Staying Optimistic Even In Winter by Jane Thurnell-Read

The onset of winter can be very daunting particularly if the summer hasn’t been very good. You may be going into winter feeling short of sunshine. The news from the financial and employment markets may not be looking good, so it can feel difficult to stay positive and look forward to the future with genuine hope. Here are some suggestions to help you.

One of my favourite tips for when you’re feeling low is to take time out each day to be grateful. Compared with people in Darfur or struggling in the face of death most of us lead abundant lives, but we tend to focus on the doom and gloom in our lives. I suspect we are hard wired to focus on danger and possible disaster from the time when our ancestors lived a much more perilous existence. If you were being chased by a sabre-toothed tiger, stopping to appreciate the sunset or count your blessings would not be a great survival strategy. But now life is much less dangerous and many of the things we worry about just don’t happen. So take time to be grateful. Every night before you go to bed focus on 3 (or more) things that you are grateful for. Preferably say them out loud and take a few minutes to savour them. They don't have to be big things. Small events and achievements can also give a huge amount of pleasure. As a variation you could think of one sight, one sound and one smell that you have experienced that day that have made you happy.

If you are constantly stressed about some problem, try holding your frontal eminences. Those bumps on your forehead can hold the key to feeling much calmer and more relaxed. Instructions on this simple self-help technique to overcome stress are here.

Many people suffer with endless coughs and colds through the winter months. Vitamin C, garlic and echinacea work for some people. Probiotics, better known for helping candida and the digestive system, are now really coming to the fore. The scientific evidence for those helpful bugs in your digestive system playing an important part in the immune system and allergies is mounting all the time. I particularly like DTECTA Immunox. This supplement offers a great combination of probiotics and antioxidants to help strengthen the immune system.

If you find the lack of light in the winter a problem, try St John's Wort (Hypericum). This is a herbal supplement for depression and has been found to be effective against Seasonal Effective Disorder. In Germany, the active ingredient in St Johns Wort, is prescribed for mild depression far more commonly than synthetic antidepressant drugs. Some people also find it beneficial for irritable bowel syndrome, migraine, insomnia, cramps and spasms. Check out this article from the University of Maryland Medical Center on it too.

Hypnosis can be a great way to help you stay positive. Glenn Harrold’s best selling self-hypnosis CDs may be just what you are looking for. There’s one specifically for Positive Thinking.

Being positive all the time may be an unrealistic goal for most of us to aim for. Being positive a lot of the time is achievable but it may mean we have to put strategies in place to help us achieve it.

Copyright 2008 Jane Thurnell-Read | Online Health Shop