Boosting Immunity & Vitality during the Cooler Months

As the weather cools and the evenings slowly become darker, October is a time that many of us start to feel groggy or fall victim to coughs, colds & sore throats. So, this makes October the perfect time to lean into habits which boost our immunity, vitality & wider wellbeing. By doing this, we can get ahead of the 'lurgy' and feel our best throughout the changing seasons.

However, sometimes it's a little difficult to know where to start! So, below are three of my favourite (non-diet-related) practices to boost immunity & vitality during the cooler months.

The impact of stress runs far and wide when it comes to our health – interestingly, this includes the suppression of our immune systems, which can be caused by ongoing stress.

When we are dealing with infrequent, acute stressors (for example, having to run for a bus to avoid being late) our immunity is unlikely to suffer. However, if we are consistently in a state of ‘fight or flight’, as so many of us are nowadays – waking up to a stream of notifications, receiving worrying news alerts, working long hours, juggling family responsibilities & scrolling through streams of information on our devices – we may become more susceptible to coughs and colds.

So, stress is something that we certainly want to reduce & manage as best as we can throughout autumn & winter. On a practical level this might mean:

• Engaging in low-medium intensity exercise,

• Adapting our diets to reduce the impact that stress has on our wellbeing,

• Practising hobbies which bring us joy and/or a sense of purpose,

• Activating our ‘restful’ nervous system e.g., via breathing exercises,

• Making time for meditation or mindfulness practices,

• Scheduling time with friends & family, and

• Establishing healthy boundaries.

Sufficient, quality sleep is essential for so many aspects of our health, and optimising our immune systems is no exception!

Sleep supports our immune systems in numerous important ways, such as promoting healthy white blood cell activity & antibody production. In short, when our sleep suffers, so does our immunity. So, doing what we can to prioritise good quality sleep is a no-brainer if we want to feel vibrant, energised & cold-free this autumn.

What does ‘prioritising sleep’ look like? This is something that I discuss in depth with my 1:1 clients, as it’s likely to look a little different for each of us. Ensuring that we’re consistently getting enough sleep (7 hours +) is an important first step. Then, we might want to think about factors which could be impacting the quality of our sleep, such as temperature, light exposure, eating patterns, caffeine, exercise & morning/night-time routines.

Our lymphatic systems play a key role when it comes to our immune function, including by housing many of our white blood cells, fighting infection & filtering bacteria and damaged cells. So, taking care of our lymphatic systems, particularly during the cooler months, can be a great way to support our immunity.

As our lymphatic systems don’t have a ‘pump’ (unlike our cardiovascular systems which have the heart to pump blood through the body), they benefit from stimulation. For example, exercise, dry brushing or a lymphatic massage can all contribute towards a well-functioning lymphatic system.

If you're looking to improve your wellbeing this season and you’d like a (free) chat to work out the best place to start, I’d be more than happy to help! Just send me a message, or book a free discovery call.