Season of change by Jazzmyn Proctor
Fall weather is upon us! Personally, Fall is my FAVORITE season. Pumpkin patches, cozy
sweaters, and I feel like outdoor festivals are much more enjoyable during this time. We are
transitioning out of our busy summer schedules where everything feels go go go and falling into more of a season of rest and reflection. One of the biggest standouts of the Fall is the shift in weather. We’re seeing rain in the morning and clear blue skies by the evening. We are waking up to 40 degrees and by 3pm we are sitting comfortably in 70 degree weather. Fall is the season of change.
Change is a natural part of life, and yet it always comes with a mix of emotions. No matter how
often change happens, it can still feel like an adjustment accompanied by some uncomfortable emotions *cue sadness, grief, resistance, anger, or all of the above*. I think of change as standing at the peak of the beginning and the end of something. A new job means a new opportunity, maybe a new location, hopefully better pay, and a chance to grow in your career field. It also means the end of a commute you have become familiar with, the daily stop at your favorite coffee shop, and those monthly happy hours with your favorite coworkers. The end of a relationship, either platonic or romantic, means the beginning of cultivating a new relationship with someone, the chance to create new traditions with someone, and a plethora of new moments and experiences to be shared with someone. While the end of a relationship brings the awareness that a relationship has run its course, it is the end of a spoken commitment to someone, the end of routines and rituals you might have developed with someone, and the end of continuing to grow in a relationship with someone. Change can feel both exciting and heartbreaking. Change can feel like something worth celebrating with others and incredibly lonely. Whatever you feel about change know it is valid and there is no one way to feel about your experience.
So often I think we are expected to roll with the punches of change. We are supposed to set our sights on the new and not allow ourselves the space to grieve what could have been or what should have been. Change is the ever-present reminder that there is so little in this life that is permanent. I love to remind my clients to hold on and show gratitude to the people and places that are a constant. I know for myself I can get lost in the midst of change and start to resist what is inevitable. Allowing myself to flow with the pace of change and saying thank you to the people and places that continue to remain the same are what ground me in those moments where everything feels chaotic.
As a music lover, I find that music helps me connect with feelings and ideas I would not have
come up with on my own. Here is a playlist I made about…well change. It is titled “Seasons
Change- Feelings Too.” Check it out!
P.S. I am excited to announce I will be facilitating a ten week group for individuals ages 24-32
surrounding change and life transitions. This will be a process group with a hint of
psychoedutaction surrounding strategies to tackle the changing seasons and your mental
health. See flyer below for all the deets.
