Health
Need a 'winter reset'? Experts share benefits of slowing down during colder months
Are you acting like it’s summer during the winter months?
That’s what TikTok users have been asking as conversations about slowing down during the winter are going viral.
For instance, TikTok creator Alex Mazerolle, a New York yoga instructor, posted a video on Jan. 3 referring to a chat with a friend. She asked him, “Are you acting like it’s summer when it’s winter?”
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“I was just thinking of how much we deny ourselves of our winter,” she said in the video, which so far has more than one million views.
“We think we need to be like summer all the time.”
Mazerolle went on to detail how people are expected to be rested after time off for the holidays — “if you were lucky” — and then jump into a reset in the New Year.
“I want to remind you that winter just started,” she said.
“Right now is the time for dreaming, going within, resting and taking it slow.”
When we act as if it’s summer all the time, one expert said, “we deny our bodies a much-needed interlude.” (iStock)
In an email exchange with Fox News Digital, Mazerolle reiterated that winter is a time of “rest and reflection.”
“If we look to nature, we see that the days are shorter, we experience less light and many animals are hibernating,” she said. “All of this points to conserving our energy and getting rest for the seasons ahead.”
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When we act as though it’s summer all the time, she added, “we deny our bodies a much-needed interlude.”
“Staying busy, productive and social may be beneficial for some folks year-round, but in my experience, taking a break from our fast-paced lives is essential,” Mazerolle said.
The yoga instructor acknowledged that this may be difficult for some people, since society puts “a lot of emphasis on ‘doing’ versus ‘being.’”
Winter is a time of “rest and reflection,” a yoga instructor told Fox News Digital. (iStock)
“To me, wintering means slowing down, and when we slow down, we often have to face what we have been distracting ourselves from,” she said. “This could look like difficult emotions, feeling guilty for not doing enough or actually coming to terms with physical and/or mental burnout.”
“Right now is the time for dreaming, going within, resting and taking it slow.”
“Many of us would rather pretend it’s summer all the time instead of getting still enough to be present with what’s happening inside of us,” Mazerolle went on. “I call it ‘tending to our inner landscape.’”
Other creators tackled the same concept, including CTA-certified life coach Sarah Welch (@selfexperimenting), who posted a video on Jan. 16 that alerted her viewers to “cut themselves some slack.”
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“If you’re somebody who’s been beating themselves up because you’re not being as productive, you’re not seeing your friends as much, you’ve put on a little bit of weight, or you feel like you’re constantly exhausted, give yourself a little bit of grace,” she said in the video, which has been viewed more than three million times.
The Kentucky-based coach, whose focus is self-discovery and personal growth, told Fox News Digital via email that seasonal changes can impact “mood and energy.”
“Understanding how nature’s cycles affect us enables us to make sense of our behaviors and feelings,” she said.
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“This awareness leads to a deeper respect both for ourselves and the environment, recognizing its significant role in shaping our lives.”
Relaxation during the winter is “essential,” Welch said, as it “aligns with the body’s natural rhythm.”
A certified life coach said that “understanding how nature’s cycles affect us enables us to make sense of our behaviors and feelings.” (iStock)
“This period of rest is crucial for mental and physical rejuvenation,” she said. “It’s a time for reflecting, healing and conserving energy.”
“Additionally, the winter season often brings about a sense of calm and quietude, offering an ideal backdrop for relaxation and self-care activities,” Welch added.
“We underestimate how profoundly light affects all aspects of our health, our functioning and our sleep.”
Allowing yourself to relax during the winter could lead to “improved well-being, greater productivity and a more balanced lifestyle once the more active seasons return,” the life coach said.
Dr. Wendy Troxel, a Utah-based sleep expert and senior behavioral scientist at the RAND Corporation, pointed out that we live in a “chronically sleep-deprived society.”
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“About one-third of adults regularly don’t get enough sleep,” she said in an interview with Fox News Digital. “And a much larger percentage, about 70%, regularly don’t get good quality sleep.”
Winter should be a time to prioritize sleep, Troxel said, but added that it goes “beyond the season.”
Dr. Wendy Troxel, senior behavioral scientist at RAND Corporation, is the author of “Sharing the Covers: Every Couple’s Guide to Better Sleep” and the scientific adviser for SleepFoundation.org. (Diane Baldwin)
“We need to change our attitudes about sleep more broadly,” she said.
Data supports the benefits of slowing down in the winter to accommodate major changes, Troxel noted, including less light exposure.
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“Human beings are truly creatures of light, and we underestimate how profoundly light affects all aspects of our health, our functioning and our sleep,” she said.
The expert recommended “having some grace with oneself” and recognizing that you may need more sleep during this season.
Less sunlight in a day can help facilitate earlier bedtimes, she noted — “that tendency to want to hibernate in the winter can be facilitated by the fact that it’s dark out at night.”
An expert encouraged people to seek out available treatments for seasonal depression or fatigue. (iStock)
Quality of sleep is just as important as quantity, however, noted Troxel.
While some people may feel more fatigued by the lack of sunlight and colder weather, excessive sleep may not always be beneficial in the long run.
“Although there might be a tendency to want more sleep in the winter, the quality of that sleep sometimes suffers,” she said.
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“We want to line up the strategies that will also support good sleep quality, so that doesn’t mean catching sleep wherever you can or sleeping in excessively.”
For those who are struggling with low energy in the winter, Troxel suggested increasing exposure to light by getting outside in the morning or investing in artificial methods like light boxes.
A sleep expert emphasized the importance of light exposure to boost energy levels. (iStock)
Rather than focusing on “winter” and “summer” versions of themselves, Troxel encouraged people to find a way to “recharge their battery” throughout the year and recognize the effects of light on their bodies, brains and behavior.
“So, have some grace with oneself, but … I think we need to recognize the mechanisms that are influencing those changes seasonally and try to find strategies to cope with that,” she said.
Some energy-boosting strategies include social interactions, physical activity and enjoyable activities and hobbies, Troxel suggested.
“That might mean taking time for oneself and engaging in self-care,” she said. “But I would say we need to think about that throughout the year. It’s not just a seasonal thing.”
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Research continues to uncover new details on how fasting may help extend life.
A new study published in the journal Nature Communications investigated how intermittent fasting can boost longevity in small worms often used in aging research.
Researchers from the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center in Dallas compared worms that were fed normally to those that underwent a 24-hour fast in early adulthood and were then fed again, according to a press release.
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The scientists measured a variety of factors, including stored fat, gene activity related to fat metabolism and lifespan.
The results showed that the life-boosting benefit did not depend on the fasting itself but on the body’s behavior after eating again.
Experts say sustainability is key when choosing a long-term weight-loss strategy. (iStock)
Study lead Peter Douglas, associate professor of molecular biology and a member of the Hamon Center for Regenerative Science and Medicine at UT Southwestern, suggested that these discoveries “shift the focus toward a neglected side of the metabolic coin – the re-feeding phase.”
“Our data suggest that the health-promoting effects of intermittent fasting are not merely a product of the fast itself, but are dependent on how the metabolic machinery recalibrates during the subsequent transition back to a fed state,” he said.
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“Our findings bridge a gap between lipid metabolism and aging research,” he added. “By targeting aging, the single greatest risk factor for human disease, we move beyond treating isolated conditions toward a preventive model of medicine that enhances quality of life for all individuals.”
Lauri Wright, director of nutrition programs at the University of South Florida’s College of Public Health, called this a “high-quality” study that adds an “important nuance to how we think about fasting and longevity.”
Intermittent fasting typically involves limiting meals to an eight-hour daily window or fasting every other day. (iStock)
The benefits of the refeeding phase after fasting were “especially interesting,” Wright, who was not involved in the study, told Fox News Digital.
“The researchers showed that longevity was linked to the body’s ability to turn off fat breakdown after fasting, allowing cells to restore energy balance,” she reiterated.
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“From a scientific standpoint, that’s a meaningful shift because it suggests fasting is not just about burning fat, but about metabolic flexibility.”
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Fasting may support longevity through triggering metabolic switching, enhancing cellular repair and stress resistance and improving markers like insulin sensitivity, research shows.
Limitations and cautions
Although this study provides “important insight” on the power of refeeding, Wright noted that the findings should be approached with caution, as the study was done on worms and cannot always be translated to humans.
“Additionally, it explains how a process might work in a controlled lab condition rather than real-world eating behaviors,” she added as a limitation. “Finally, the study is short-term and doesn’t give us the long-term translation on lifespan outcomes.”
The review found intermittent fasting was barely more effective than doing nothing, according to the study authors. (iStock)
Wright cautioned that fasting is “not a magic solution for longevity, and how you eat overall matters more than when you eat.”
“I advise, first and foremost, to focus on diet quality, including a variety of fruits and vegetables, healthy fats and minimally processed foods,” she said.
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For those who are considering fasting, it’s better to stick with a moderate plan — like a 12- to 14-hour overnight fast — rather than going to extremes, Wright said. After fasting, she recommends focusing on well-balanced meals.
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Several groups of people should be cautioned against fasting, according to Wright, including those with diabetes who are on insulin or hypoglycemic medications, those who are pregnant or breastfeeding, anyone with a history of eating disorders and older adults at risk of malnutrition.
Anyone considering intermittent fasting should consult with a doctor before starting.
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More than three million people travel to undergo cosmetic surgery each year, statistics show — but the potential savings come at a cost.
Most people opting to pursue this so-called “medical tourism” are chasing budget-friendly price tags.
International surgeries, such as hair transplants in Turkey, can cost as little as $4,000 to $5,000 compared to $20,000 to $30,000 in the U.S., but often come with extreme risks, according to board-certified plastic surgeon Dr. Sheila Nazarian of California.
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The doctor recently joined Lisa Brady on the “The FOX News Rundown” podcast to discuss the rising trend of medical tourism. One of the biggest risks, she said, is the lack of safety regulations in popular destinations like Mexico and Turkey.
As demand spikes in these medical tourism “mills,” there have been reports of non-medically trained staff performing procedures like hair transplants.
Most people opting to pursue “medical tourism” are chasing budget-friendly price tags. (iStock)
“I’ve heard that they [international clinics] are even recruiting people who maybe were taxi drivers and then putting them through their own training program … to become hair transplant technicians,” Nazarian said. “That’s how high the demand has become.”
In the U.S., medical school graduates are granted a “physician and surgeon” license, which means doctors — including pediatricians or OB-GYNs — can legally perform cosmetic surgeries, even if they didn’t receive specialized training for those procedures during residency, Nazarian noted.
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Instead of pinching pennies, the doctor recommended paying whatever amount is necessary to ensure quality treatment.
“People think of it as, you know, going to the mall. … It’s surgery, and surgery has risks,” she said. “You need to be with someone who not only can perform a beautiful surgery, but who can handle possible complications well.”
“You need to ask them: ‘What was your residency training in? And if you wanted to, would you be allowed to do this procedure in a hospital?’”
Aftercare is another critical factor in the success and safety of a cosmetic procedure, as the doctor emphasized that 20% of a surgical result depends on post-operative care.
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This can be difficult or even impossible to manage when a doctor is in a different time zone, she cautioned, or if the clinic disappears shortly after the procedure.
Nazarian also noted the importance of addressing the psychological component of plastic surgery, noting that no procedure will fix underlying unhappiness. The doctor said she uses screening questionnaires to ensure that patients are truly seeking self-improvement rather than a “cure” for deeper issues.
International surgeries, such as hair transplants in Turkey, can cost as little as $4,000 to $5,000 compared to $20,000 to $30,000 in the U.S., but often come with extreme risks. (iStock)
“If you’re not already generally very content with your life, a knife in my hand is not going to bring you there,” Nazarian said.
“The analogy I always give is you don’t want a paisley couch — you want a neutral couch and you can put paisley pillows on it,” she said, noting that a procedure should “make you look normal, God-given, athletic. And then you can change your clothes when the trends come and go.”
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Samuel Golpanian, M.D., a double board-certified plastic surgeon in Beverly Hills, said he has also seen an increasing number of patients undergoing cosmetic procedures abroad, sometimes with “devastating consequences.”
“The key is being extremely careful before embarking on this journey.”
“I’ve seen a wide range of complications, including infections, poor wound healing, significant scarring and tissue necrosis (skin death),” he told Fox News Digital. “These complications often lead to prolonged pain, ongoing medical problems, and significant additional costs to repair the damage.”
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Golpanian said he’s treated patients who received unsafe or non-medical-grade injectable materials, which can lead to serious long-term health issues.
One surgeon said he’s treated patients who received unsafe or non-medical-grade injectable materials, which can lead to serious long-term health issues. (iStock)
“I’ve also seen damage to underlying structures, asymmetry and results that are extremely difficult — sometimes impossible — to correct.”
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“That said, I’ve also seen some good outcomes, so it’s not all bad,” he noted. “The key is being extremely careful before embarking on this journey.”
Quick tips for safe ‘medical tourism’
Fully vet the surgeon. “Most surgeons will provide information about their education and training, but it’s important not to accept these claims at face value,” Golpanian said. “Verify them directly by contacting the institutions where they trained.”
Ask for references from prior patients. Ideally, it’s best to get references from U.S.-based patients who can speak candidly about both their experience and their results, the surgeonsaid.
Think beyond the cost. Golpanian emphasized the adage “you get what you pay for.” “Cost should take a back seat to experience, training, judgment and proven results,” he advised.
Be cautious about relying on before-and-after photos. These can be selective or even enhanced, Golpanian warned.
Keep aftercare in focus. “Make sure the practice emphasizes comprehensive follow-up care and has a clear, realistic post-operative plan in place.”
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