Who turned out the lights?

It’s that time of year again!

Are you feeling it already?  I know I am!  It is already so much harder for me to get out of bed in a morning now that I have to do it in the dark every day.

Autumn inevitably brings with it shortening daylight hours and for some people (myself included) this can have a heavy impact on our energy, mood and motivation.

And do you know what? – The world would have us believe that there is something wrong with us for being impacted.

We are sold the story of needing to be in some kind perpetual summer state by our society.  We always need to be switched on, and we always need to be sociable, and we always need to be producing blah, blah, blah.

The fact of the matter is though, that this is just a story.  And, when we take a look at the rest of nature (which, in case you hadn’t heard, we are a part of), no other living beings on the planet spend their lives in a perpetual state of switched on, high energy production!

So, what if there were a different story that we could subscribe to?  Why not try this one for size and see how it fits for you…

We are living beings, on a living planet, whose energy ebbs and flows according to the rhythms of nature.  We are impacted by the seasons, and autumn and winter will trigger us into a lower energy, needing to rest state which is perfectly natural.

This is designed to encourage us to take up some space for rest and regeneration so that we can return to a more energetic, creative position once the spring meets us with some more light again.

The trouble is, that we also live in the human world which expects us to ignore this, so what can you do to help yourself navigate through this world whilst also looking after yourself?

Try some of these out and see how you get on:

• Make time for rest – it is not lazy to rest, you absolutely need it in order to function well. And when I say make time, I mean literally schedule it into your calendar.  You are more likely to do it if you make an appointment with yourself to rest than if you just try to squeeze it in around the edges.
• Plan in gentle activity into each day – although our energy levels are low, our minds and bodies do need some stimulation in order to stay healthy.
• Set good boundaries – get realistic about what your energy levels will and won’t permit you to achieve and start saying no to things.  Both work and personal things should be on this list, it’s about striking the right balance between what is most important to you in work and home life.
• Stay connected – human connection is essential for our wellbeing and can also become less frequent in the darker months when our motivation levels are low.  Make sure to plan in some space for connection, at least on a weekly basis, if not more frequently if you can manage it.  Don’t forget you need to balance this with your need for rest too though.
• Top up your batteries – alongside rest you also need to be engaging with things which top up your energy stores.  Activities such as reading a good book, gentle exercise, meditation, and going for a walk all fall into this camp if you need some ideas, but it is far from an exhaustive list.  Work out what are the things that make you feel most energised and do them regularly.
• Get outside every day – yes, even when it’s raining.  As I’ve already said, you are a living creature which is part of a wider eco-system.  You absolutely need some time outdoors with access to daylight and open air in order to thrive.  If you want to try something new – get out to see as many sunrises as you can.  Let’s face it autumn/winter is the best time to do this, it’s not like you have to get up especially early.
• Use light to wake you up – talking about light, our bodies can respond really badly to being startled awake by loud noise, particularly when it is still dark because this signals danger to our primitive nervous systems.  Consider investing in a light alarm clock which wakes you gently with a gradually increasing light which gets to its brightest point just before the audible alarm sounds.
• Make some space in your home for nesting and hunkering down.  When the weather is miserable outside it is really comforting to hunker down and nest.  Think cosy sofas, fluffy blankets, activities which encourage connection with others, equally activities which support rest, nice smells, warm drinks, warming and nutritious meals – I think you get the picture.

This is just a small start for ways you can be looking after yourself.

Equally, if you’re thinking about seeking support to look after yourself better but are not sure where to start, email me at rachel@ramblingpsychotherapist.co.uk to book a free consultation and lets have a chat about whether we’d be a good fit to work together.