We are deepening into the autumn season. Daylight savings has ended.
The days are getting cooler, the nights, cold.
As we journey to this darker time of the year we are encouraged to kindle our inner light.
This is as much a metaphor as it is a personal practice.
Winter comes to us all, not just in the cycles and seasons of nature, but through our times of hardship, lack, grief, uncertainty and loss.
In these times as the days are growing darker, we are reminded and encouraged to care for ourselves and find ways to warm our inner spirit for what may lay ahead.
Here are three ways I use (for myself and with my clients) to help us manage changes –
- Practice the pause – taking time throughout the day to stop, take a breath and reposition my body and my thoughts. Getting up from what we’re doing, going outside, grabbing a glass of water, simple things to interrupt busyness. This practice creates more self-awareness and can bring moments of peace in a life’s fast pace.
- Pay attention to our self-talk. Watch out for that critical voice in your head. We often speak to others kindly but can be downright mean to ourselves. Try going gently. Practice accepting yourself and give yourself praise – you’ll be surprised how good it feels.
- Prioritise down time. With busy calendars and demands on areas of day, it can be hard to have time for relaxing. In our house we call these ‘flop days’. They’re often characterised by pyjamas and boiled eggs on toast. When we can’t get a whole day a slow wander through the garden or a chapter in a good novel can suffice.
Looking after ourselves doesn’t have to be another thing to do.
Let’s be like Autumn and slow down, where we can, just a little.
Let’s see the difference small regular self-care practices can make.
To learn more about my Inner Pilgrim program – a five week journey for women who wish to feel more calm, clear and confident as they move through the changes and challenges of mid-life, click here for details.
