Is it harder for you to stay healthy in the winter? If you have PF, maintaining lung health and mental health can be extra challenging as the days get colder and darker. With flu season at its peak and COVID-19 variants putting immunocompromised individuals at risk, the stress is undeniable!
You might not have easy access to the activities you usually enjoy, such as walking outside or going to community events. Additionally, if you are struggling with Seasonal Affective Disorder or other kinds of depression, it might be hard to find motivation for or pleasure from the activities you used to enjoy.
Fortunately, there are many natural therapies you can try in the winter – no matter what climate you live in – to support your lung health and overall wellness.
- Here is a list of multiple natural and complementary therapies that can help with the aches, pains, changes, and stressors of wintertime:
- Treat yourself to a massage
- Get a referral for a chiropractic appointment
- Try out acupuncture or acupressure
- Practice mindfulness and meditation
- There are also natural ways to boost your immune system in the winter, including these ideas:
- Learn about diets that can help PF patients and try healthy recipes to improve your nutrition
- Consult with your doctor to see if dietary supplements such as systemic enzymes can help alleviate symptoms and improve quality of life
- Exercise by signing up for a virtual yoga or gentle fitness class
- Enroll in a pulmonary rehabilitation program
- Regularly practice breathing exercises
- If you’re looking for a natural therapy that you can try from the warmth and comfort of home, consider learning more about clinical EFT:
- The acronym EFT stands for Emotional Freedom Techniques. EFT is an evidence-based self-help therapy that’s been shown to improve physical and mental health. It incorporates elements of other natural therapies such as acupuncture, acupressure, and talk therapies like CBT or Cognitive Behavioral Therapy.
- EFT is commonly referred to as “tapping” because it guides the participant through a gentle, rhythmic tapping motion on certain parts of their own body. The tapping motions are simple, repetitive, and reportedly quite effective for people experiencing stress, anxiety, or any kind of physical pain. In a recent support group meetup, multiple participants spoke highly of it.
- The technique for EFT can be personalized based off your unique needs and therapeutic goals. For example, if you’d like to relieve anxiety and stress and only have a few minutes to focus, you can follow along to this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=02bN4JFx10Y.
- There are many videos available on YouTube that focus on healing other symptoms and concerns as well. If you have any trouble finding an EFT video that suits you, please reach out for suggestions in our community forum.
Are there any natural therapies you’d recommend? Please comment below with your ideas, and stay tuned on our website and Facebook page for more educational content focused on lung health and resilience in the wintertime.
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