🌿 Folk Prescriptions

The weather has cooled down, but many people still feel sleepy and mentally drained. Experts say that the previous sustained high temperatures have depleted the body’s energy reserves, and one must now be cautious of "emotional lassitude."
Medical professionals analyze that this summer saw rare extreme heat, keeping people in a constant state of excitement, resulting in irritability, quick temper, and other signs of "emotional heatstroke." Around the beginning of autumn, as the weather gradually cools, people adjust from intense emotions, which often leads to excessive energy consumption, causing weakness and fatigue—severe cases may disrupt normal life.
To overcome this "emotional lassitude," doctors advise:
1. Prioritize sufficient sleep. Try to go to bed before 10 p.m., maintain early rising, and enter a preparatory state in the morning to prevent drowsiness at work. A short nap of 10–30 minutes at noon also helps alleviate drowsiness.
2. Eat light, simple meals. Fatty foods generate acid substances in the body that deepen drowsiness. Focus on eating more fruits and drinking plenty of water—green tea is especially effective for boosting alertness, far surpassing coffee.
3. Improve indoor air quality. Drowsiness is linked to low oxygen levels. Place green plants like spider plants, rubber trees, and bamboo palms indoors to release oxygen and purify the air.
When autumn winds blow and leaves scatter, Xiao Zhou’s mood inevitably sinks again. Many people around us share this experience, especially middle-aged and elderly individuals who, facing falling leaves and barren trees, often feel melancholy, sorrowful, and aged—making them prone to depressive thoughts.
What Is “Sadness in Autumn”?
Why do some people become emotionally sensitive in autumn? Modern medical research shows that beneath the brain lies a gland called the pineal body, which secretes melatonin. This hormone promotes sleep, but excessive secretion can easily cause depression. Temperature changes indirectly affect its secretion, particularly during seasonal transitions between cold and warm.
In traditional Chinese medicine, the five internal organs, seven emotions, and the five elements (metal, wood, water, fire, earth) are interconnected with seasonal changes. For example, in the five elements, metal corresponds to the lungs (organ), grief (emotion), and autumn (season). Thus, in autumn—especially during continuous rainy days—people not only suffer from dryness but may also experience emotional sadness.
Moreover, "one autumn rain brings one chill." Sudden drops in temperature suppress metabolism and physiological functions, disrupting endocrine balance, leading to low mood, poor concentration, and even symptoms like palpitations, frequent dreams, and insomnia—commonly known as "low-temperature depression."
Most Effective Ways to Prevent “Sadness in Autumn”
1. Psychological adjustment: Maintain optimism. Avoid self-inflicted worries like "tears don’t dry even when the rain stops." Autumn is actually a wonderful season—richer than spring—and a time of harvest. There’s no need to dwell on sadness or despair.
2. Diet to nourish good mood: Never skip breakfast. Opt for milk, eggs, and fruits to replenish protein and calcium, enhancing endurance and willpower. Those who regularly skip breakfast often feel listless and lack mental strength.
3. Nourish the heart and liver: Drink rose or chrysanthemum tea, lotus seed tea, which help clear liver stagnation and relieve depression. Long-term consumption benefits mental well-being.
4. Eat foods that calm the mind and soothe nerves: Lotus root, lotus seeds, wheat, licorice, red dates, longan, etc., are beneficial for anxiety and depression.
5. Consume nuts and fish rich in phosphorus, which help reduce depressive feelings.
Seven Methods to Overcome Low Mood
1. Exercise: Physical activity triggers beneficial chemical and psychological changes. Suitable activities include jogging, walking outdoors, dancing, swimming, and practicing tai chi.
2. Improve nutrition: Vitamin B helps improve mood. Include whole-grain bread, vegetables, and eggs in your diet.
3. Visit friends and family: Talk openly with trusted, wise companions about your inner feelings.
4. Cultivate optimistic imagination: When faced with setbacks, avoid negative thinking. Instead, choose to imagine positive outcomes.
5. Focus on work: Immersing yourself in meaningful work helps forget sorrow and worry.
6. Travel and explore: Seeing green mountains and clear waters, or watching gentle smoke rise, instantly lifts fatigue and gloom.
7. Watch movies: Watching comedies when depressed produces a clear emotional shift.