During the sweltering summer, many people feel more fatigued than usual. This is because high temperatures can drain one's energy and vitality. To combat summer fatigue, many seek traditional Chinese medicine approaches like massage, acupuncture, or dietary therapy. So which methods are best suited for you? Let's consult a TCM expert for guidance. What are some effective ways to relieve fatigue?
Winter Melon Soup Can Also Relieve Fatigue
During the long summer season, protecting the digestive system is especially important. In summer, avoid consuming bitter and cold foods like icy watermelon or strong green tea, as excessive intake of these bitter-cold items can deplete internal energy.To combat summer fatigue, consider drinking winter melon soup. It helps dispel dampness, alleviate summer heat, and promotes urination. When preparing winter melon soup, avoid excessive oiliness. Use broth as a base and simply add ingredients like dried shrimp, seaweed, or lean meat. Additionally, red bean porridge is most effective for dispelling dampness and relieving fatigue, while mung bean porridge helps clear heat and summer heat, offering some relief from fatigue symptoms.Allow bean porridge to cool naturally before consumption. Avoid excessive consumption of astragalus; consult a physician before use. Practice Quiet Cultivation for Mental Fatigue Summer emphasizes fast work and slow living. At home, regularly practice quiet cultivation: gently close your eyes, inhale slowly, direct the breath to the lower abdomen, then exhale. Repeat for 3-5 minutes.Quiet cultivation promotes physical ease and alleviates mental fatigue. Regardless of the heat, maintain a balanced mindset and stable emotions to calm your thoughts and refresh your spirit. When facing setbacks, adopt a cool-headed approach and inject humor—this defuses conflicts, dispels gloom, and soothes the mind, helping restore good spirits.Regarding daily routines, the Huangdi Neijing (Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon) long advocated retiring early and rising early. After waking, bask in the morning sun, whose gentle rays nurture the heart. Summer naps should ideally last 30 minutes to an hour. Choose a crisp morning for a stroll. Avoid sudden bouts of excessive sleep, as this depletes mental energy and intensifies fatigue.Select a crisp morning each week to stroll through a park or neighborhood, setting a vibrant tone for the day. Seek acupuncture for severe fatigue Persistent, intense fatigue over an extended period may benefit from traditional Chinese acupuncture.For instance, those with robust yang energy prone to internal heat may require acupuncture to disperse heat. Conversely, fatigue stemming from cold deficiency may benefit from acupuncture to tonify qi. Acupuncture balances tonification and dispersion; consistent treatment will naturally reduce fatigue.During hot summer days, this can easily damage the skin. When feeling exhausted, apply cupping to the fleshy areas around the joints on the back to expel pathogenic factors from the body, naturally leaving you feeling refreshed and invigorated. Back massage yields the best results When fatigue strikes in summer, opt for a full-body massage. However, focusing the massage on the back provides the most effective anti-fatigue benefits.The back houses numerous acupoints corresponding to internal organs—the Lung Shu, Heart Shu, Spleen Shu, Kidney Shu, and Liver Shu points are all located here. Fatigue in the back accelerates the loss of yang energy, while relaxing these points helps nourish the heart yang.
At home, have a family member perform 3-5 straight-push strokes along your back and waist. Using both palms, push straight down along the first and second lines of the Bladder Meridian from the top to the waist 3-5 times, then press along both sides of the spine 3-5 times.Place the tips of both thumbs or the heel of the palm on the Bladder Meridian on the back, pressing repeatedly from top to bottom 3-5 times. Then knead the back and waist with the palms 3-5 times. Overlap both palms and knead the muscles on both sides of the spine from top to bottom 3-5 times, ensuring the technique is smooth, continuous, and applied with moderate force.Massage the Shenshu points for two minutes: Place both thumbs on the Shenshu points on either side and press firmly for 30 seconds. Then use the heel of the palm or the thenar eminence to knead the Shenshu points, repeating this 2-3 times until a warm, penetrating sensation is felt in the waist.
While back massage effectively combats fatigue, avoid excessive frequency or intensity. Especially in summer, minimize essential oil use during massage, as it may induce bodily heat and agitation, hindering relaxation and fatigue relief.