cloudy day coping
T’is the season
If you’re sensitive to environmental changes — this time of year in the Northern hemisphere often brings on shifts in mood and a drop in overall level of get-up-and-go as well. Grey skies, short daytime hours, rain and snow — some people thrive in the cold, but others tend to need a little bit more help adjusting.
Beginning inklings of a shift in your state of being…
Sluggish, less energetic in general
More desire to sleep in or take naps
Noticing an increase in anxious or negative thought patterns
Withdrawing, not wanting to go out or be social
Sometimes, this could create a negative loop, where you’re noticing you’re not feeling as good or energetic — your brain then thinks it’s a problem (registers it as a threat) and tries to fix it. If your usual coping mechanism is pushing through, doing more, fixing, you may feel an increased level of anxiety if your body just doesn’t seem to want to co-operate. And now you’re feeling even more exhausted and anxious!
What’s the way out of this negative loop?
Unconditional acceptance of your human body
Accept that we, too, are part of nature, and that any mood and physiological changes this time of year is a natural response to seasonal change. In Chinese Medicine, winter signals a time to turn inwards and restore, rejuvenate, and replenish the store of Yang energy.
Yet, the ego doesn’t like change, prefers us to be linear, constantly productive, constantly growing. This part of us could be responsible for interpreting cues of ‘slowing down’ as ‘not okay, not safe, not good’.
On a basic level, most of us have been completely indoctrinated with capitalist beliefs, especially us city-dwellers — we’re taught that our worth is measured by dollars and productivity. Having experienced any kind of insecurity around money and resources can also contribute to a grinding sense of rarely feeling safe enough to truly slow down and rest.
That specific belief system is a tricky one, and takes time to really explore and unravel, but in the meantime, why not begin to take back your power through some radical self-care?
Nurture yourself
Now, more than ever, is a perfect time to practice self-compassion and nurturing self-talk. Noticing that you’re pushing yourself hard? Putting pressure on yourself? ‘Ugh, why am I so lazy’ Being hard on yourself for ‘not being productive’? If you’re able to notice and disrupt that, that’s great — you’re building awareness and consciousness.
See if you can follow any negative thought with a positive, affirming one ‘it’s okay, I’m just feeling a little blue right now, I’m going to allow myself to take my time today.’ Try to introduce some warmth and softness into your life — a mug of your favorite tea, wearing your favorite scent, making a nourishing meal, staying cozy with a beloved sweater or putting on some mood music.
Work with yourself
Feel like sleeping in a little? Going to bed early? Is an hour of work all you can deal with today? Flip the internal script by noticing that you have access to this flexibility, and own your choice. 'You know what, instead of forcing myself and being miserable, I’m going to choose to enjoy this down time / go to bed early / sleep in — without beating myself up for it.’
Getting to know your ego
The ego is loudest any time it thinks we’re being threatened in some way — including emotional threats in the form of beliefs like: ‘I’m not worthy / successful unless I can keep going, keep producing, keep giving, all of the time’. Notice how this ego desire often tends to run rampant and trample over your bodily cues the moment it’s triggered.
Explore a little — what happens when you do relent and allow your body to rest? What narrative comes up for you? Any narrative that’s loud, unrelenting, and feels completely, unquestionably true despite running you ragged and leaving you exhausted could be something worth exploring and untangling — for the sake of your overall well-being.
This post and all others on this website are meant for a general audience and cannot replace medical and/or mental health advice from a licensed professional.
