During the cold season, you want to wrap yourself in a blanket and do nothing until spring. The reason for this is seasonal loss of strength. It overtakes even the most able-bodied people. But we will help you fall in love with autumn and winter.

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Seasonal fatigue: causes and triggers

In autumn and winter, several factors contribute to our tiredness:

• Changing the nature of nutrition.
• Frequent colds.
• Anemia.
• Disturbance of the sleep-wake pattern.

Seasonal loss of energy: signs and what to do

In addition to apathy, the temperature may decrease or increase, and ringing in the ears may occur. To return your body to normal, pay attention to your level of resistance to stress. Physical activity, yoga, swimming will help. You need to sleep in a cool, dark room. Use a sleep mask. Gradually, the physical and mental state is normalized. Don't forget about the right thing: consume at least 2.5 liters of water per day half an hour before meals, and not after meals.

A loss of strength in the fall can be observed both in completely healthy adults and in children and adolescents. They are under quite a lot of pressure at school, so there may be whims. Psychotype plays a very important role. More often than others, seasonal loss of strength occurs in workaholics, infantile people, perfectionists, melancholic people, people whose profession is associated with monotonous work, working with people. Office workers are at risk due to lack of oxygen. Prolonged lack of sleep in new parents is another important factor.

Advice: We recommend spending 1 hour in the sun every day!

Find something you like. A good hobby will restore your productivity. This could be anything from crafts and floriculture to fitness.

Folk remedies for loss of strength

How do northern countries overcome seasonal weakness?

The method used by the Scandinavians is especially interesting: they go to the sauna with the whole family. It's light there, it smells like wood - like summer.

How to deal with spring fatigue

“Doctor, help. I do not understand what is going on. I've been feeling good all year. But every spring everything changes dramatically. Everything scares me, irritates me, my stomach hurts, my spine hurts, my heart beats, my sleep is disturbed. I find no reason to be happy, I have nothing to switch to. I feel very bad and I don’t understand why.”

PHOTO by Sergei GRITSKOV

People with similar complaints often come to me in the spring and autumn. Almost 40% of the population during this period deteriorates not only physical, but also mental health. Let's figure out why this happens.

Let's start with the fact that the life activity of our body is as cyclical as everything else in nature. There are periods when our psyche is more stable, and there are times when a person feels some internal discomfort.

Spring exacerbation is an amazing paradox of our internal structure. It would seem that the day is lengthening, the weather is improving, and the person’s condition should improve. But everything happens the other way around. As soon as the first signs of spring appear, many unpleasant symptoms that lay dormant in winter awaken. Various hormones are released into the blood, which activate our body and psyche. Simply put, “your head is spinning.”

Fluctuations in atmospheric pressure, air temperature, and increased oxygen flow weaken our cardiovascular system, blood pressure begins to jump, and the heart beats faster. The rapid change of sunny and cloudy days leads to mood swings.

And the lack of vitamins after a long period of cold, the lack of fresh vegetables and fruits in the diet, weakened immunity by disease and winter physical inactivity cause a decrease in tone and loss of energy. General dissatisfaction, apathy and depression are as characteristic of the spring period as an excited state.

People with an active psyche, emotional, and sensitive people are especially susceptible to the negative influence of spring. If a person has a mental illness, then the risk of exacerbation of this disease increases significantly. As a result, someone falls in love, someone falls into melancholy or anxiety, and someone experiences hallucinations and delusions.

If, with the advent of spring, you notice the following reactions appearing in yourself, then you can safely classify yourself as a seasonal sufferer. So, in the spring, most often my patients complain about:

– constant fatigue. Even if you haven’t done anything all day, you feel as tired as if you had been working continuously for 24 hours;

– apathy – you don’t want to do anything, you have no strength, energy, or desires;

– irritability – literally everything can make you angry;

– the appearance of anxious thoughts, anxiety;

- sleep disturbance;

– emotional instability. Tearfulness or, conversely, short temper and even aggressiveness may appear;

– increased melancholy, depression;

– the appearance of pain in various parts of the body.

What diseases most often worsen in spring? Absolutely any – from a minor nervous breakdown to severe stages of psychosis.

What to do? Many people cope with their condition on their own. And as summer approaches, the symptoms often go away on their own. In mild cases, noticing that with the arrival of spring your condition has worsened, but there are no obvious reasons for this, you can help yourself with mild sedatives, herbs and antidepressants. If these remedies don’t help, your health doesn’t improve and you don’t want to wait for summer to come, you can turn to a psychotherapist for help. It will help quickly stabilize the nervous system and relieve symptoms.

If you know that you are prone to seasonal exacerbations, then you can learn how to prevent their occurrence. To do this, you need to start taking medications prescribed by your doctor in advance, take a course of vitamin therapy twice a year - in spring and autumn - and spend more time in the fresh air. Or even go on a trip.

Special attention should be paid to the seasonal exacerbation of mental illnesses. As a rule, in people suffering from such ailments, spring exacerbations are accompanied by the appearance of more serious symptoms. Suddenly, a person begins to behave strangely, hears voices, has unusual visions, he may become very excited or, conversely, fall into a stupor, and begins to fear surveillance or persecution. If you notice the appearance of similar reactions in your friends or relatives, this indicates that the person has serious mental problems. In these cases, you must immediately seek help from a psychiatrist.

Natalya VOYTOVICH, psychotherapist

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If you believe the calendar, then spring has already arrived. But most people are not in a spring mood at all: they constantly want to sleep, their productivity tends to zero, and their headaches begin to hurt more often. How to overcome the spring breakdown?

It would seem that in the spring all living things awaken, bloom, and begin to live life to the fullest. Why are we accompanied by malaise and depression in the first days of spring? Spring loss of strength is a consequence of the restructuring of the biorhythms of our body. In winter, we experience a minimal level of general activity - we mostly stay at home and lead a sedentary lifestyle. In summer, on the contrary, our activity level is maximum. The transition from one level of activity to another (from biological winter to biological summer) causes a mismatch of biorhythms and loss of strength.

In addition, at the end of winter - beginning of spring, our immunity is most weakened. This is due to the fact that There are not enough vitamins in our diet: There are no fresh fruits and vegetables from the new harvest on our table yet, and in “overwintered” fruits and vegetables the concentration of vitamins has become much less over several months. Vitamin C is especially susceptible to destruction.

How to overcome the spring breakdown? First, you need to clearly define what exactly is happening to you. Often, what we consider a “spring exacerbation” may turn out to be a more serious problem - anemia (anemia), depression (not a short-term bad mood, but real depression - a long-term mental disorder). Therefore, it would be a good idea to consult a therapist. But if you clearly know that you have a spring loss of strength, we can please you: it can often be dealt with without the use of medications.

The first piece of advice for those who want to cope with the spring slump is simple but effective: “Start leading.” Trite? Maybe, but this advice was not taken out of thin air. Many health problems, including the spring loss of strength, are a consequence of our bad habits.. We include not only smoking and alcohol (although those too), but also laziness, unhealthy diet, sedentary lifestyle, disrupted daily routine, lack or excess of physical activity. So, first of all, you need to take care of proper nutrition, walks in the fresh air, moderate physical activity and sufficient rest.

Do not aggravate the spring loss of strength with Stakhanov’s pace of work. Is a successful career worth ruined health? Clearly separate work and rest, try your best to avoid overwork- at this time of year it is especially dangerous. Moreover, relaxing sitting in front of a computer or TV will not bring any benefit - it is better to get out into nature instead.

In spring it is very important to get enough sleep, so don't stay up late if you know you have work tomorrow. If you have insomnia, fight it with medications or folk remedies.

Your indispensable assistant in the fight against loss of strength is moderate physical activity. Ideally, you should take up a sport that suits and enjoys you (swimming is a very good choice). If you don't have the opportunity to find time for regular workouts, do morning exercises. It’s good if, instead of public transport, you walk at least part of your daily route.

Three guarantees of excellent mood and well-being are light, color and air. Don't block out the sunlight with curtains, you never need it now. Spend at least half an hour a day (preferably more) in the fresh air, preferably away from cars and other sources of pollution. Regularly ventilate the room you are in. Add more bright colors to your life: new bright clothes, bright fruits in a vase on your bedside table.

Well, don't forget about proper nutrition - spring loss of strength is afraid of vitamins like fire. In addition to pharmacy vitamin-mineral complexes, good sources of vitamins are wheat sprouts, freshly squeezed juices, fruits (lemons, kiwis, oranges), sauerkraut, fresh herbs, vegetable oils, fatty fish, black bread, honey, muesli, lean meat. Fruits and vegetables contain vitamin C, bread, meat and muesli contain vitamin B, olive oil contains vitamin E, and fish contain vitamin D.

Spring breakdown is not inevitable. Healthy lifestyle and good mood will help you “scare” the spring exacerbation and move from gloomy winter to sunny summer without any discomfort.

Asthenia is not an infectious disease. But in the spring it takes on the character of an epidemic: 40% of Russians feel a loss of strength. How to deal with this problem?

And eternal winter...

In the morning there is a hover in the office . Sleepy, tired employees reach for the cooler with mugs. It would seem like spring, sun, love... But people can barely move their legs.

Natasha suffered from a severe flu. But three days later I went to work - I had to prepare a report. Inga, tall and thin, like a model, now generally looks like a pale potato sprout. Even the always energetic, fit Svetlana looks dull and indifferent to everything. She recently divorced her husband, and her state of mind leaves much to be desired.

— Asthenia — this is not an independent disease, it issymptom, — says psychotherapist at the European Medical Center Natalya Mikhailovna Rivkina. — Symptom,which occurs for various reasons. A person may feel a loss of strength after suffering from an illness. Fatigue often accompanies depression. But if after the flu a person feels that he has no physical strength, then during depression he is overcome by apathy, he does not have enough energy to force himself to do something.

However, many people experience weakness in the spring for one common reason. This is our long, dark winter. In countries where there is a lot of sun, people are less likely to suffer from asthenia and depression.

“I feel sorry for the bird”...

A person in an asthenic state becomes extremely touchy. He is affected by literally everything, even what is not directly addressed to him. This is understandable: it is one thing to hurt a healthy hand, and quite another to hurt a sore one. So, an asthenic person’s entire nervous system is like exposed electrical wires.

Such people often become grouchy. Dissatisfied with everyone, they often mutter something under their breath, talking to themselves. And the person also becomes very sentimental. He watches some touching film and sheds tears. You tell how a five-year-old child congratulated you on March 8, and the eyelids of a patient with asthenia turn red.

People often complain that it is difficult for them to concentrate; constant weakness causes them to be distracted every now and then. Something happens to the memory - it’s impossible to hold anything in your head.

Insomnia is often a faithful friend of asthenia, when a person wakes up with the feeling of “either asleep or not.” The fact is that sleeping in a state of asthenia does not bring a feeling of rest. A person cannot fall asleep for a long time, often wakes up at night, sometimes wakes up early in the morning and lies until he wakes up.

The alarm clock is ringing. Although early awakenings are more characteristic of depression than of asthenia.

And, of course, the headache is squeezing, throbbing, increasing with any stress, mental or physical, it almost always accompanies asthenia.

Strong-willed

What do some people who experience asthenic syndrome do? Most often they think that it’s just laziness, you just need to overcome yourself: take a contrast shower, run a kilometer or two in the park, or “lift iron” in the gym. Workaholics overload themselves with work in order to “not fall apart.”

Some people, overcoming themselves, go to work with a fever. But what is the result? It is quite possible that the body will mobilize for some time. But then unmotivated weakness, apathy, and fatigue will arise. Or a person will begin to catch all the infections in a row, moving from one cold to another.

There is a big difference between laziness and illness. Asthenia weighs on a person, he worries that he doesn’t want anything, that he doesn’t have the energy for anything. And the lazy person even likes this state: he lies on the couch, watches TV - and he feels good.

What is the body talking about?

If weakness continues for two to three weeks, you need to be wary and listen to yourself. After all, your body is telling you something: either the load is too high, or the situation does not satisfy you, or this is the beginning of some kind of disease that needs to be addressed as soon as possible.

The most difficult thing is. Indeed, depending on this, the methods of treatment will be different. And here, of course, you cannot do without the help of a doctor.

If you have an asthenic tail of a previous disease, then you will most likely be prescribed multivitamins with mineral supplements and tonic tinctures from plants. If this is a manifestation of depression, then the doctor will select modern medications with a minimum of side effects in the correct dosage.

Very good relaxation classes. True, the question may arise here: why relax, because you already have no strength for anything? “The fact is that flabby muscles in an asthenic state are, paradoxically, muscles that are chained and tight,” says Olga Romanovna Arnold, candidate of psychological sciences. “But once this tension is removed, it becomes much easier for the person.” This is especially true for people of asthenic physique.

Not bad, acupuncture, as well as special gymnastics, which is indicated for asthenia.

Nina RUSAKOVA
city ​​"Stoletnik" No. 6, 2014

Charge of vigor and health

Do you want to feel healthy every day? Of course you want! And for this you don’t need much. In the morning, when you wake up, do 5-minute exercise, then drink ½ glass of clean water. An hour after drinking water, drink an infusion of parsley leaves, rose hips, tangerine or orange peels. All raw materials are taken in equal parts. Pour 1 tablespoon of the mixture into 0.5 liters of hot water, leave for an hour, take 1/3 cup of infusion 20 minutes before meals for 28 days. Then we take a break for 1-2 months and repeat the course of treatment again. You can eat a wide variety of foods. By taking this infusion regularly, you will cleanse your body of various toxins, including salt ones. Thus, parsley crushes kidney stones, rose hips together with seeds help treat joints, saturate with vitamin C, tangerine and orange peels will destroy bacteria in the body. This method of disease prevention helps me always feel cheerful and healthy.

And if you want not only to use mine, but also to receive the author’s collection of humorous poems “Compensation”, write to me about it. I will be very grateful and grateful to those readers who can provide me with all possible financial assistance in publishing a new collection of musical songs. I wish everyone kindness and health in the coming year! Yes, by the way, I am 74 years old, I am a pensioner.

396005, Voronezh region,
Ramonsky district, village Yamnoye,
st. Lenina, 96, apt. 1,
Gennady Fedorovich Pasko
city ​​"Stoletnik" No. 3, 2016

How to get rid of the spring blues

In the spring, when everything around me awakens and enjoys life, I wilt. I feel so tired and unbearably sad that I just don’t want to live. In response to my complaints that I always want to sleep, that I don’t have enough vitamins, they say that by spring last year’s supply runs out. But the vitamin complex he prescribed me did not bring relief.

A friend once told me that something similar had happened to her once; it was not vitamins that helped her cope with her broken state, but a changed rhythm of life. I decided to follow her example. I began to get up an hour earlier, after work I was in no hurry to go home, and not in a hurry. I began to spend less time watching TV, went to bed earlier, started going to the pool, and soon there was no trace left of my feeling of weakness. Over time, my rhythm of life has settled into a normal pattern, but every spring I change it, and the previous ailments no longer visit me.

Svetlana Zhukova,
Vologda Region
town "Travinka" No. 7, 2018

How to overcome spring weakness Spring has come, but you feel like a squeezed lemon, you urgently need to take care of yourself. What could be the reason for weakness? Experts believe that this is, first of all... Simple measures will help you reduce fatigue

Advised by Doctor of Medical Sciences, Professor, Academician of the Russian Academy of Natural Sciences, scientific consultant of the Medical-Psychological Center "Interneuro" Evgeniy Aleksandrovich Shaposhnikov.

- Why does a state of weakness often occur in spring?

This may be weakness after suffering from the flu or a series of stresses that deplete the nervous system. Perhaps the reason for your weakness is poor nutrition. After all, in winter we usually eat too much meat, canned food and sausages and rarely treat ourselves to vitamins. A sedentary lifestyle causes no less harm. You can work moderately and get enough sleep, but move little. This is quite enough to completely weaken by spring. In addition, a sedentary lifestyle is fraught with diseases of the pelvic organs, because blood circulation in this area is impaired. Any gynecologist or proctologist will tell you about this. Kyiv is a big city, so here you can always get diagnosed and treated for hemorrhoids and paraproctitis.

- Is this weakness a temporary condition or is it still a disease?

This is more of a pre-illness state. Vascular tone decreases, the harmonious functioning of internal organs is disrupted due to the fact that the brain gives them unclear commands. Moreover, these are very subtle changes.

- But they probably have their own symptoms?

Yes, and among them are excess weight, increased sensitivity to weather, vague gastritis, migraines, menstrual irregularities, back and joint pain. A general weakening of the body can even lead to osteochondrosis.

- So, spring weakness is not as harmless as it might seem at first glance?

Yes, if this condition lasts for one to two weeks, and the symptoms increase. Weakness is an illness, and it can be eliminated if we treat it correctly, take timely measures and slow down the process of loss of health.

- Is it possible to do this yourself?

You can try it if you know the techniques of autogenic training, self-massage, if you can literally force yourself to do health-improving gymnastics, take a contrast shower in the morning, and in the evening take a medicinal bath with pine needles, sea salt and a decoction of valerian and motherwort. But for the most part, such attempts end in failure. After all, the main thing is missing - strength and desire.

- So there is nothing left to do but go to the doctor?

Exactly. Moreover, to a neurologist or psychotherapist. Because in this case, complex treatment will be the fastest and most effective. Mild antidepressants, drugs that improve metabolism and brain nutrition. Homeopathic medicines to strengthen the body's defenses. Herbal teas that reduce increased excitability of the nervous system. Acupuncture, light hypnosis, hydrotherapy. Here is a set of tools necessary for a quick recovery.

- Is this therapy addictive?

No, antidepressants are not drugs, but rather mild substances in super-small doses. Moreover, they do not cure fatigue on their own. These medications simply help you get out of apathy. And then everything depends on you.

The story is told by Alexander Viktorovich Litvinov, candidate of medical sciences, psychiatrist of the highest category, member of the board of the Russian Psychoanalytic Society, psychotherapist of the Moscow City Psychoendocrinological Center.

So-called spring weakness is often a sign of chronic fatigue syndrome. Until 1983, doctors knew virtually nothing about this syndrome. And even today the exact cause is unknown. Accordingly, there is no panacea for this unpleasant illness. We can only say that none of the remedies will give a quick effect without the use of various psychotherapeutic techniques.

The experience of traditional medicine, in particular oriental medicine, can be of great help in this regard. In the East, they believe that the cause of chronic fatigue is, first of all, a lack of fresh air, vital energy and blood circulation.

- And how does oriental medicine recommend fixing this?

You can improve lung ventilation with a simple exercise, the essence of which is periodic use of deep breathing.

You need to take a deep breath, inflating first your stomach, then your chest. Hold your breath for a few seconds and exhale smoothly, as slowly as possible, concentrating on your sensations.

The effectiveness of the exercise increases noticeably if you close your eyes and imagine the most problematic area of ​​the body. Imagine that breathing is a kind of healing substance that penetrates into this space along with inhalation.

But one should caution against using deep breathing in patients with epilepsy. For them, efforts of this kind can provoke attacks.

- How to recharge your vital energy?

According to the same Eastern medicine, we have a certain given level of this energy from birth. And it depends, first of all, on the health of our ancestors. In the future, we can preserve, increase, and sometimes, alas, waste our energy potential.

You can maintain an optimal level of vital energy through healing physical procedures in combination with a healthy diet, rational breathing and massage of biologically active points. For example, oriental health-improving gymnastics “tai chi” perfectly relieves accumulated fatigue.

But how are weakness and poor circulation connected?

The most direct. The nutrition of the cells and tissues of the body is disrupted. It makes it difficult to eliminate toxins. And excessive muscle tension aggravates the problem - the person feels even more tired.

HOW TO REDUCE FATIGUE

Self-massage Remove shoes and socks and thoroughly massage your ankles, tops of your feet, then your feet and toes.

This is very important for maintaining the energy balance of the body, because at least half of the vital meridians pass through the feet. Particular attention should be paid to the kidney meridian point. It is located in the very middle of the sole.

Additionally, you can massage the popliteal area, which is often called the “point of a hundred diseases.”

Exercise Stand freely, arms along your body. The head is slightly raised. Inhale smoothly, raising your arms to the sides of your body, directing your palms to the area above your head. Interlace your fingers and turn your palms up. Take another breath, while stretching the muscles of your hands.
Exhale, smoothly lowering your clasped hands through your chest, gradually returning them to their original position. Repeat 5 times.

Medicines Nootropics have proven themselves to be excellent - nootropil, encephabol and others. They contain a mixture of essential amino acids, a clear deficiency of which is present in chronic fatigue. Herbal preparations and nutritional supplements are also popular. Based on ginseng or the exotic plant ginkgo biloba, as well as containing choline, lecithin, and vitamin complexes.

Self-conviction Try to reconsider your personal attitude towards bothersome fatigue. You shouldn’t constantly repeat: “I’m tired, everything is terrible.” Look around and try to find one or two who have escaped the absurdity of being pushed into this fatigue. And answer the question: “Do I really want to do without what I usually call fatigue?” After all, by abandoning the latter, you will have to take on greater responsibility. Perhaps it is precisely from this that you are hiding behind the screen of fatigue. And in this case, you cannot do without the help of a qualified psychotherapist.

Svetlana Gavrilovna Verenikina, candidate of chemical sciences, senior researcher at the State Scientific Research Institute “Vitamins” in Moscow, advises.

- Which vitamins help you break out of the captivity of spring weakness?

First of all, B vitamins. Especially B6, which improves brain function, and B12, which is necessary for hematopoiesis.

Vitamin C strengthens weakened immunity. Beta-carotene, vitamins C and E, as well as polyphenols, zinc and selenium are needed by your body as antioxidants. They neutralize the effects of many harmful substances - toxins and waste, tobacco smoke and dirty air.

To fight fatigue, you also need magnesium. This valuable microelement increases our resistance to stress.