| HEALING | INTEGRATIVE HEALING Winter colds and flu: What you think does make a difference by Petrene Soames Last season, colds and flu affected up to 77 percent of all American households, as reported by Diane di Costanzo in Family Circle (November 14, 2000). Adults get two to four colds and the average child as many as 12 during a typical year, according to the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases and as quoted by di Costanzo. Another important fact that we often ignore is that we have been bombarded for many years during the fall and winter seasons with advertising campaigns and statistics that make many of us believe that colds are a normal and inevitable part of the winter season. However, it does not have to be that way. How many people do you know who simply said: "I am not going to have a cold this year, I don't have time for it," and walk through the cold season unaffected? Conscious choice and will power do make a difference. Stress and your needs Let's look again at those winter months: Halloween, Thanksgiving, Christmas and the New Year celebration. These are holiday times, family times, wonderful times, but they are periods of high stress for most of us. Our nervous system plays an important part in the well-being of our physical body, and when we are stressed, our bodies become run down. These high stress times are when we strive to make things perfect. We worry the most, overdo things physically, don't get enough sleep, forget meals, find it hard to wind down and relax and don't take time for ourselves. Natural order and flow in our life is replaced by turmoil. Our body becomes out of balance and weakened. Colds happen. We race to the local store, hoping for a quick fix, denying what our body is telling us: "It's time to slow down and take a break." Unfulfilled needs create chaos and imbalance. Our bodies suffer. It often only takes a few minutes to make time for what we need in our lives. Yet, it's easy to ignore this and become out of touch with our bodies and our health. Being ill even with the common cold becomes acceptable and normal. Being a little selfish and putting yourself first, instead of last, is not a bad thing. Yet we often perceive it as so. The winter months may also seem dull and dreary. But that's only one way of viewing them. They can also be cozy, even invigorating. Put on some bright colors and take time to do something that makes you feel good now, despite snow, wind, rain and gray skies. Remember that if the sun is not shinning where you are, you can travel in your mind to wherever it is and feel great. So visualize that sunny place today. Staying well and cold free • Get in touch with yourself. Take at least 10 minutes each day to be still; breathe deeply from the bottom of your stomach; relax and enjoy the wonder and joy of you. • Catch up on sleep and accept the amount of sleep that you need to stay well and healthy. • Eat a healthy and varied diet. Eat foods that make you feel good. Do regular gentle exercises; even a regular thirty minutes walk will make a difference. • Deal with life a piece at a time. Take each day as it comes. Feel positive about the bigger picture and future outcomes. Know that everything is as it needs to be, no matter how it appears right now. • Feed yourself a diet of positive news (avoid watching or reading horror, disasters, violence, crime, etc). Invite and allow love into your life. If you are alone, keep working on loving you and the rest will follow. • Find ways to express yourself writing, drawing, talking and creating. Remember the action is more important that the result. Enough self-expression will keep you in the flow of life and your body in great shape, balance and cold free. Take care of yourself today. Fulfill your needs. Don't expect to be ill. Be positive. Express yourself, and let colds and flu be things of the past. Petrene Soames is the author of The Essence of Self-Healing: How to bring health and happiness into your life (FleetStreet Publications). Visit her website at http://petrene.com to read more about Petrene Soames, self-healing, and awareness, and enjoy her free interactive Color and Focus rooms, or call (281) 363-9983. Copyright © 2001 Petrene Soames |
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