Spring has Sprung!

I love this time of year! The sun is out (mostly), the streets are filled with people again, and there is a sense that the end of the year (and for most people a break is on the way!).  Its always amazing to me that within such a short space of time, big changes can happen! Almost all of the people I have seen this week have commented that they are feeling much better since the change in the weather!

Of course, there is still people who are feeling sad and down, and the sun coming out doesnt fix that, but it may help with a little bit of motivation! One of the difficulties with low mood and anxiety is that it often leads people to what we describe as 'all or nothing thinking', meaning their brain tells them, "If I cant do x 100%, then there is no point doing it at all". Of course, we all have these thoughts at times (exercise is a particularly good example), but sometimes doing something small to start actually helps to turn this process around. The nice thing about this time of year is that there can be lots of things which will make you feel better without too much effort, for instance going for a 10 min walk after dinner, or taking the dog outside and throwing the ball around.

A good place to start is to think of a goal that you want to work on - for instance getting some more exercise in. Then think of a really small starting place (for instance walking for 5 mins), and try doing that for a couple of days. If it doesnt work, work out what the barriers are? What is stopping you, and whats getting in the way? As you feel comfortable in doing something, you will find that you will soon be doing more and more, and it will feel much easier. Sometimes having a plan is the most important part of all!

This will work with a whole bunch of things (not just exercise), including eating, practicing meditation, school work, hanging out with friends etc. Go on, give it a try!