Last winter, something interesting happened.
I didn’t get sick.
Now before anyone gets excited and thinks I’ve discovered some secret formula, miracle supplement, or magic winter hack, let me be very clear:
I have absolutely no idea whether the things I’m about to share are the reason I didn’t get sick.
This isn’t health advice.
This isn’t a promise.
This is simply a reflection on what I did last winter and how it made me feel.
What I do know is that despite working with people every day, many of whom came into the clinic unwell or recovering from illness, I managed to get through winter feeling healthy, energised, and surprisingly resilient.
And when I sat down and thought about what was different, I realised something.
Very little of it had to do with trying not to get sick.
Almost everything had to do with taking better care of myself.
Perhaps that’s the lesson.
Winter Has A Way Of Making Us Forget About Ourselves
Have you noticed how different life feels during winter?
The alarm goes off and it’s still dark.
It’s cold outside.
The couch feels more appealing than a walk.
The blanket feels more appealing than exercise.
The thought of staying home sounds far more attractive than venturing outdoors.
Before we know it, we’re moving less, we’re seeing less sunlight, we’re staying up later, we’re spending more time indoors, and often, without realising it, we’re becoming more stressed, more tired, and more disconnected from the things that help us feel our best.
Last winter, I made a conscious decision not to fall into that trap. Not because I was trying to avoid getting sick. But because I wanted to feel good.
The Power Of A Simple Morning Walk
One of the biggest things I prioritised was movement.
Nothing extreme.
No boot camps, marathons, or complicated fitness programs.
Just walking.
Most mornings I would head out around 6am and walk for somewhere between 45 minutes and an hour.
Rain, shine, cold mornings, tired mornings, I simply showed up.
And what surprised me was how much those walks gave me.
The movement helped clear my head.
The fresh air helped me feel awake.
The quiet time allowed me to think.
And because I was walking early, I was also able to catch the morning sunlight.
There is ongoing research exploring the role of sunlight exposure in supporting healthy circadian rhythms, sleep quality, mood, and overall wellbeing. Regardless of what side of the research debate you sit on, I can tell you this:
Watching the sun come up each morning felt good.
And sometimes that’s reason enough.
My Sunday Morning Reset
If you’ve known me for any length of time, you’ll know that every Sunday morning I disappear to the beach.
It’s become one of my favourite rituals.
If you’ve known me for any length of time, you’ll know that every Sunday morning I disappear to the beach.
It’s become one of my favourite rituals.
As someone who homeschools children, runs a business, sees patients, manages a household and tries to juggle all the moving parts of life, people often ask me:
“How do you do it all?”
The truth is, I don’t try to do it all.
I try to make sure I’m looking after myself as well.
Every Sunday morning I head to the beach.
Sometimes I walk, sometimes I sit, sometimes I read a book, sometimes I simply watch the waves, and sometimes I do absolutely nothing. And that might be the most important part.
Doing nothing has become one of the most productive things I do all week.
Because during those quiet moments, I can think, I can reflect, and I can ask myself:
What’s working?
What’s not?
What needs my attention?
What am I doing well?
What could I improve?
What do my children need right now?
What does my family need?
What do I need?
By the time I leave the beach, I feel different. Calmer, clearer, lighter, and more present. It’s as though someone plugged me into a charger and topped up the battery.
Learning To Say No
This might have been the biggest lesson of all.
Last winter I became much better at saying no.
Not because I was being selfish, but because I realised every yes comes at a cost.
Every commitment takes time, every event takes energy, every late night affects recovery, and every obligation takes something from somewhere else.
So I started asking myself a simple question:
“Is this serving me?”
If the answer was no, I became more comfortable declining.
I said no to activities that would interfere with my sleep, I said no to commitments that left me feeling overwhelmed, and I said no to things that got in the way of the habits I was trying to build.
And perhaps most importantly, I became more selective about who I spent time with.
We’ve all experienced it.
Some people leave you feeling energised, while others leave you feeling exhausted.
Some people focus on solutions, and others focus on problems.
Some people fill your cup, others empty it.
Last winter I chose to spend more time with the people who filled my cup.
And honestly, I think that made a bigger difference than most people realise.
Prioritising Sleep Without Feeling Guilty
I think many adults walk around chronically tired.
We’ve normalised it. We wear exhaustion like a badge of honour.
But last winter I made a conscious effort to protect my sleep. Not perfectly, not every night, but more often than not, I avoided unnecessary late nights.
I created routines that supported rest. I gave myself permission to go to bed when I was tired.
It’s amazing how different life feels when you’re consistently sleeping well.
Everything becomes easier.
Your patience improves, your mood improves, your decision-making improves, and even everyday challenges seem more manageable.
Keeping Food Simple
I’ve been eating mostly wholesome foods for many years now. Nothing fancy or extreme. No obsession, or perfection. Just real food.
Foods that look like they came from nature rather than a laboratory. Lots of vegetables, good quality proteins, and healthy fats. And limiting heavily processed foods where possible.
Again, I can’t tell you whether that contributed to me not getting sick. But I can tell you it made me feel good. And feeling good matters.
Giving My Digestive System A Break
Another thing I continued last winter was intermittent fasting.
There were periods where I would go 15 to 17 hours without eating, usually overnight and into the following morning.
For me, it was less about weight loss and more about simplicity.
It gave my digestive system a break.
It suited my lifestyle, and I found it worked well for me.
As always, what works for one person may not work for another, but it was one of the habits I continued throughout winter.
The Real Lesson
When I look back at everything I did last winter, something stands out.
Very little of it was focused on avoiding illness.
Instead, almost everything was focused on reducing stress, moving my body, spending time outdoors, sleeping well, drinking water, eating nourishing foods, creating boundaries, protecting my energy, spending time with people who made me feel good, making space to think and breathe, and making space for me.
And perhaps that’s the bigger conversation.
Because I often wonder whether many of us spend so much time looking for the next supplement, the next health hack, or the next quick fix that we overlook the basics.
The things that make us feel human, grounded, and alive.
My Winter Challenge To You
This winter, I’d love you to join me in a challenge.
Not a weight-loss challenge, fitness challenge, or even a detox.
A self-care challenge.
Ask yourself:
What could I eliminate that is draining my energy?
What could I say no to?
What could I do less of?
Then ask:
What could I do more of?
More walking? More sleep? More sunshine? More reading? More time outdoors? More time with people who make me laugh? More time doing something you genuinely enjoy?
Maybe the goal this winter isn’t to become healthier.
Maybe the goal is simply to become kinder to yourself.
And who knows?
Perhaps when we start looking after ourselves a little better, everything else starts to improve too.
I’d love to hear from you.
What is one thing you could eliminate this winter?
And what is one thing you could start doing that would help fill your cup instead of emptying it?
Let’s check back in at the end of winter and see what happens.
