Shift in Season

It's October first and Fall could not make it presence better known than with a cool blustery day. There's a lightness to it all, but it reminds us that there is a winter up ahead. As the end of the year begins to draw near, the shift in season from Summer to Fall usually brings shifts in routines, attitudes and feelings.

LiveWell is focusing on Emotional Wellness this week so in light of the colder days and longer nights, I encourage you to embrace this new season with positivity and a sense of renewal. The return to school or fall must not be a dreary one. Things are constantly changing and so do we right along with them.

Here are 5 ways you can lift yourself up and prevent any kind of emotional funk.

1) Exercise. The next time you're feeling down, get up and dance! Play one of your favorite songs, sing-a-long, play your air guitar & get your body moving! Run around the block, or just take a walk and enjoy the new Fall weather. Emotions don't just happen to us, we DO them. Lift your chin and lift your spirits. Plus no one was ever sad dancing like no one was watching.

2) Smile. Fake it 'till you make it. Life gets in the way sometimes. I know. It happens. Something falls out of whack and throws you off and you have no clue how to deal. Relax. Just smile and tell yourself that everything will work out (because it always does). Chances are you'll start laughing at yourself before you remember whatever was giving you a reason to frown in the first place!

3) Acknowledge how you feel & accept it. Many times our emotions get the best of us because we're trying so hard to ignore them. This just makes it worse. Emotions come and go, but we continue to be the same people. You are not your thoughts. You are not your emotions. Spend a few minutes meditating and don't try to overanalyze how you feel or why you feel a certain way. Just allow yourself to feel it. Accept the moment in its purest form. It is what it is.

4) Read a good book. When was the last time you read something of real interest to you (other than music)? We're all so engrossed in our music studies that sometimes we forget we had other hobbies and interests outside of that. Go to the library. Go to a bookstore. Get some coffee or tea and cuddle up with your favorite sweater or blanket. Get lost and get inspired.

5) Sleep. The human body is an amazing creation. We put it through massive amounts of physical, mental, and emotional stress on a daily basis (and we wonder why we get sick) and still it comes through for us. When we're cranky or emotional, chances are we just need a good nap. Seriously, when was the last time you slept 8 hours every night for even three or four days in a row let alone a whole week? Give your body some rest, and the other stuff will take care of itself.


Happy Monday.
❤

"Try not to spend too much time exclusively in your mind. It is a magnificent tool, but it has a limited perspective." ~ Neale Donald Walsch, author of 'Conversations With God'