Pro-tips: Thriving Through Seasonal Chaos

Written By: Britt L. Brown LMT

I don’t know about all of you out there, but my life tends to shift and change with each season, and for whatever reason the shift from Summer into Fall always seems to hit me the hardest. The minute the sun starts rising later and setting earlier, my whole being wants to go into hibernation mode, and I become increasingly envious of the bears in my state the closer we creep toward Winter. Unfortunately for me, I have not yet achieved a work-life balance that allows me to hibernate for four months out of every year, so I’ve had to find creative ways to thrive – even when all I want to do is bury myself under a pile of warm blankets and ignore all of the chaos and drama going on in the world.

Regular Body Maintenance – Body maintenance is a general term I like to use when referring to the things we do to care for our physical bodies. For some of us that looks like going to the gym twice a week, for others that’s getting monthly massage and acupuncture appointments, and some of us feel our best when we have a really rigorous AM and PM hygiene routine. My regular body maintenance routine looks like getting a therapeutic massage for ninety-minutes every two weeks to help keep my muscles in top working condition and reduce my overall anxiety throughout the month and hiking twice a month to feel more connected with the world around me, allow myself time and space to process my emotions through physical activity. This is, of course, in addition to my daily hygiene routine, necessary doctor’s appointments, and my daily walks. Regular body maintenance is essential to my self-love routine because it keeps me feeling healthy and energized, which allows me to continue doing all of the things I need and love to do.

Body Maintenance Homework: Write down three physical activities that bring you joy, look at the availability in your calendar for the upcoming week, and schedule time to engage in one of the three physical activities that bring you joy.

Appreciating the Little Things, A.K.A. Practicing Gratitude – I know I’m not the only one who gets stuck on the “pity pot” on occasion, playing the “woe as me” stories in my head, and ruminating on all of the hard things I’ve been and am currently going through. Life is hard dammit! We just came out of a global pandemic, everyone is stressed out about whether or not they’ll have enough to make ends meet, and I don’t think anyone feels like their tax dollars are doing a thing. It’s so easy to get stuck riding the struggle bus, and to lose track of the good things happening around us every day. That’s why taking time to actively appreciate the good people and moments in my life is so important, it reminds me that the entire world isn’t crap, and that my life is actually pretty freaking awesome. I might not have everything I wish I had – my own home, a car, kids, – but I have a cozy room in a cheap rental in a nice neighborhood that has a little yard for me and my dog to play in, and that’s pretty freaking rad.

Gratitude Homework: Tell one person you know why you genuinely appreciate their presence in your life.

Practicing Mindfulness – Mindfulness practices have been a huge game changer in my life; whether it’s practicing meditation, doing breathwork, or simply sitting with myself and asking “what do I need in this moment?” – practicing mindfulness keeps me grounded. It helps me to be more aware of my emotions and energy levels for the day, and that awareness helps me plan my day better, and use my energy more efficiently, and keeps me from burning out on “adulting”. The added awareness that comes from practicing mindfulness allows me to better regulate my emotions, which means I’m responding more appropriately to stressful situations, and I’m not as likely to jump on the “pity pot” when I’m aware of my low emotions. Being mindful of my energy levels and emotions helps to ensure I’m not over committing myself to social activities or planning too many errands for one day, it helps me be realistic when planning my schedule.

Mindfulness Homework: If you’ve never tried meditating – try it. If you meditate regularly, try to find one new meditation this week that helps you feel energetically grounded. If you’re unsure where to start, I highly recommend the app Insight Timer – it has a wide variety of meditations of varying focuses and lengths, and it’s free to download! Click here to learn more and download Insight Timer.

Eating Well – Eating well looks different for everybody but for my body it looks like eating home-cooked meals as often as possible, avoiding gluten and dairy, and making sure I keep up on my daily multivitamin and vitamin D. When I’m not cooking from home, I still do my best to make healthy choices, and to avoid gluten and dairy where possible. Some days anxiety will steal my appetite, and I’ll only be able to eat a small meal and a few snacks, and that’s where being consistent with my vitamins comes in. My vitamins help to make up the nutrition I occasionally miss out on in my daily diet, and that keeps my body functioning. When we aren’t managing our diets well we might feel sluggish, our brains might feel foggy, and we might feel more irritable than usual or “hangry”.

Eating Well Homework: Cook at least one dish that you know makes your body feel healthy and energized. Here’s a recipe for Hungarian Mushroom Soup my partner and I recently made, we used mushrooms we sustainably foraged from our local forests, and now this soup is a favorite comfort food of mine!

Getting in Touch with Nature – Whether it’s going on a walk around a local park with my dog, hiking with my partner and friends, or going on overnight campouts – I need to connect with nature on a regular basis to maintain my sanity. Being out in nature gives me the time and space I need to process through big emotions and struggles, it reminds me that I’m a part of a greater whole, and that there are some places on this planet where I will always belong. I feel really fortunate to live in a city that truly values its green spaces. I feel like being so close to nature and green spaces on a regular basis has given me a deeper appreciation for the changing seasons, and that keeps me looking forward to each season as it comes. I love that I’m never more than an hour and half away from the ocean, the mountains, lakes, rivers, and that I’m nestled in a valley surrounded by beautiful forests, and I truly feel spoiled by it all.

Getting in Touch with Nature Homework: Go for a walk in the park either by yourself or with a loved one, and take or draw a picture of three things you find to be truly remarkable. Here are a few photos from some hikes I took throughout the year:

At the end of the day, there are a lot of ways to manage your stress levels and ensure you’re thriving through the chaos that seasonal changes bring. While the activities in this article work well for me, they might not be what works best for you, so make sure you’re taking the time to do your own research and asking yourself “what do I really need right now?” Remember – when establishing a self-care routine, it’s important that the routine works well for you and is reasonably easy for you to maintain, because when it comes to self-care, consistency is key!

About the Blogger…

Hey there! My name is Britt, I’ve been working in the lovely state of Oregon as a Licensed Massage Therapist since 2008, and I want to share my knowledge and experience with you! Follow my blog to find awesome self-care tips and learn how you can bring spa-level luxe into your daily routine. Do you have questions about massage therapy, self-care, or about how to book Well-Go tiny spa services for your next event? Be sure to write me an email or leave a comment!

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