Remember, remember, why winter resilience starts with your nervous system
With Bonfire Night just around the corner, winter bugs and the pressures of everyday life, our nervous systems can equally spend a lot of time in ‘fight or flight’, but perhaps for some of us this looks a little less pretty than the fireworks. In this month’s update, naturopath and herbalist Fee DeFreitas explores the gut-brain connection, the window of tolerance and how herbal medicine may support a more resilient winter.
The sudden bangs of 5 November can show us how quickly our alert system activates, and most of the time it’s doing exactly the job it’s supposed to. But when every day stresses push us outside of our window of tolerance, we can feel anxious, overwhelmed, burnt out or even shut down. “I am struggling” can often present as irritability, poor sleep, withdrawal from things that bring us joy or feeling permanently wired. True resilience is not just tolerating the everyday stress and pressure, but helping our body return from ‘fight or flight’ to the safety and regulation of ‘rest and digest’.
Our brain and digestive system communicate with each other constantly. Winter illnesses, stress and antibiotics can easily disrupt our microbiome balance and the good bacteria in our guts. Supporting our gut health with varied, fibre-rich foods and good quality probiotics can help build a good foundation for winter immunity and resilience.
I often turn to skullcap (Scutellaria lateriflora) during this time, traditionally a relaxing herb for the nervous system that helps to widen that window of tolerance, and bring balance and restoration back. The wider we can make our window of tolerance, the less reactive we are to the stressors of the season. While herbs can’t act as a standalone cure for anxiety and mental health issues, they can be used as part of a supportive toolkit with a broader routine*.
Nervous system care, gut health and daily habits can work together this November to help with gentle support before winter truly sets in.
*Always check that herbs are suitable for you with a pharmacist, doctor or qualified healthcare professional before taking.
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