Behind the whiteboard # 6 | The signals around us.

This morning I woke up to my alarm. That doesn't happen very often. Most mornings I'm awake before it starts playing its cheerful little tune, but today, it won.

Once I slid it to off, I started thinking about alarms in general. Some alarms are urgent. The smoke alarm going off in the middle of the night definitely gets my attention. Others are much gentler. A reminder that it's time to leave for an appointment, pick up a granddaughter, or a dinner reservation with my sweetheart.

But they all have one thing in common. They're telling me something needs attention.

Winter feels a bit like that. The mornings are dark, leaving work is too. The garden beds are nestled for the winter with their horse poo and mulch covering. The winter sports gear starts making its way back out of garages and cupboards. We reach for a jacket instead of jandals. Everything is dewy and crunchy underfoot, and there seems to be a lot more coughing and sniffling in the classroom.

None of those things are problems. Well okay, maybe the germ spread is. But others are simply reminders that something has changed.

Nature has its own alarm system. Long before winter officially arrives, there are signs everywhere that the season is turning. The leaves drop, the curtains close earlier, the household animals sleep more. The night time temperature plummets and the days shorten. The clues are there to simply notice and prepare.

Our bodies have alarm systems too. Pain is one. So is dizziness, breathlessness, unusual tiredness, a fever, or that nagging feeling that something isn't quite right.

Sometimes these things signal an emergency. Sometimes they're just your body asking for a bit more rest. Either way, they're worth noticing.

One of the things I have learned through first aid is that emergencies rarely appear completely out of nowhere. More often there are signs beforehand. Sometimes they're obvious, sometimes they're subtle, and sometimes they only seem obvious when we look back afterwards.

Winter brings its own set of reminders too. More people spend time on sports fields either playing or watching. Others are out on the slopes. Coughs and colds make their way through homes and workplaces. We think a little more about warm clothing, road conditions, and whether Mum and Dad's house is warm enough. Not because winter is something to fear. Quite the opposite.

Winter is simply another season, and like every season it brings its own reminders, its own challenges, and its own opportunities to prepare.

I suppose that's where my thoughts landed this morning. The alarm clock wasn't warning me about anything dramatic. It was simply reminding me to pay attention and prepare for action.

Maybe winter is doing the same thing.

This month, we're spending some time with the specific alarms winter tends to bring, so we can all be a bit better prepared.

Claire is going to cover managing winter respiratory and breathing emergencies. Meanwhile, on those frosty weekend fields, Nick will be looking at how to prevent winter sports injuries like strains and sprains.

Whether we're watching the intensity of peak performance to the adorable comedy of little ones standing around wondering what to do, a sudden sprint with cold muscles is a prime recipe for injury.

But as a mother who has endured many a freezing Saturday sideline, I also want to ask: "What about me?!" 

While the players are running around, the rest of us are standing still. That’s why Jodie will be sharing exactly what signs of hypothermia in cold weather to look out for. Looking after ourselves in the frost is just as important as looking after the 'athletes'.

Let's keep our ears open to what our bodies and environments are telling us this season.