As yet another spell of warm weather and record temperatures kick in, I have found myself at times overwhelmed by the heat and humidity the recent weather has delivered. I'm sure I am not alone in wishing for some respite, and longing for those cold and chilly winter days when the sun shines and we see our breath in the freezing air. Wanting to be somewhere else rather than in the present moment is something we all struggle with at various times, especially when other aspects of our lives are also challenging and fraught with anxiety and stress. Stopping to assess where we are, and what might be a better option feels impossible, and we carry on muddling through, or even worse, making things even more difficult and stressful. This is where a safe space, sitting down and talking through your concerns, might be an option to consider.
With the summer holidays in full flow this tends to be one of those times of the year when we get a chance to take stock of our lives, whether that be when on vacation or just having a walk in nature. What's particularly interesting is our sense of how we are feeling about our lives and where we are in relation to our own expectations, and if we're honest, how we compare to others. Are we living up to the standards set by ourselves, and others, or do we feel in some way we are not quite where we want to be, whatever that might mean for you. I'd love to say, even though I suspect you wouldn't thank me if I could, that I have found contentment and that magic feeling of all is well with the world and my life within it. I haven't, but what I can say is I am closer now than ever before to a realisation of what, for me at least, makes a good life and what I might do to improve my situation.
Retraining as a therapist has helped me to see the world with a new and revitalised perspective, something I feel very grateful for, and my wish is to do all I can to help others who feel disconnected, frustrated, and ill at ease with their current predicamant. That's where therapy can really help, not to coach you through your problems and come up with neatly packaged solutions, that we can all agree, might not be realistic or within our means, but to offer that other essential ingredient that makes up part of that sense of well-being and acceptance, hope. Hope for things to improve, hope for whatever you are going through to be fully understood by another, without judgement and advice. Hope that there is a very tangible and real prospect we might understand and improve our lives, and in a way that feels realistic, connected and true to ourselves. Just like the summer, where growth and nature come to the fore and blossom and bloom abound, we too, with a nurturing and supportive environment, can begin to make tentative steps forward and in doing so find some contentment and peace, living a more meaningful life and being more accepting of ourselves and others.
Enjoy the summer!
Mark