Too early for Christmas?

It's that time of year... apparently Christmas starts in the middle of November and carries on until New Years. I've been having those moments; the ones where you become that type of adult that doesn't really care about the Holidays and doesn't want to hear Christmas music right now.

It's been a depressing realization for me. Usually I LOVE Christmas music. I love hearing it as early in November as possible. But with everything that's been going on in my life, I just can't seem to devote any attention to the upcoming holiday season. I've become one of those grownups that complains about Christmas stuff in November.

There are certain aspects of this time of year that I despise: crowded malls, impatient people (in public and on the roads), that last cram of trying to get all school work done before the end of the semester (5 case reports, a presentation and a business plan -while trying to manage all of my patients and treatments- you can suck my lady balls).

But then I try to remember all of the bubbly things that I love so much about the holidays: Christmas lights... I'm in love with twinkly lights. I love when people wrap the trees on their lawns with lights. I love big light spectacles with inflatable snowmen and penguins. I love the smell of real Christmas trees and of fires in fireplaces. I love how beautiful it looks when big fluffy snow falls at night and in the morning when you wake up and everything is blanketed with a layer of fresh snow, like the world has been frosted with icing.

I know I'll get to that point when I'm excited about the holidays, but for the first time, I also understand what all of those grown-ups are talking about when they say it's too early for Christmas right now. And work Christmas parties and Santa Clause parades in November are like a big fat holiday tease. So I'm joining forces with the grown-ups of the world and boycotting all holiday things until at least December.

Lastly, I just wanted to send out a friendly reminder that there's no reason to be offended by people's use of different words for the holidays. If someone wishes you a "Merry Christmas" and you don't actually celebrate Christmas, just say thanks and return the greeting. This applies to ANY holiday (except if someone wishes you a happy birthday, and it's not actually your birthday... then you might want to correct them). That person isn't trying to piss you off or offend you. They're being friendly. So don't be a dick and take offense to it. This is Canada... many people from many different cultures celebrate different holidays around this time of year; So it should be a time to celebrate and be happy - not to take offense to a friendly greeting. My biggest piece of advice for this season (and in general): Don't be a dick... especially if someone is actually being sincere with you. 

Soon to come: more ways on how NOT to be a dick.

Finding Balance: the yin with the yang

I've been away from writing for the past while. I found myself in a mid-school-year slump and was fairly deficient in life. What I mean by that was that I just felt so depleted. I've spent so much time on patient research, and reports... putting way too much pressure on myself and forgot all about balance.

I was getting palpitations, my anxiety was an everyday occurrence and although I thought I was still managing self-care, I realized (too late, mind you) that it was the wrong type of self-care.

I forgot all about balance! I was drinking 2-3 cups of coffee per day trying to perk myself up, but it wasn't working as well as it had in the past. I was running as much as I possibly could, forgetting all about my yoga.

It was a sit-down with my clinic advisor that reminded me what I was totally forgetting: The yin/yang balance of energy. And it's totally ironic because I use this model with my patients on my Chronic Fatigue/Fibromyalgia clinic shift. But we're all vulnerable to this pattern!

The Yin Yang Theory:
Yang represents movement, heat, motion, fire. It is adrenaline; masculine in nature. Whereas Yin is nurturing; it is substance, water; female in nature. Where Yang is energy and activity, Yin is matter and rest.  They are opposites, but neither can exist without the other.

For example, coffee and other stimulants are Yang in nature. So is a cardio workout (like running). Whereas sleep or a restorative workout is Yin in nature.

Although your Yang will go up and down, there are certain aspects of our lives that contribute to a depletion of Yin: overwork, poor diet (not eating enough or not eating enough nutrient-dense foods), lack of sleep, and chronic/daily stress.

So we try to get through our day with caffeine to keep us awake, or we keep busy and run around like crazy with tasks and work, but if we don't nurture the Yin side of our energy balance, we start making more and more "withdrawals" from the Yin piggy bank to make up for our spent energy on the Yang side. And over time that piggy bank gets more and more empty (or "less full" if you're an optimist). 

I recently fell into this imbalance and needed a reminder to take care of my Yin side, otherwise I'd have nothing left to give of myself and I would ultimately crash.

How to restore Yin to avoid burnout:
There are many things that we can do to help rebuild our Yin side. The key is to think "restorative". Just because Yang is motion, movement and energy doesn't mean that we have to stop exercising, but we need to balance how we exercise and how we take care of ourselves.

• Restorative or Yin Yoga - as it is actually called. I went to a hot yoga class and felt amazing afterwards. Slow movement and deep breathing can do wonders! The best part is at the very end where you lay on your mat in the beautifully warm room and breathe. This is time for just you. Don't think of anything or anyone else. Your yoga instructor should remind you of this during your class. 
• Qi gong - another Yin building type of exercise that matches breath work to slow and controlled movement
• Hydrotherapy: I spent 2 hours at Body Bliss, an amazing hydrotherapy spa. But don't worry, for those of you without access to Toronto's therapeutic waters, you can easily make-shift your own at home.
• Take a nice warm epsom salt bath. Epsom salts are made from magnesium. They help to relax your muscles, especially if you're feeling any strain.
• Do contrast showers at home: 3-5 minutes hot water, alternating with 30 seconds as cold as you can tolerate. Repeat for 3 cycles. This will improve circulation and help boost your immune system. After the cold you can bundle yourself up in a nice warm robe or big fluffy towel and rest to allow your body temperature to regulate. 
• Use the saunas or steam room at your gym. Just remember to end your treatment with a cold shower (at least 30 to 60 seconds). 
• Ditch the stimulants, and drink more water, or tea like Nettle tea. It's nourishing and contains vitamins A, C, K and minerals like calcium, potassium and iron. 
• Pace yourself. I got a little too crazy with my workouts. Running makes me feel so good that I was going for runs too often. Give yourself a break from the cardio every so often and focus on stretching or holding yoga positions. 
• Get some sleep! There are many options out there for those who have a hard time going to sleep or staying asleep. There are botanicals (teas) and things like melatonin that can help assist your body in falling into it's natural circadian rhythm - talk to your ND about the best course of action for you.
• Get nourishment through food. Eat nice hearty, warm foods like stews or soups. Avoid caffeine, sugar and alcohol ... though I wouldn't say no to a small glass of wine once a week :)

And lastly remember that it's always okay to say no to someone. If someone asks a favour of you and you really need time for yourself, it's okay to say no and to take care of you. Give yourself permission to rest - you don't need to justify yourself to anyone.