Understanding the times and seasons and how they affect your behaviour can help you choose differently in how to cope better with the changing seasons. In this blog I share the coping mechanism tools I use and the ways the season can change behaviour.
How the seasons can affect
It’s well and truly autumn in Scotland and as the leaves show us it’s natural to let go, so does the changing within.
I wrote an article about my morning routine and loads of mums were like omg seriously you do all that before Sebalicious is up!
It works for me…..in the spring and summer, it helps me, but so does listening to my body and not having a ‘must do fixed routine’ which doesn’t flow and flourish.
As a result my yoga in the seasons changes coz tbh if it didn’t it’s not flowing and being realistic with mindset.
Understanding the changing behaviour
You can’t shine in every season there has to be a piece of you that learns to stop, reset, re-energise, reconnect and reevaluate your path.
Its pitch dark at 7am these days, i’m a bear at heart and when the cold weather comes there’s nothing more I wanna do with free time then keep warm, cuddle, create, chill, reset and be. So as a consequence I do yoga at night and sleep til 7am.
My diet changes to winter soups and baked bread, and Warm Puddings are a must. It’s fattening up time for me, of slowing down and looking in, of writing from my heart and really listening in.
With all the chaos that children can bring, there’s a real sense of pulling on the reigns and guiding us home within.
How it used to affect me?
Darkness used to absorb my cells and I’d blame the cold, the dark, the lack of sun for how I felt when realistically I wasn’t in a good place within. It’s out there, fault finding and blaming external factors some of which were out of my control………..like the weather.
What can I really do about it?
Highlighting problems rather than searching for solutions within. Ooooph look in! why? It’s all out there, way to challenging to actually sit and confront my shadow.
Its definitely the most popular route but when you are ready and able to do this and turn your attitude from a can’t fault finding place and act on when asking yourself;
What can I do to help me cope with these challenges better?
When you hold yourself accountable and responsible for the way you feel and acknowledge that it comes from you and can be changed by you, it can be a very powerful, life changing insight.
It’s known as autonomy.
Through choices change can grow.
I can’t answer for you, because your answers are within you.
But I’d like to share what helps me, because some of it may help you, with understanding the times and seasons, to cope better in autumn.
Ways to cope with the seasons changing
My behaviour flows with the season these days because i’ve learnt through experience its best to listen to my body and what it is trying to teach me.
So I;
- Sleep before 11pm
- Alarm changes from 5:30am to 7am
- Upon awakening every light in the flat is turned on
- Keep up a 2 minute cold shower
- Yoga and meditation mostly at night
- Listen to lectures
- Limit TV
- Write more poetry
- Take winter vitamins
- Eat more soups
- Make it mandatory to do one hot yoga class a week, (medicine for my body in the colder, darker seasons.)
Seasonal affective disorder changing mindset
I do not deny SAD (seasonal affective disorder) isn’t real, I acknowledge the difference in feeling and how it can create much sadness and depression for many with a lack of light and sun, especially if you’re not in your best place mentally.
I’ve been there, it still affects my body and mind the difference though is my attitude towards it and the coping mechanisms I now understand, support me to be the best version of me in these months.
I can’t change the weather but I can sure as hell change my thought process through understanding the times and seasons and learn how they affect my behaviour and what i need to do to help me be my best.
Try to remember there can be something really beautiful ready to shine from darkness, if you can sit still and listen in.
Can you flow with the seasons and listen to what you need in each, and learn from what they are trying to teach you?
This post may contain affiliate links which means I may make a small commission at no extra cost to you. I only promote products I love and feel will benefit my readers.