ChirothotsTM
By Kevin Donka, D.C.
Flu Season or Stress Season?
It’s a typical summer evening. You are outdoors talking with the neighbors or taking part in some kind of activity, breathing in the fresh, warm, summer air. There’s no point in watching TV - after all, there’s nothing on but reruns anyway.
Now it’s September. The kids are back in school (but boy oh boy, they didn’t want to go back) and you’ve just finished your last “fun outdoor” weekend of the year on Labor Day. It’s getting cooler now so you don’t spend as much time outside anymore and the windows are closed in the house. That’s OK though, because the new TV season has started! In fact, you are likely spending a few hours each night watching your favorite shows.
October comes and the stress of the fall yard work is getting to you. Plus, you’ve had to pack up all the summer clothes and get out the winter ones. Now comes the time you need to find costumes for Halloween. I’ll bet you just can’t wait for the sugar rush to begin!
November rushes in and suddenly it’s time to begin thinking about Christmas and Hanukah presents. But first, you need to prepare the huge Thanksgiving feast! There will be every food you can think of (mostly carbohydrates though), and you will stuff yourself to maximum density before falling asleep sitting up on the couch while watching football. That’s OK though, you didn’t really want to spend any more time than necessary talking to Uncle Harold anyway! You write a note to remind yourself to get your flu shot.
Before you know it, It’s just a few weeks until Christmas and you have to rush to get your Christmas tree and all the presents – God only knows how you’ll pay for them – oh well, that’s what credit cards are for. You’ll take care of the debt next year sometime. You felt a little run-down after your flu shot, but you’re doing better now. Better get going on the shopping! Oh-oh, have to shovel the driveway first. Christmas Morning – wait a minute – it’s only 6:00 – what are the kids doing up already?! You were up until 2:00AM wrapping presents. Oh well, kids will be kids! What a great time opening the presents – but what a mess! Better clean it up quickly before you have to start the repeat of the feast again – and Uncle Harold again.
December 31st – it’s been a good year but gosh it’s come and gone so quickly! It seems you’ve hardly even had a chance to think about those resolutions you made a year ago. That’s OK, this year you’ll do better. Time to Party!!! January 1st, oh what a headache! You drank too much, but what the heck – it’s only once per year, right? Now, let’s get started on the New Year. Let’s see, you’re too fat, too broke, It’s freezing outside and the kids really need to go back to school so you can think.
Mid-January, you wake up and realize “flu season” is here, and you are once again participating. They must have guessed wrong on the vaccine again. Oh well, there’s nothing you can do about it, right? I mean, the fact that you have had a very steady flow of physical, chemical and mental stresses since the end of summer had nothing to do with your lowered resistance because of your recent lifestyle, right?
I guess that if you had been doing things that actively increased your resistance to those stresses – like creating a happy and peaceful mindset, deep breathing, getting enough water, eating a high-energy diet rich in fruits and veggies, getting enough sleep, exercising and getting adjusted – it wouldn’t have made a difference anyway, right?
I guess those people who don’t get the flu are just lucky, right?
It’s just coincidence that the “flu season” ends right about the time the TV season ends and the weather starts getting warmer and people start opening their windows and looking forward to spring and working out to get into their bathing suits by summer, right…right.
