meditate. If this does not help and it does not work to cheer up on your own - contact a psychotherapist: depression often manifests itself in the offseason. Remember, it’s partly a matter of the time of the year - very soon everything will become a little greener again and a little more fun.
Photo: 1, 2, 3, 4 via Shutterstock