Wellness Winter with Homeopathy

winter wellness top

Although we are a few months away from winter officially making itself known, it’s always good to prepare for what’s ahead and have your winter wellness plan ready to go! Lets focus on sorting out the basics; laying down the foundations to keep our physical and emotional health in check.

Take natural action

Winter can be a challenging time for our health. Natural remedies gives us ways to take control by:

  • Optimizing our lifestyle for the cooler months
  • Changing our relationship to the environment, such as homes and workplaces
  • Understanding how our own unique ‘makeup’ may predispose us to illness
  • Giving us strategies and techniques for when we get sick.
  • Here are some top tips to get you started:

Keep moving

It can be tempting to stay indoors when it’s cold and grey outside, by getting out each day for a burst of strenuous exercise can bring a host of benefits. As well as improving mood and reducing stress, physical exercise also plays a part in maintaining a healthy immune system.

Sleep tight

Getting a good night’s sleep is essential for maintaining a healthy mind and body. It boosts immunity, allows cells to repair and regulates blood sugar. It also gives busy minds a chance to recharge, making it easier to cope with stress and balancing emotions. Give yourself the best chance of decent sleep by establishing some calming bedtime rules – avoid caffeine, minimize the use of electronic devices and introduce some relaxing rituals that start an hour or so before you aim to drift off. Here are a few remedies to consider to help with your insomnia.

Here are some Homeopathic Remedies that can help with sleep problems

Coffea Cruda

Whilst a strong dose of coffee in the morning will certainly wake most people up, the Homeopathic use of the remedy (when potentized) is quite the opposite. It can calm a restless mind, slow down over-flowing thoughts and help promote a restful night’s sleep. Use this remedy for insomnia stemming from restless anxiety, excited imagination, flow of ideas, and basically too many thoughts rushing around your head. There is great tiredness, with a desire to lie down and shut the eyes, but then finding it impossible to switch off your mind and drift off to sleep. Once finally asleep, there is frequent & sudden starting and waking.

Hyoscyamus Niger

This is a good remedy for insomnia in over-active children who wake up frightened from imaginary fears or visions. They may wake with convulsions and there can be loud moaning with sleep-talking & grinding the teeth. Eventually they become drowsy and fall into a deep sleep.

Arsenicum Album

This remedy is characterized by very restless sleep with fearful dreams of robbers, thieves or stealing. There is a feeling of constant drowsiness in the evening with much yawning followed by insomnia with a great deal of agitation, teeth-grinding, tossing & turning and jerking of the limbs on the point of going to sleep. Sleep is very un-refreshing and light; the slightest noise is heard, and there can be extreme temperature fluctuations. Dreams are anxious, horrible, lively and angry and there is great difficulty getting back to sleep after waking.

Papaver Somniferum

This remedy is very helpful for insomnia from slight noises, where the bed feels too hot and there is moaning and jerking of limbs in sleep. There is great sleepiness when reading or concentrating, but once lying in bed there is an absolute inability to go to sleep. Once finally asleep it is filled with anxious dreams & nightmares or pleasant and fantastical dreams. Sleep is stupefying, and it is really hard to get up and out of bed in the morning.

Lachesis

In this remedy, there is an aggravation of general symptoms during or after sleep. The quality of sleep is light with frequent and easy waking, tossing & turning, groans & sighs, starts & fright. It may be helpful when sleep is impossible on the left side or disturbed by vivid and constantly changing dreams, or even a sense of suffocation. Drowsiness and insomnia might alternate every two days. There is a feeling of liveliness and talkativeness in the evening with great drowsiness by day, worse after a meal.

Valeriana Officinalis

Sleepless with nightly itching and muscular spasms from excitement, worse on waking. Disturbed sleep with tossing and anxious and confused dreams.

Cocculus Indicus

Insomnia that stems from mental or physical exhaustion or from cares and worries about loved ones or the family. This remedy is well-suited to worn-out people who care for others and work night-shifts. There can be an irresistible inclination to sleep in the morning with spasmodic yawning. Dreams are vivid, anxious and fearful. It may be useful for children who have a fear of ghosts that prevents sleep.

Graphites

Drowsiness during the day, and early in the evening but then difficulty in falling asleep at night. Sleep is very light indeed; more like dozing than a deep sleep. Graphites may help where it is difficult to fall asleep before midnight on account of a rush of anxious thoughts and digestive problems. Eventually, a deep sleep arrives in the morning just as the alarm is about to go off. There may be dreams of death and fire and constant talking during sleep. It can also be a very good remedy for bed-wetting in children.

Why do we get sick during winter?

Natural health practitioners have a perspective on why we get ill during the winter months. It’s about susceptibility. The dictionary definition of susceptibility is ‘the state or fact of being likely or liable to be influenced or harmed by a particular thing’. Learn about the three different levels of susceptibility and what this may mean for your winter wellbeing. They are:

  • Innate Susceptibility
  • Developed Susceptibility
  • Seasonal Susceptibility

Suffer from recurrent winter ailments?

For some people, environmental toxins – be it from heavy metals, chemicals, diet, or other factors – has had an accumulating affect. They become an obstacle to healing. Learn about how targeted detox therapies may help you to regain resilience.

Eat well

What we eat plays a central role in staying well, physically and mentally. So get stuck in to plates of delicious, seasonal foods with plenty of leafy green veg for extra nutritional goodness and immune boosting properties.

Try homeopathy

There will be times when we do succumb to winter ailments such as coughs, colds, sore throats and flu. Many people turn to homeopathy to help relieve symptoms naturally.

Here are seven useful homeopathic remedies to help us through the winter months:

Aconite

This is the go-to remedy for the earliest stages of an infection, especially when symptoms have come on suddenly after exposure to the cold. There may be a high fever, flushed face and restlessness or anxiety. Aconite is good for coughs that are dry and croupy, which may be accompanied by hoarseness and a dry throat. Symptoms tend to feel better from fresh air and cold drinks. Aconite is also the number one remedy for sudden and intense fear and panic, there may even be a fear of death.

Antimonium Tart

This remedy can offer relief when there is a deep, rattling, mucusy cough with difficult expectoration and shortness of breath. Someone who will benefit from Antim Tart will probably feel weak and drowsy and may find they need to sit up in order to cough. Symptoms are worse at night.

Arsenicum

Arsenicum can help relieve a range of respiratory issues such as coughs, colds and sore throats. Symptoms often include a burning sensation, constricted airways and difficulty breathing. There are weakness and exhaustion, yet the patient will still be restless and anxious and may even pace about. They will be chilly and shivery with symptoms worsening around midnight. The Arsenicum patient has a tendency to worry about health issues in general and fears about impending disease will result in the need for company and lots of reassurance.

Bryonia

Think of Bryonia when there is a strong theme of dryness across the symptoms – dry cough, dry lips, dry mouth and great thirst. Symptoms are worse for movement and coughing can be so painful that the patient needs to hold their chest or head. Even deep breaths, eating and talking can aggravate. Headaches are also a key symptom of this remedy, often with a bursting sensation around the forehead or behind the eyes.

Eupatorium Perfoliatum

This is a good remedy for flu symptoms, especially when there is aching deep inside the bones, almost as if the limbs have been broken. High fever alternates with chills, but despite this, cold drinks (or even ice cream!) are desired. There may be great restlessness as the patient constantly tries to get comfortable, but motion does not help.

Gelsemium

This can help relieve classic flu symptoms when the patient is dull, heavy and weak with droopy eyes and fatigue. The fever causes chills to run up and down the spine and there may be trembling and shaking of the body. Headaches tend to be seated at the back of the head and heat or pressure may be felt in the face and nose too. The Gelsemium patient will want to lie down to rest as any physical activity makes them feel worse.

Phosphorus

Often indicated in respiratory complaints, Phosphorus can be helpful when there is an exhausting and persistent dry cough that is worse in the evening or at night. There may be pain and hoarseness in the larynx and throat, and the mucus may be blood-streaked. The Phosphorous headache is bursting and immense fatigue and weakness is also likely. Phosphorous patients are often anxious and seek reassurance. They are chilly but want cold drinks.

Homeopathy offers support in restoring our body’s balance, health, and vitality. It’s recommended for you to seek professional advice from a fully qualified registered homeopath or your GP to ensure you are receiving the best possible treatment to help support you, make sure you visit a homeopath for guidance.

The College of Natural Health & Homeopathy offers NZQA accredited and approved Diplomas in Homeopathy. We have open enrolments, meaning you can start anytime! Study is done so fully online, part-time, and from the comfort of your own home, anywhere in the world!

Start your journey today in becoming a Homeopathic Practitioner, and apply now for semester one in our NZ Diploma in Acute Prescribing with Homeopathy!

 

Adapted from sources
The School of Homeopathy
Holistic Notion Homeopathic Healthcare