A Diary Where Everything Becomes Material After 60 (On How the Rainy Season Affects the Body)

The rainy season has arrived.

When the rain continues, my body feels somewhat heavy. My head feels foggy. I lack the energy to do anything.

When I was young, I just thought, 'I'm not in the mood because it's raining.' But after turning 60, I've realized it's not just a matter of mood.

My body is reacting honestly to the season.

■ On the Rainy Season and the Body in Your 60s

More people are saying that their heads hurt when the atmospheric pressure drops. I am one of them.

Rather than checking the weather forecast, I've come to know that 'it's low pressure today' by the weight of my own head.

That's convenient in its own way, but it also makes me feel like I've aged.

In the past, I could move around energetically even on rainy days. Now, on rainy days, my body somehow decides, 'Today is a day to take it easy.'

I've stopped fighting it. That might be the change since entering my 60s.

■ The Heart Is Also Pulled by the Seasons

During the rainy season, it's easy for my spirits to feel a bit low.

There's no reason for it. It's not like anything particularly sad has happened. It's just that when I look at the gloomy sky, my mood becomes gloomy too.

I used to think this was just a matter of 'mindset' when I was younger, too.

But now, I think that's fine.

Being energetic on sunny days and feeling somber on rainy days—isn't that just living in harmony with nature?

Since humans are also part of nature, it's natural to be pulled by the seasons. In fact, it might be more unnatural to be able to maintain the same level of energy in all weather conditions.

■ Things You Can Only Do on Rainy Days

When the rainy days continue, I don't feel like going out.

But there is time that is not bad in its own way.

Read books that have been piling up. Drink tea slowly. Practice the guitar. Organize my kimonos.

On sunny days, I feel like I 'have to move' somehow. On rainy days, I feel like it's 'okay to just be'.

I've come to think of that 'it's okay to just be' feeling as a secret gift of the rainy season.

The time spent blankly listening to the sound of rain on the veranda. This is actually quite nice.

■ I asked AI about 'Rainy Season Wellness'

Since days of feeling heavy-bodied continued, I asked AI 'how to keep the body in shape during the rainy season'.

The answer that came back was interesting.

According to Eastern medicine, the rainy season is a season of 'dampness,' and it seems moisture easily accumulates in the body. It says the digestive system is easily affected, and lethargy or loss of appetite can easily occur.

The measures that came up included eating warm things, drinking adlay tea, and moving the body lightly.

The advice to 'refrain from cold things' was unexpected. I thought, even though we are heading into summer, should I not cool myself down too much?

From the next day, I started drinking warm drinks in the morning. I felt like my body became a little more comfortable. It might just be my imagination, but even if it is, that's fine.

■ Practicing not blaming 'poor health'

When I feel the lethargy of the rainy season, I used to blame myself, thinking 'why can't I move?'

There are things to do. I have to move. Yet my body won't move. That gap turned into impatience and guilt.

But lately, I've been trying to think that 'today's body is consulting with today's weather'.

If my body is saying 'take it easy today,' then I take it easy.

That is different from laziness. It means listening to the voices of the season and the body.

Since turning 60, I've been able to hear my body's voice better. The voices I ignored when I was young, I can't ignore now. That is not a bad thing.

■ I love the sky after the rainy season ends

Every year, I think about the sky after the rainy season ends.

I think that blue is only that blue because it has gone through the rainy season.

The sense of liberation when the damp days and the gloomy skies finally clear up all at once.

That is a feeling you cannot experience if it just stays sunny all the time.

Because there are days when I feel unwell, I understand the value of days when I feel good. Because there is rain, the sunshine shines brighter.

If you think of the rainy season as a preparation period for the summer blue sky, you might come to like it a little.

■ Summary

The rainy season is a time of year when the body and mind become honest.

Don't fight it; live in harmony with the seasons. That might be the way to stay healthy in your 60s.

On rainy days, take it slow, just as a rainy day should be.

Looking forward to the sky after the rainy season, I spend today drinking a cup of tea. These days, I think that kind of life is surprisingly good.

[Miyan's Recommended Notes]

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