Just as the earth moves through seasons, so do we. We are cyclical beings by design, sometimes being called to expend large amounts of energy, pushing towards a short term goal, and other times we are called to rest and recuperate. The value comes from listening closely within to determine when those tides have shifted within us, and responding accordingly with self-compassion and appreciation of the message received. We are now stepping into the autumn season when our internal system often naturally asks us to slow down, conserve, and turn inward. Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) can make these shifts more pronounced, affecting not only mood but also energy, motivation, sleep, and our sense of vitality, particularly during the darker months. Nature offers us a beautiful reminder that changing our pace is not a failure; it is part of the natural life cycle. Watch the animals: some migrate, some hibernate, some grow thicker coats, and others become less active as the environment changes around them. They do not fight the fact that winter is winter. They adjust. There is a time to expend energy and a time to conserve it, preparing the way for the fresh awakening that will eventually come. All things are cyclical, and perhaps part of managing our moods is learning to recognize which season we are in rather than demanding that we feel the same way all year long.
The more we can anticipate change and gently welcome the adjustments it asks of us, the more we can live life on life’s terms. We can learn to participate in collaboration with natural change, rather than feel at the whim of circumstances, caught in chaos and frustration. This does not mean that every change needs to be appreciated, celebrated, or even understood. There is often grief in change, and making room for that grief is part of moving through it gracefully. Acceptance is merely acknowledging what is here. I notice that something is ending. I notice that I miss what was. I notice that I don’t like this change. We don’t have to approve of it to witness its presence. Like the turning of the leaves, the shortening of the days, or the return of light after winter, we can learn to trust that change itself is not the end of the story, the the turn of a page to the next chapter. Mental flexibility is adapting to change in the wild world, both inside and outside of us.
Lauren Robbins, LPCC
