A New Perspective on the Holiday Blues
Beating the Holiday Blues, Naturally!
How are the Holidays for you?
The holidays can be a wonderful time—intense fall colors on the leaves, crisp fresh air, family gatherings with festive foods and nourishing traditions can all make this one of the best times of the year!
Yet, it can also be among one of the hardest times of the year for many people. Whether it be the seasonal shift or situational circumstances, it can be equally deep in emotional intensity.
The Holiday Blues are what many people call an increase of sadness, grief or anxiety during the Autumn season.
It’s been established that many people who experience these emotions may be suffering from Seasonal Affect Disorder (SAD).
Though, that may not be the whole picture.
Chinese Medicine has a much different perspective on seasonal shifts and how these shifts affect the human body and mind.
Let’s take a look…
What are the Holiday Blues?
In addition to an increase in what Chinese Medicine would label emotions of the Heart & Lungs (anxiety, grief and sadness), many people will feel physical symptoms.
Often linked with SAD are problems ranging from headaches to nausea to energy drain. A person can experience body aches, have trouble concentrating and even a diminished sex drive.
But Why? Is the Root Cause Known?
What has not been established is the WHY?
Why do people get sadder, more emotional and depressed? Because the WHY has not been established, the main-stream medical community is on the fence as to whether the Holiday Blues even exist. You might, depending on which doctor you talk to, get the “it’s all in your head” response.
What do you think?
Western Thought: Possible Causes for the Holiday Blues
It has been established within the mainstream medical thought that possible causes for the Holiday Blues (that is, if it truly does exist) are either:
- A Chronic Depressional State
- Seasonal Affect Disorder (aka SAD)
- Psychological Conflicts
It is believed that people who experience the Holiday Blues already have a level of depression.
It is also perceived that most cases of the Holiday Blues are just cases of Seasonal Affect Disorder, especially those cases where physical symptoms are present.
The Psychological Conflicts—family issues, money issues or something else, are just part of the holiday stress territory—right?
But, is there something more here?
Something that Chinese Medicine methodologies could help with?
I am happy to say “Yes! Yes, it can!”
The Holiday Blues & Traditional Chinese Medicine
Once again, we understand that our reactions to outside factors may help to show us what is going on internally. It’s a lot like an algebra equation. If we know two out of three factors, we can determine the third.
So…if we know how an external factor is affecting an individual in a specific way, we can determine the patterns present. This is the genius of Chinese Medicine Diagnostics!
Now, the fact that the Holiday Blues occur during a specific season is NOT coincidental!
In fact, it is the key to understanding to this whole problem.
The powerful connection that the human body has with the Earth and its processes, revealed through Chinese Medicine’s knowledge base, becomes the enlightening principal on this issue.
Autumn brings with it two things:
- An intense energetic shift where the external is moving to the internal
- More Yin (darkness, substance, inner nature)
Energetic Shift
The intense energetic shift brought on by the FALL season is all about transition. It is a time of intense movement:
- from the high to the low
- from the outside to the inside
- from the energized to the subdued
If it weren’t for the seasons and the diversity it brings, the cycle of life that supports humanity and human nature would not exist. That means we would not exist… at least, not as we are today. The seasons enable human life!
This natural declining energetic movement can be harder for some people to tolerate. That is why their personal experience can be a more negative one during this time of year.
More Yin
Yin & Yang is a key natural principle.
It depicts the natural polarity of life, the continual flow of one polarity transitioning into the other (the process of change) throughout time.
Yin is the calmer side of things, associated with:
- Night
- Female
- The Earth
- Water elements
- The internal and inside
- The mind
- Downward movement
- Stillness
- So much more…
An increase in Yin, especially in our natural environment, can cause an increase in problems within an individual if certain Chinese Medicine Patterns are out of balance.
Those patterns which already are at extremes of the spectrum—either very Yin or very Yang (in certain aspects)—are at the greatest risk for experiencing problems.
The key here is understanding the delicate balance of homeostasis.
Especially as that homeostasis exists during changes of life and nature.
If an individual is already out on the outskirts of balance, then any factor that pushes the scale in that same extreme will throw that person further out of balance—and then a myriad of problems may result.
Ok Then, What Can Be Done About It?
Granted, if there wasn’t a solution, we wouldn’t be talking about it. At Heaven & Earth CMHC, we are experts in the process of healing through balancing!
We help people with very intense and complicated health issues in our very complicated, modern age. So, let’s get into a couple key and important aspects that leads to true and lasting continual health and longevity.
One where we’ll discuss how important lifestyle decisions are, and the other, key herbal therapies to implement that can achieve balance.
Lifestyle Solutions
We can never stress the importance of a healthy lifestyle. Truly, a healthy lifestyle is the foundation of superior health!
If proper diet, regular exercise, healthy emotion regulating habits and perspective are not a part of an individual’s life, then Chinese Herbal Formulations must work twice as hard in the balancing process. It can be very difficult to gain any positive ground.
For the sake of a good experience, when we are guiding an individual through the process of healing with our VIP Program, we always stress the importance of a healthy lifestyle, especially a healthy emotional process!
The Internal Nature
Since we are talking about this natural energetic internal change of motion (e-motion), let’s talk a little bit about healthy emotional regulating habits.
Out-of-whack emotions are viewed as the main causational factor within Chinese Medicine Diagnostics. Yes, most people’s Chinese Medicine Patterns of Imbalance almost always boil down to extreme emotional trauma. It is either unresolved (in some fashion, even partially) or the physical damage that the emotional trauma created has yet to be resolved.
If a person is better equipped to deal with the natural emotional ups and downs, and knows how to weather an emotionally traumatic storm, it would stand to reason that many good things will happen.
This can include, but not limited to:
- Being in a better place when the storm hits—making them more tolerant of damaging situations and circumstances (like that infamous individual at the holiday family dinner…).
- Less damage when going through the storm, because their Chinese Medicine Patterns of Imbalance are less developed and less severe to begin with.
- Accelerated healing capabilities! This is really a double-edged sword. This is not only because the person has less severe Chinese Medicine Patterns of Imbalance, but they are also able to accelerate their healing because of it.
Healthy Emotional Strategies and Tactics
Let’s get down to the specifics here. Every person is different, and so every person should have an equally unique process that works for them in helping them to process emotional thought, but we have some good ideas here to experiment with and perhaps even implement.
The Human Connection
Being & Talking with People You Trust
Connecting with like-minded people who support you can be a wonderful way to be emotionally supported, and there by a great means to a healthy life. If you find yourself in a place and time when loneliness prevails, try finding new opportunities to develop new relationships.
Develop a New Relationship with Yourself
As Autumn is the time of the external moving to the internal, why not follow suit and become more acquainted with your internal nature? Consider these activities for adding more internal balance in your life:
Journaling
As Autumn is the time of the external moving to the internal, why not follow suit and become more acquainted with your internal nature? Consider these activities for adding more internal balance in your life:
Swamp Dump!
The swamp dump is a technique of journaling where you write down all the negative and difficult things you are presently thinking and experiencing, and then you literally throw away the entry. The idea here is to get out the emotional garbage and release it.
Creative Pursuits
- Music – listening, playing or writing
- Visual Arts – viewing or creating
- Other pursuits – Cooking, writing… or something else
Exercises
Internal – Meditation, Internal Martial Arts like Tai Chi, Chi Kung, Yoga
External – Working out
Of course, this list could go on forever, especially if we were to get more specific!
What do you do to work through your emotions?
We’d love to hear from you in the comment section below!
Who knows, maybe you might help someone discover new solutions that they can add to their lifestyle.
Herbal Solutions
And last, but certainly not least, herbs can create a powerful impact in helping an individual have a MUCH better experience during the Autumn season and holidays!
Perhaps even enabling an individual to BEAT the Holiday Blues all together!
Our Heaven and Earth CMHC Free, Easy & Relaxing-Liver & Spleen Harmonizing Formula has been created to assist with patterns that present with:
- Headaches
- Feeling of Toxic-ness
- Heated Skin Problems
- Yeast Infections
- Low Energy
- Red Eyes
- Allergies
- Depressed or compressed emotions
- Sudden explosion of emotions
- Chronic anger, irritability or moodiness
Our Heaven and Earth CMHC Uplift Central Chi Formula is a unique formula to support Spleen Yang collapse. The Spleen Yang is the core of healthy digestive function, and if it diminishes, a wide array of problems result, including but not limited to:
- Poor muscle tone and weakness of the limbs
- Prolapsed organs
- Chronic fatigue
- Bruise easily
- Low immune system
- Depressed motivation, lassitude
- Spontaneous sweating
- Cold environment intolerance
- Shortness of breath
- Low and soft voice
- Pale and shiny complexion
- Poor appetite
Our Heaven and Earth CMHC Abundant Health Formula has been created to assist with patterns that present with:
- Weak libido
- Low fertility levels
- Weak memory
- Weak, slow to no injury recovery
- Pale complexion
- Weak digestion
- Decreased immune system
- Chronic low energy
- Low back pain
- Anemia
- Accelerated aging
- No vigor for life, lassitude or depressed emotions
Thank You!
As always, we appreciate your interest and time in learning more about one of our passions!
We’re grateful that we are able to share it with you.
Please contact us if you have any questions, and of course, don’t forget that we are currently offering a complimentary consultation!
Nothing is better than receiving a personal formula strategy from our experienced and insightful herbalists, especially when you’re not sure about which direction to go!
Don’t forget, HEALTH IS WEALTH! Take the time investment today and give yourself this gift!
Our best to you, and we hope that you’ll have a wonderful holiday season!
Sincerely, David & Teah Akrish, and the Heaven & Earth Team