Fight 4 Happiness

Would you build a snowman in the heat of summer or go out for the day wearing just shorts in the freezing winter. I certainly wouldn’t. My activities and approach to a day vary depending on my climate.

It got me thinking about seasons of well-being. And how we often beat ourselves up for not achieving our goals when we simply aren’t in the right season. We expect ourselves to consistently deliver the same outcome, consistently feel the same good vibes. But life is not like that. We all experience our ups and downs.

So what might it be like if we understood our seasons and adapted our approach when we recognised we are travelling through them. Here are my emerging seasons and how I am working to make the most of them.

Wellness Winter

When I am having a really tricky day I can feel really stressed, either like I have a thousand questions I have to answer all at once or like I am totally unworthy of anything and everything I do is a failure.

When I find myself in this space I am learning to cut myself some slack. To create space just to be. To try and think about what I need (not what is expected of me) and how I can best achieve it.

I don’t try to stretch myself, I let it go if I don’t manage a jog, I accept it if I can’t make progress through the todo list. I just try to be and to wrap myself up in some wonderful kindness and wait for the weather to improve.

Well-being Spring

This is the season when I can feel things are getting better but perhaps I am not entirely there yet. In this space I try to build myself back up. It could be anything as simple as setting small single actions and ticking them off a list when they are done. Or arranging something nice to do with a friend in a few days time.

In spring I want to gently water those new shoots of well-being so as not to overwhelm them but let them bloom.

Well-being Summer

This is when I am full of love for life. I am flying through everything I want to get done. Life is easy, exciting and and enjoyable. In these seasons I push myself to do more. I challenge myself to step outside of my comfort zone.

This is absolutely the season to enjoy feeling amazing. It’s important when in this space to notice it. It’s so easy to let summer pass us by.

Well-being Autumn.

In this season I can feel a decline in my well-being but I am not yet in the grips of a winter storm. This is where I deploy my big guns to try and gradually slow the decline or to reverse entirely the slip into a bleak winter.

I review all the key well-being activities I undertake. I try to improve my sleep, I will look at what I am eating or drinking, I will seek out connection with friends. I actually rather enjoy autumn. The ability to recognise and turn around a decline in well-being if very satisfying. It does not always work but just imagine if you turn back the clock to summer.

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I thought when I finished therapy I might not have much left to say, but I do enjoying connecting with all on life. Thank you for all the likes on my previous post. Its nice to know you are there.