Having breast cancer is hard. Your body wages a war against cancer cells and your emotions may slide into fear, grief, anxiety and depression.
And unfortunately, the side effects from breast cancer treatments can make it even worse.
Until now, many people thought they had to suffer through all the discomfort. But new research shows that acupuncture is very effective at relieving the side effects of breast cancer treatments.
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Many people feel down as winter approaches. It’s dark. It’s cold. The holidays can be stressful.
But for some people every winter is unbearable. They’re tired and depressed. They don’t want to get out of bed. They snap at their families and binge on junk food.
These people have seasonal affective disorder (SAD).
Our moods and energy levels fluctuate with the seasons. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) understands these cycles but modern life does not. These days, you are expected to be active, productive and creative at all times of the year. There is no accommodation for a slow, quiet winter. According to TCM, this conflict causes stress, which can result in SAD.
It’s about almost month into the New Year. Do you already wish you had a do-over for your New Year’s Resolutions?
If so, you’re in luck. You do.
February 10th is the Chinese lunar New Year. The celebration of the New Year, the Spring Festival, is China’s longest and most important holiday. Because it is based on a different calendar, it falls on a different date between January 21 and February 20 every year. You can think of Spring Festival as Christmas and New Year all rolled into one. Just like our holiday season, it’s a time of celebration, visiting family and friends, giving gifts and preparing for the next year.
Your mother was right–say thank you.
Scientists have now proven what your mother always knew–it’s good to be grateful. Being grateful is more than just politeness; it’s actually good for your health and well-being.
In a study by Robert A. Emmons, of the University of California, and Davis and Michael E. McCullough, of the University of Miami, people who kept gratitude journals showed higher levels of health and well-being than people who journaled neutral events or counted hardships. After 2 months, the people who journaled their gratitude felt more optimistic and happier than their control counterparts. They reported fewer physical problems and spent more time working out. People with neuromuscular problems who did the same thing fell asleep more quickly, slept longer and woke up feeling more refreshed. Even their spouses noticed the difference!
How can you cultivate gratefulness even if you’re a glass-half-empty person?
In the winter, it’s dark when your alarm goes off. It’s dark and cold and getting out of bed is even harder than usual.
But like most people, you get up anyway. You start your day groggy and plow through until you fall into bed exhausted.
If you find yourself dreaming of a time when you wake up refreshed, have energy all day long, and go to sleep easily, you’re not alone. More and more people struggle with exhaustion.
In many cases the culprit is sleep deprivation.
As a nation we are getting less and less sleep. The average person gets 500 fewer hours of sleep each year than 100 years ago.
And the decrease in sleep takes its toll. Short term effects of sleep deprivation include irritability, memory loss, drowsiness, trouble concentrating, blurry vision, and impaired judgment. Heart disease, high blood pressure, depression, obesity and type 2 diabetes can result from long term sleep deprivation.
Clearly, you need sleep to be healthy.
For most people, not sleeping enough can be attributed to two key problems. Some people don’t allow enough time for sleep. Others want to sleep but can’t.
Schedule Time to Sleep
The most obvious way to get more sleep is simple but not easy.
Sleep more.
In today’s busy world where parents work all day, attend school events all night, balance personal time with couple time, run the household and give to the community, it’s easy to run out of hours in the day.
And besides the demands of work, family and community, even advocates for your personal growth demand your time. Some personal development advisors will suggest that if you just get up one hour earlier every morning, you’ll have 365 extra hours every year to accomplish your goals.
But the lack of sleep catches up with you. Soon the lack of focus will defeat the extra hours you gain in the day. Time spent sick will reduce your productivity. You’ll be prone to accidents and forgetfulness.
A much healthier balance is to accept that you can’t do it all. Block out sleep time in your schedule before you plan other activities. If you are over age 18, allow at least 7 – 8 hours. Guard your sleep time to guarantee your body the rest it deserves.
How to Fall Asleep at Bedtime
Some people find it hard to fall asleep. If your life is highly stimulating, your body is active, your nervous system is cranked and your emotions are on edge all day long. It’s hard to turn off after you’ve gone 100mph.
If falling asleep is a relatively new problem, try some natural remedies. However, if your problem is chronic, talk with your doctor or acupuncturist. Once you’re sure that nothing serious is going on, try natural remedies to fall asleep.
Without enough sleep, you are susceptible to more than just discomfort and drowsiness; your health is at stake. The darkness of winter is a great time to start the habit of sleeping for health. With enough hours of restful sleep, when your alarm goes off you’ll be refreshed and ready for a new day.
Rubbing acupressure points with your finger for 30-60 seconds can stimulate these points and promote health and well-being.
Kidney 27 (KD 27)
Location:
Located off the breastbone, in the hollow below the collarbone. There may be a slight indentation.
Function:
Strengthens the immune system, relieves allergies, alleviates drowsiness, chest congestion, breathing difficulties, asthma, coughing, hiccups, sore throats, anxiety, premenstrual tension, and depression. Also used to improve focus and performance.
Kidney 6 (KD6)
Location:
In the small indentation approximately 1 inch directly below the inside ankle bone.
Function:
Used for painful, swollen and sore throat, tightness in the throat, painful and red eyes, sleep disturbances, dizziness, irregular and painful menstruation, post-partum difficulties, genital problems, chest fullness, leg tightness, heavy limbs, ankle and foot pain.
