On 22 September we reached the Autumn equinox and this marks quite a significant change in the days. On that day both day and night are equal in length and from then onwards the days get shorter and the nights get longer.
For many years it was a time of year I used to dread. That first feeling of a chill in the morning air, the dew on the ground, mist, mushrooms and spiders' webs. It was the harbinger of dark and cold.
My internal dialogue used to go a bit like this:
The days are shorter
The nights are longer
Hello misery
It's colder.
The flowers die.
It's the season of death
The *spiders arrive...
Well- I certainly used to feel that way until I re-framed the whole thing in a very different way.
Re-framing is a classic coaching and N.L.P. technique and some of us do it naturally very well.
It was possibly the idea that Autumn and Winter were necessary for Spring and Summer to happen that moved me to be more embracing of the cooler seasons. The plants and trees need a break. They need time to root down and settle in and make a solid base for next year.
Aha! There it was. The idea of putting down roots and establishing a solid base was an idea I could take on and use. This was what Autumn was for. A rest. Or rather a change in pace and direction and that felt more acceptable.
The idea that Autumn and Winter were necessary for Spring and Summer to happen moved me to be more embracing of the cooler seasons.
Once I'd decided it was only fair to give Spring and Summer a rest for all the hard work of display and bloom, I noticed things differently. The spiders webs and dew drops took on more of a magical quality. The golden afternoon light of autumn is really beautiful. And of course the sun still shines and you can still have glorious blue skies in Autumn and Winter.
Just in case you don't re-frame things and change your mind in the time it takes to read this blog (quite possible!) here are a few other mood busting ideas.
Mood Busting Tips:
Get outside. I know you don't want to but do it anyway, because just a short time outside in the air will do you some good. Oh I hear you - I live in a city. I don't live anywhere near rolling hills and forests. Still do it. Change the environment you're in and get the blood moving around your body.
Look at the colours and shapes changing. Developing a keen sense of observation is a great way to help. Look outwardly instead of inwardly. Plants and trees start to take on a more structural and architectural quality than before.
Instead of focussing on what you are missing, think of what you have now. Be it seasonal fruit or time to relax or even an early night!
Wear something that cheers you. I'm not one to be handing out fashion advice here but if you wear clothes in a colour that makes you feel good it has a remarkably positive effect.
And finally...Is it just me, or is there something strangely comforting about exchanging flip flops or bare feet for socks and boots?
After note:
*If the picture has you running to grab a broom and feeling decidedly queasy and uncomfortable do get in touch. N.L.P. can be amazingly helpful in reducing phobias...
I must credit John Keats for his line from 'To Autumn' - find the poem here