Seasonal Affective Disorder...Does the Weather Control Your Emotions?

This is about the time of year that therapists call "the busy season." This is especially busy for me in New England, as once the weather gets colder and the leaves start to turn, so also do people's emotional state.

Its such an amazing conundrum, and I marvel at how many people feel really down this time of year. This sort of thing is referred to here as "Seasonal Affective Disorder." Its a fancy way of saying people's moods change with the seasons.

Do you fit in this category? Do the seasons change and suddenly you find your moods changing as well? What do you do about it? How do you manage your feelings?

It might be good to ask yourself "How much power am I giving to the weather?" Think about this. The weather is in the pile of stuff you can't control, and yet, you hand over your emotional state to this immovable force. Sounds kind of silly when you think about it, but it really is a big deal for a lot of people.

If this is you, ask yourself what changes with the weather other than the weather. You're still you, and no matter what your situation is, you still control you, which means your emotional state and thoughts.

Change is part of life, and seasons are part of change. I encourage you to think about how you can adjust to this change, and still move forward regardless of what the seasons hold for us.

www.NewHopeCounselingOnline.com

Things Not Going Your Way...Even for a Counselor!

I go on a lot about things not going your way, and how to handle it.

Then something didn't go my way today, and I really felt the burn of disappointment. I tried all the methods I could to try to reduce being upset, but I just couldn't shake it. Something was up.

I realized it takes a bit more dedication to practice what you preach when things don't go your way. As I sat and took a deep breath, I realized that all the things I was upset about were things I couldn't control...at least not right now.

It took me a bit to manage the problem, but I was finally able to refocus.

I guess my point is, despite all my training and knowledge and whatnot, even I have my off days. I think the key was to not let the rest of the day escape me because something didn't go my way earlier that day.

And it didn't. Life went on, and so did I. Its like going over a speed bump. When you go over it, its unpleasant, but you don't stay on the bump, you keep moving.

www.NewHopeCounselingOnline.com