How to Stay Well Through the Seasons with Traditional Chinese Medicine

We tend to think of wellness as something static — a checklist of habits or routines that, once built, should just keep working. But Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) offers a different lens. It sees the body not as a machine to optimise, but as a living system constantly responding to its environment — including the seasons.

In TCM, each season carries its own energetic qualities. Your body feels those shifts — even if you’re not consciously tracking them. Maybe it’s harder to fall asleep in summer. Or you feel heavy and slow in late summer humidity. Or your digestion gets sluggish as the days grow colder. These aren’t random. They’re messages. And learning to respond to them is where seasonal wellness begins.

This blog shares how TCM views the seasons — and how you can support your health with simple, natural strategies. No magic formulas. Just a deeper way of paying attention.

Why TCM Takes the Seasons Seriously

In TCM, the seasons influence how Qi (your body’s vital energy) flows. Each season is associated with a specific organ system, element, and set of emotions — all of which impact your physical and emotional health.

Spring = Liver
Summer = Heart
Late Summer = Spleen
Autumn = Lung
Winter = Kidney

This framework isn’t just poetic. It’s practical. When you understand which systems are “in charge” during each season, you can shift your habits — sleep, food, movement — to support your body more intentionally.

Spring: Growth, Frustration, and the Liver

Organ system: Liver
Element: Wood
Emotional theme: Frustration, irritability, tension

Spring is a time of upward energy — a natural push toward growth. In TCM, the Liver governs this movement. It keeps Qi flowing smoothly and supports emotional regulation, digestion, and even menstrual health.

But when Liver Qi is stuck — something that can easily happen in modern life — it can show up as:

• Irritability

• PMS

• Bloating

• Tension headaches

• Tight muscles

To support Liver energy in spring:

• Move your body daily — walking, stretching, or dancing.

• Eat lightly: lots of leafy greens, citrus, and warm cooked foods.

• Try acupuncture to help regulate Qi and reduce stress. Studies (e.g. Zhang et al., 2021, Frontiers in Neuroscience) have shown that acupuncture reduces HPA axis reactivity and supports emotional balance.

Summer: Joy, Heat, and the Heart

Organ system: Heart
Element: Fire
Emotional theme: Joy (or restlessness)

Summer is expansive and bright. In TCM, it’s linked to the Heart, which governs both your blood and your Shen (spirit or mental clarity). It’s a time for connection, warmth, and activity. But excess heat (external or internal) can create insomnia, anxiety, or skin flare-ups.

Support your Heart energy by:

• Getting enough rest (even in long daylight hours).

• Eating cooling foods: cucumbers, mint, watermelon, and chrysanthemum tea.

• Protecting your nervous system from burnout. Acupuncture has been shown to modulate parasympathetic activity and reduce anxiety symptoms (Li et al., 2022, Frontiers in Neuroscience).

Late Summer: Digestion, Dampness, and the Spleen

Organ system: Spleen
Element: Earth
Emotional theme: Worry, overthinking

Late summer — that heavy, humid, end-of-August feeling — belongs to the Spleen in TCM. The Spleen supports digestion, focus, and the transformation of food into usable energy.

When it’s under strain (which often happens with raw/cold foods, sugar, or stress), symptoms might include:

• Bloating

• Fatigue

• Brain fog

• Heaviness in the limbs

Ways to support Spleen energy:

• Focus on warm, easy-to-digest meals (soups, grains, steamed veggies).

• Avoid cold drinks straight from the fridge.

• Be mindful of overworking — mental and physical.

• Acupuncture has been found to improve gastrointestinal motility and absorption (Yu, 2020, World Journal of Gastroenterology).

Autumn: Grief, Boundaries, and the Lungs

Organ system: Lung
Element: Metal
Emotional theme: Grief, letting go

Autumn asks us to start turning inward. The Lung governs breath, immunity, and skin — and also our ability to let go of what we no longer need.

To support Lung energy:

• Breathe deeply — even 5 slow breaths at your desk.

• Keep the chest warm in colder mornings.

• Include white foods like pears, radishes, and almonds.

• Research suggests acupuncture can regulate inflammatory pathways tied to asthma and respiratory conditions (Hu et al., 2021, Annals of Palliative Medicine).

Winter: Stillness, Reserves, and the Kidneys

Organ system: Kidney
Element: Water
Emotional theme: Fear, resilience

Winter draws us into rest. The Kidney system in TCM is said to store our deepest reserves — our Jing (essential energy). It’s also tied to bones, hearing, fertility, and aging.

In colder months, we protect this system by:

• Prioritising rest.

• Keeping the lower back and feet warm.

• Eating mineral-rich broths and stews.

• Acupuncture in winter can be especially restorative — helping to regulate the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal axis (Wang et al., 2023, Front Mol Neurosci).

So... What Does Seasonal Wellness Actually Look Like?

Here’s the thing: You don’t need to memorise all of this.

Seasonal wellness isn’t another checklist. It’s a practice of tuning in — asking, “What feels off lately?” and responding with support.

That might look like:

• Scheduling acupuncture when you feel extra restless or heavy.

• Swapping your green smoothies for porridge in late summer.

• Taking a slower pace as winter nears — and not feeling guilty about it.

This is what I work with in my practice every day — helping clients adjust their care to meet the season they’re living in, both externally and internally.

If you’re based in Dublin and looking to explore seasonal support through acupuncture, feel free to reach out. I offer acupuncture treatments tailored to the season — and to you.

Final Thoughts

Seasonal wellness isn’t a trend. It’s how your body naturally wants to live — in rhythm, in cycles, in conversation with its environment.

TCM offers us a framework that honours those rhythms — and teaches us to support them. That’s not old wisdom. That’s relevant, real-time care.

If you’re curious about acupuncture in Dublin or Ireland, and want support that evolves with you, you’re in the right place.

Reach out any time to learn more.