Early January a struggle?

There are two camps of people that get hit with January blues.

Those affected early January and those more likely to be affected end of January. Here’s why you may find yourself in either camp and 5 things that help:

Early January

It’s all about dopamine, weather, and change of pace.

Coming off the 6 week manic high of the holiday sprint filled with sugary boozy bliss (and possibly an intense end of year sales quarter), the brain is revved up and used to more dopamine and depletion than normal. It’s largely in survival mode, distracted by purpose and hustle.

Holiday travel, parties to attend, cards to put out, deals to close, events to host, presents to wrap, and booze to cheers elevates brain reward chemicals and stress hormones for an inevitable crash.

Come January, the weather has been cold and Vitamin D deficient for almost 2 months, but the time sensitive distractions have now waned. Overnight, the ‘most wonderful time of the year’ celebrations turn to ‘New Year, New You’ extreme discipline- but the weather is still uninspiring and cold.

Dance on tables New Years night, hit the ground running (literally) New Year’s day. It’s quite the bipolar turn around. Consequently, some of us struggle with this brain chemistry pivot.

End of January

If your industry conference schedule includes the JP Morgan conference in SF, CES in Vegas, or DAVOS in Switzerland, you likely won’t feel the dopamine pull back until late January as you’re still in the chaotic throws of non stop happy hours and needing to be ‘ON.’

No matter when the gray fog of January hits with its judgy drill sergeant sidekick, you’re not alone, and these can help:

1. Pick a 2 week buffer

Whenever your sprint is scheduled to slow, pencil in 1 week of no social obligations to catch your breath and re-acclimate.

Organize the office, plan your quarter, look at exercise class schedules, and get more sleep. If you’re an over achiever, possibly dip your toes in a mild exercise and meditation attempt and slow the recent fun crutches the body has gotten used to imbibing (sugar & booze).

2. keep self compassion top of mind

Think of the first 2 weeks of your New Year as a detox, slow down period. Add in more veggies, stretch, take a moment to reflect on what you did right last year. Lots of kudos, celebration, and gratitude for the blessings and accomplishments. Chocolate chip cookies & wine can still be on the menu as your body adjusts but more veggies take center stage.

Hold space for the brain to withdraw from the manic pace it’s grown accustomed. It’s a good time to consider more sleep, massages, bone broth, and setting up the body for a detox or fast - just not abruptly.

Doubling the lemon water gets bonus points.

This is not the time for a slammed to do list or unrealistic, punishing fitness goals. It’s cold outside, the body is in hibernation mode, and it’s dry. An hour involving the jacuzzi/sauna with some stretching/dancing, ending with a blanket by the fire is perfect.

No need to dust off the running shoes quite yet if they’ve been sleeping for 2 months. Re-stabilize your core and joints and stretch before hitting the sprints.

3. Double the Vitamin D & B and consider happy lights.

If you struggle during the winter with seasonal affective disorder (SAD), head to vitamin D -ASAP. I take medical grade 50,000 IU of Vitamin D per week during the winter. You’ll notice more tanning beds in Seattle and Portland - and there’s a reason. They also sell bright happy lights for your desk or bedside table to mimic warmer months.

With the downshift in daylight and sunshine, SAD symptoms may require more fun cardio movement for endorphins, long hugs with friends for oxytocin, and gratitude lists for perspective to keep happy chemicals flowing

4. Have the reboot plan -and permission slip for it- ready.

When Dopamine pulls back and immediate purpose isn’t forcing us to show up, downshifting to a new pace can be literally painful. Knowing it’s coming helps, but having the permission slip in your pocket may be necessary.

Something like, “Even though this feels weird and lacks the exuberance of the holiday grind, this is the right way to spend my time and sets me up for a happy year and healthy mind/body. I have permission to transition.”

Anyone with early trauma, anxiety, depression, or addiction tendencies will especially benefit from this external permission reminding the brain it’s ok to rest and recalibrate as it inevitably searches for stimulation.

5. Keep perspective

People really don’t expect much of each other during January and even February. However you spend it is the right way. No one is keeping track of whether you’re perfect with your resolutions or ‘hit the ground running’ in “your best year yet.”

In fact many are right there with you recalibrating. Dry January, detox, and Whole30 attempts often affect social schedules. SAD affects many moods and energy levels. People disappear to focus on work or escape to snowy destinations to ski.

It’s the perfect time to take care of you and celebrate what’s already been accomplished.

This sugar baby survived a 2 week cleanse

Two weeks into my blended raw veggie, superfood cleanse and…

1.     EVERYDAY WORKS:

Everything in my closet fits and daily life is easier. My thoughts are clearer, anxiety largely gone, reactions are better, and mood is balanced.

There’s no random bloating, intense cravings, evening cramping, IBS, or constipation. There’s no time taken out to recover from odd meals, sugar spikes, or toxins from the night before.

I don't fear the dark corners of my mind as toxins spike my chronic inflammation, steal B vitamins and magnesium, and leave me without a mental life preserver when stress happens. 

I hadn’t anticipated the 'life is just easier' benefit of this Vitalist cleanse.

2.     I NOTICE MY RELATIONSHIP WITH FOOD 

With my cells being fed and blood sugar balanced, I’m not actually hungry. BUT I still very much crave sugar to get me through dull moments and distract with a high. The lack of option is liberating and over time the cravings went down.

It’s nice to have the decision already made, to just feel the urge and notice it without struggling with whether or not to cave to it. My brain slowed down it's ADD search for sugary escape once it knew it wasn't an option. I enjoyed more natural focus.

3.     I'M LEARNING BALANCE 

After doing the first week by the book, I detected a craving from my body for animal protein. I had been on the easy to digest, raw, vegan, masterfully combined superfood blends. I had done the herbs, the castor packs, the tummy massages, the oil drinking, the rest, and even the dreaded coffee enema. It all felt medically good for cleanse purposes but not necessarily perfect for my body chemistry daily.

So I played with balance. I promised myself I'd focus on the wins.

I celebrated my exhibition of more discipline than I thought possible for my rebellious, impulsive, use-sugar-as-a-drug spirit.

Off alcohol and sugar the last month+ to prep and build slowly, I was able to celebrate how big of a deal that was and allow modifications the second week with total self love.

After the big liver and gallbladder flush, I observed a rebellion against the 5x/day herbs. I wanted to sneak in a deviled egg or cooked soup stripped of its original enzymes. I wanted spice intensive, flavorful, sugary curry.

And so 2nd week, I allowed myself, and I watched.

A bit of bloat creeped back in with harder to digest choices and less fluids but I retained a desire to continue mostly blended superfoods 70% of the time for ease and comfort.

I felt a welling pride that I was shifting my flexibility around previous all or nothing thinking and could hear my body's preferences.  I knew I could go back to 5 days of herbs and all blended before the next liver flush and really appreciated the ease these food combinations were bringing to my life.

I liked having the blueprint AND noticing where my wiggle room was on the spectrum. I was celebrating wins instead of counting personal errors.

Halle-friggin-lujah!

I love that my food spectrum no longer includes slurpees, ice cream snickers bars, or cheetos. Sugar and starchy processed carbs are my Achilles heel. Others may struggle with dairy or meat, but I really get worked over by blood sugar spikes.

A recent habitnutrition.com blood test had confirmed what I already intuitively knew: I had sensitive pancreatic cells struggling to release insulin so often. I am prone to diabetes if I eat common sugary desserts – even more so as my activity level downshifts with age.

Plus, like many people, I have chronic inflammation from fast living and high toxin exposure compounded with intense internal dialogue ~ {I suspect originating from early trauma and attempts to system override to prove worth through "productivity."} My already high cortisol levels don't need sugar's 'helpful boost' and the path I was on is ripe for an autoimmune disease.

Even knowing about inflammation's damage, I feared letting go of my sugary security blanket and frankly doubted I could. I had asked the universe for a done for me, easy, delicious way to break my patterning. And doing this first step FEELS HUGE! :)

I know I don't really have the luxury to continue to treat food like an escapist drug rather than information for my cells so I'm super grateful these blended drinks weren't gross. I had to find a better coping mechanism than sugar and the delicious Vitalist superfood blends made exploring this transition possible. The chocolate chia protein powder nut milk blend mimics a cold chocolate mousse and got me through cravings.

The Takeaway 

Experimenting with truly balanced blood sugar for 2 weeks has been such a gift. Having clearer thoughts, needing less sleep, feeling lighter in my body, enjoying a svelte physique, and reducing decision fatigue in the food arena has been great. I suspect the aloe in my favorite 'Aloe Detox' blended drink has also helped repair leaky gut damages to my intestinal walls. That drink will forever be found in my fridge.

Pretty excited to be past the all liquid part so I can get back to the Unicorn nutballs and the nut cheese, jalapeno chip Nachos. I love food and want to feel good and sometimes that's a tough balance for this sugar baby.

3 things that help a depressive episode.

Send Depression Book

Depression Book

Depression is an illusive enemy coming on when we least expect it.

It's never the right time and not knowing how long the episode will last is terrifying. Ideas of productivity go out the window as our purpose, worthiness, future happiness, and ability to focus get questioned by the internal minute.

Here are 3 things that I've found really help drag me into the light with some forced perspective when my brain starts turning left.

 

1. Get Outside to connect with community / phone a friend

The last thing you'll want to do is often the best thing to shatter the lies spreading through the narrowing walls of your mind. Walking in the sunshine to a coffee shop and being super kind to the cashier, smiling at a stranger, or spreading compliments does an unexpected perspective shift.

The addition of people / fresh air / sunshine / new views (external variables) that likely need your kindness, injects a small sense of community, mass vulnerability, and sense of worth. That person whose child you complimented probably needed to hear they are doing ok as a parent. The cashier you tipped and thanked is likely still stuck on the last guy who took out his frustration on her.

Your input and positive vibes matter and you'll see it on the world around you - if you just get outside and put on your best happy actor face for others' benefit. This is tough if the shame cycle has already kicked in making you want to hide from everyone. I promise, they don't see what you see at this moment and will love the positive moment with you.

If you can't get outside, phone a friend. Rather than share what is bugging you, tell them how much you appreciate them and their friendship. Glow about their positive attributes and how much they mean to you. Joke about the impending cheesiness and then lay it on thick.

Depression loves to bring other people down with it while making us feel fearful that others wont like us once they see our darkness. It gets us coming and going. Rather than play it's game, just spread light and hang up. You'll feel the other person's boost and it.will.feel.awesome. It will also remind you of the impact you have in others lives. The world will look a bit sunnier for a second.

 

2. High Intensity Movement & Water!

Endorphins, Oxygen, & Opiates ...mmmmmmmmm. Changing our biology often kick starts brain boosting self confidence, a sense of worth, and overall feel good. It doesn't have to be kick ass or super long. 5-7 minutes of no break squats, cardio, yoga, weight lifting, or dancing gets the blood flowing, the breaths deeper, and calms the brain. AND moving blood, flushing your system with water, and shaking the lymphatic system helps detox. Toxins can definitely be a triggering source of a depressive episode. Dehydration is the 3rd leading cause of depression so water is a double threat against the dark D-bag.

 If you're under the weather or super fatigued, consider sitting in a sweaty sauna, getting a massage, or stretching to change your biology. The endorphins may be absent but the detox properties, oxygen, focus on the present, and opiates will help. A brilliant friend who has similar brain chemistry reminded me that cold showers/cold water is proven to jolt the mind out of depression. "I smile and get fired up everyday I turn off the hot water at the end of my shower."

 

3. Practice Permission, credit, & Gratitude

Got a brain that won't budge after you've tried the above two? Maybe your brain is signaling it's time to rest and reboot. Let's take stock of what you've ALREADY done for work, friends, family, home organization, planning, charity, health, or goals in the last week, month. Credit counts!

A Depression prone brain often has a default setting that goes back to fault finding and feelings of unsafe / unworthiness. So let's look at the data, not the lies of our mind. Even small stuff counts! You open email? Get out of bed? Look nice one of the days this week? Spread kindness to an animal, child, stranger, or friend? Show up when you said you would? Choose to eat something green? Awesome! Write it down.

 Then let's look at the natural blessings around. Is it a nice time of year for your favorite fruit? Weather decent? Got great hair? Have a friend you're grateful for? Small and large things we are blinded to when the depression filter kicks in are often quite substantial. But we can no longer see them as depression robs our joy and hides the goodness in our lives. I've found that when in doubt, showing up even when I don't feel like it really matters. It shifts perspective and builds momentum and pride. 

Fighting back against depression is maddening, difficult, and still important. As it makes the case for why you and your contribution are worthless, show up for life anyway - even spacey / lost / fuzzy headed / less articulate / joyless / unmotivated ... IT REALLY MATTERS. Every time you do show up, give yourself major kudos.

**Bonus tip**

IV nutrient therapy is the mood boosting game changer I turn too when I know my system is really off. For $200 (+$60 glutathione and selenium/zinc add ons), you can get your essential vitamin, minerals, and hydration put straight back into the vein. This bypasses any absorption issues or leaky gut your system may have. Noticeable mood boost, especially if this depressive episode was brought on by toxins or depletion. I like Dr Neetu at Dryp Studios.

Only those with these tripwire brains get how tough life is when the "why" disappears. I can not speak for your experience and welcome additional treatments that work for you. Let's figure this out together! 

Hit the button below to email me if you'd like a copy of the 56 page mini book I wrote on the many spokes on the depression wheel and some things we can do about it.

_______________________________________________________________________________________________

GETHSH is a wellness blog dedicated to researching the variables in the formula to feeling good. All suggestions should be taken on your own free will after consulting your physician.

3 treatments that keep your body happy through the Holidays

Let's reverse the holiday sitting, travel, extra stress, parties in heels, reduced sleep, extra sugar and alcohol and put our bodies back right.

1. Acupuncture: 

View fullsize

Who would have thought that needles = bliss? Hold the heroin jokes, we're talking acupuncture.

While I can't tell you who decided to track the energy channels in the body or how they figured it out, I can tell you it works amazingly well.

After a consultation to assess what's hurting and general imbalances in your body based on your pulse, color of your tongue, and your verbal complaints, the acupuncturist places very thin needles along the energy channels in the areas associated with that ailment. 

Once placed, you lay back in your chair or massage table and chill / sleep for the next 30-60min. It takes 24 min to reset the nervous system so plan on reaping the extra benefit by getting a good meditative rest in while the energy blocks are being removed.

HEALING BENEFITS:   Nervous System Reset ... Neurotransmitter Building ... Reduces Inflammation

2. Chiropractic Body work

Our hips get out of alignment, our neck gets tight, our hamstrings lock up and pull on our low back. Life's rigors, can leave us tight and in pain. Chiropractors help keep our body supple with access to full healthy motion.  They get us realigned and ready to start fresh in a happy, unstuck skeletal system.

Finding a good chiropractor to get your body back on track is one of those lifes kills super savvy adults have mastered. While I'm not in love with the idea of my favorite practicioners being booked, I do feel obligated to share my 2 favorites in SF.

Dr. Natasha Barnes of Embrace Health in the Marina (Chiro Medical in SOMA until Dec 23rd) and Dr. Mike Lord of Avanzare Chiropractic Sports Therapy near the Presidio in Cow Hollow are my reset button. I can't say enough good things about their knowledge of the body, their positivity, their healing abilities, and their bodywork skills.

 At a chiropractic session, you can expect to be checked for misalignments, have your muscles loosen with massage, electrical stimulation, or heat pads, and then adjusted after being placed in various positions to gently move your bones back into position. The chiropractor will give you suggestions to strengthen the surrounding muscles to make the temporary fix more permanent. 

These skeletal adjustment stop the overcompensation, irritation, and misalignments putting the hiccup in our giddyup. I can't recommend these tuneups more and feel best when I go 2-4x/month and do my strength training so I don't slip back in to misalignment.

3. Massage

Two massages a month is considered preventative medicine for our overworked bodies. During the holidays, aim for at least 1 professional massages per month and 4+ ten minute roll out sessions per week.

I carry my $5 myofascial release balls (shown >) everywhere I go and leave a set in my car. They go slightly deeper than my beloved roller and are perfect for travel.

They release my glutes and hamstrings on long flights and car trips and allow for spinal, shoulder, and neck release against a wall or on the floor. The best bodywork store ACOLOGY in Santa Monica sells them in a variety of sizes along with every other massage tool you can imagine. Lacrosse balls are a harder version and tennis balls do fine in a pinch.

ninja trick:  tape them together with rock tape or kt tape for the the perfect spine release.

Massage not only breaks up tight stuck muscles that may be hindering proper alignment and kinetic function, it also summons healing oxygenated blood flow to the area. My favorite side effect is the natural pain relief / immediate opiate release. Touch is  a magical thing and we deserve to feel good.

 VIDEO on massage ball technique.

Local inexpensive subscription massage places like Massage Envy keep you accountable to getting monthly massages by charging you for the first one every month. We can roll unused massages over to the next month if we don't use them. SF & LA have some pretty fantastic in-home options as well if you prefer. MassageNow.co is a new service that lets you book discounted massages at luxury spas. Code RELAXNOW gets you 20% off the first one - though I haven't tried their service yet.

Let's look at our last 2 weeks of 2014, and book one Acupuncture, Chiropractic, or Massage Session- before our insurance resets to that pesky deductible.

here's to your holidays being painfree & pleasant.

You Deserve to feel Good

BONUS ARTICLE on holiday feel good products from GetHSH girl Caroline Jordan!