Hello, hello friends,
As the leaves begin their graceful fall, we move towards November, a transformative season for many of our bodies, our emotions as well as the world around us. It is a season of change, marked by falling leaves, cooler temperatures, and the approach of the holiday season. For many, the start of fall can be a challenging period, filled with emotional turbulence. Personally, I am still adjusting to the loss of my best friend and father in August this year. As I adjust to life without him, I have been thinking about how to honor him as well as my own emotional system. I want to share my thoughts with you, specifically seven ways to navigate mental health changes in the early days of fall.
1. Embrace Changed Grief
Grief is a unique journey for each of us. When we lose someone or something dear to us, it is normal for grief to ebb and flow. As we enter the fall season, it is essential to embrace the changed nature of your grief. Join me in remembering that it is okay to feel sorrow and joy in different moments, even if it feels weird.
2. Explore New Traditions
The fall season brings a chance to create new traditions or adapt to old ones. These rituals can provide comfort and a sense of connection. Together, let's try incorporating seasonal activities like apple or peach picking, cozying up with a good book and some nice music, or crafting to engage your mind and uplift your spirits.
3. Notice How Your Activated
The approaching holidays and the darkening days can bring about heightened anxiety. This is our opportunity to notice what sensations, thoughts, and messages are activated within our bodies and minds. Mindfulness techniques, deep breathing, and documenting (journaling, audio voice, and video) can be your allies in managing these feelings.
4. Address Tensions in Society
We cannot escape the tension that often surrounds us, especially in today's world of lab-made foods, back-to-back deaths, and financial insecurity. Take a step back from the constant news cycle and consider what matters most to you. Let’s engage in constructive discussions and actions that help relieve pressure, feed your soul, and challenge your unconscious beliefs. Make space for new information even if the new information stings a bit.
5. Embrace the Season of Less Light
With shorter days and longer nights, it is common to feel the effects of reduced sunlight. Counteract the lack of light by spending time outdoors during the day, investing in light therapy, or adjusting your sleep schedule to accommodate the season. Also, let the cool natural light fill your space, enjoy the cool kiss of the sun!
6. Connect with Your Support System
Remember that you do not have to navigate these emotions alone. Reach out to your support network, whether it is friends, family, support groups, or a professional. Sometimes, just sharing your feelings can be a tremendous relief. I do not know about you, but it can be scary and lonely in my mind alone, I appreciate my therapist and IFS coach more now than ever before. Who supports you? Get a therapist or coach if you need to. We all can use help from time to time.
7. Practice Self-Compassion
In times of change and emotional disturbance, practicing self-compassion is vital. Be kind to yourself and give yourself grace. Understand that it's okay to not be okay and that healing takes time.
This November let's honor the changing seasons in our lives as well as in nature. Embrace the altered landscape of your emotions, create new traditions, and notice what you internally feel and hear. Join me in using social and professional networks to stretch our beliefs, explore societal tensions, and heal our hurts. Although we have less light, let’s value it and be kind to ourselves.
Family, let’s move gracefully as we navigate the path of fall together. We are stronger than we think, we need each other, AND may we all find inner peace and clarity.
Get support from us at Inner Peace & Clarity Psychotherapy Services, also known as Emotional Upgrade at www.talkwithipcp.com and (240) 406-8127.
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