Everything You Need to Know About Coping With the Summer Season Change

Summer is finally here and for many, that means backyard barbecues, days at the pool or beach, and soaking up as much sunshine as we can. This is the most energetic season of the year, and all this activity is nourishing to the body and spirit. And while it’s important to be active in summer, it can be easy to get swept away in the frenzy and neglect your inner calm. Traditional Chinese Medicine teaches us to seek balance and moderation in all things. Today, we’ll be discussing the summer season, some of the common symptoms of seasonal imbalance, and what to focus on to ensure you make the most out of the hottest months. 

Summer is a time of abundant energy, long days, and sunshine. This is the time of year to start using all that energy you stored up during winter. Summer is ruled by the fire element, which is intense, dynamic, warm, and moving. It’s also associated with Yang energy, and represents expansion, movement, and activity. Summer presents us with the opportunity to put in motion all of the plans we formed in winter and spring. 

The two organs that correspond with summer are the heart and small intestine. The heart, which pumps blood throughout our bodies, is also the home to our Shen, or spirit. As such, it is considered to be the source of our internal harmony. 

The small intestine is one of our digestive organs. Its role in eliminating waste or unnecessary products extends to separating the pure and impure. This includes not just the physical aspect of digesting nutrition, but to how we process information and our emotions. 

Why are the seasons important in Traditional Chinese Medicine? 

In Traditional Chinese Medicine, the body is viewed as a microcosm of the larger surround universe. Each season corresponds with one of the five natural elements – fire, earth, metal, water, and wood. These elements also exist within us. The abundance of a season’s element can cause imbalance that disrupts our health. To maintain good health, TCM councils that we pay close attention to the bodily system’s most influenced by each season’s element, to nourish our bodies with foods that promote balance, and to engage in activities that harmonize with that season’s energy. 

The symptoms of summer imbalance may be less pronounced than in seasons like winter, but we experience them all the same. Watch out for things like excessive sweating, irritability, restless sleep, or heart palpitations, as these are all signs of imbalance or disharmony. 

Excessive sweating 

It’s normal to sweat more in the summer as your body tries to regulate your core temperature during the hot weather. However, if you find that you’re sweating a lot, even when you aren’t exerting yourself, this is a sign of dysregulation. Wearing thin, loose-fitting clothing, drinking lots of fluids, and eating cooling foods can help calm overactive sweat glands. 

Insomnia and other sleep disturbances 

Heat can be detrimental to sleep quality, especially if you don’t have the luxury of air conditioning. As a result, sleep disturbances like insomnia and restless sleep are quite common during the summer months. 

Irritability 

Irritability is characterized as feelings of anger or frustration, as well as being impatient and quick to get annoyed. For those who are less resilient to the summer heat, being irritable is normal – especially if they aren’t sleeping well. 

Heart palpitations 

Heart palpitations cause the sensation of your heart beating too hard or too fast, skipping a beat, of fluttering. While not usually a serious condition, heart palpitations do indicate that your heart system is out of balance. As the summer is the dominion of the heart, the abundance of Yang energy can cause imbalance if we are not mindful of the season’s effects. 

Dehydration 

Dehydration results from your body losing more water than it takes in. Symptoms include darker urine, headaches, lethargy, dizziness, and constipation. One of the chief causes of dehydration in the summer is excessive sweating as your body tries to cool you down. This can be avoided by drinking lots of fluids and eating foods with high water content, like watermelon. 

Heat illness 

Becoming overheated can cause a lot of problems. There are two common forms of heat illness: heat exhaustion and heat stroke. Heat exhaustion is a less severe condition that results when your body loses too much water and salt from excess sweating. It causes headaches, dizziness, weakness, muscle cramps, fatigue, nausea, and vomiting. 

Heat stroke is more serious than heat exhaustion and occurs when your body is unable to regulate its internal temperature. Symptoms of heat stroke include confusion, altered mental state, and a core body temperature of over 40°C or higher. 

Rashes, hives, or hot skin eruptions 

Skin irritation is very common in the summer. Sun burns are the usual culprit, but that’s not the only source. Heat rash can occur if your sweat glands become inflamed. Likewise, the high salt content in your sweat can irritate your skin and cause hot spots. 

Some people also experience sun rash, or photodermatitis, which is a sensitivity to direct sunlight that causes a rash. Taking antibiotics, as well as being exposed to certain chemicals found in detergents and household cleaners, can cause you to become temporarily photosensitive.  

While energy abounds in summer, it is important to not get so caught up in it that we neglect our inner balance and harmony. This season is all about getting out into the world and taking advantage of all the fruits and vegetables that are coming into season. We can prevent imbalance by tending to the health of both our heart and small intestine. Some symptoms of imbalance to watch out for include excessive sweating, irritability, insomnia or restless sleep, heat exhaustion, and heart palpitations. 

Embrace this energetic season 

Summer is all about action and realizing our full potential. Spending lots of time outdoors and socializing is nourishing for our bodies and spirit. This is also the time to bring all those plans you made in winter to fruition.  

During the summer, we should step up our workouts to include more active exercise. Focusing on cardio is also beneficial to our heart health, which is another focus in summer. 

Focus on heart and small intestine health 

It’s important to tend to both our heart and small intestine during the summer. Cardiovascular exercise will strengthen your heart and ensure blood is circulating through your whole body. If you’ve been thinking about getting into shape, summer is a good time to step up your exercise. 

When it comes to small intestine health, focus on eating a balanced diet and avoid eating too many cold foods like ice cream or frozen fruit smoothies – as tempting as they are! During your summer tune-up appointment, your acupuncturist will pay special attention to the small intestine meridian to ensure optimal digestion. 

Nourish your body 

Dehydration is a common challenge in summer as the heat has us sweating and losing water in our bodies. It’s important to drink lots of fluids. Although, you should avoid drinking too much ice water as this introduces excessive cold into your small intestine, which causes imbalance. 

Eating foods with high water content will help keep you hydrated, as well as make you more resilient to the heat. Consider adding foods like watermelon, cucumber, cantaloupe, sprouts, bok choy, and oranges to your diet. Adding mint and lemon to your water or green tea will also help keep you cool during the summer months.

Taking care of your body, and ensuring you are well rested and hydrated will help you make the best of your summer. Book your summer tune-up acupuncture appointment today to start the summer off on the right foot!