Seasonal Transition

As we welcome the month of March, we enter the liminal space between the end of winter and start of spring, where hope and hardship are interwoven. The homestretch of winter is a difficult time for many people. The clean slate of the new year is fading, and our resolutions have made clear whether they are here to stay or not meant to be this time around. The cold weather won’t seem to let up and the sun is perpetually hidden. At the same time, the days are getting longer, birds are starting to chirp, and the promise of starting anew is more relevant than ever. People begin to experience pressure to be more social, more productive, and engage in some form of the daunting purge that is “spring cleaning”. The unique balance of this time, between winter blues and early spring pressure is a great moment to focus self-acceptance in order to transition seasons with intention and kindness towards ourselves and those around us.

Self-Acceptance

Cultivating acceptance towards ourselves in terms of our thoughts, behavior, and emotions is so important to mental health and well-being, especially in a time of difficult transition. Self-acceptance extends beyond focusing on our positive attributes. It is generally easy to accept ourselves at our high points, when we experience success, receive praise from others, or feel love. Accepting ourselves when we experience lows and struggles can be tremendously difficult. These are the spaces where true self-acceptance can be fostered.

One avenue to focus on self-acceptance is through Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT). ACT is becoming an increasingly popular foundation in mental health practice. The general basis for ACT is the necessary recognition that negative emotions, whether anxiety, sadness, fear, or otherwise, are inevitable conditions of living as a human being (Dindo et al., 2017). Historically, people have been encouraged to ignore, suppress, or avoid discussing these emotions. These practices can negatively impact us on both an individual and societal level by encouraging avoidance behaviors, stigmatizing mental health issues, and alienating people. ACT attempts to help people adapt to and embrace difficult thoughts, feelings, and experiences through acceptance  in order to work through them meaningfully.

Flexibility and Mindfulness

One goal of ACT is to develop psychological flexibility. Psychological flexibility is the ability to adapt to difficult situations and experiences while still staying true to one’s values (Dindo et al., 2017). For further explanation and practice, here is a worksheet created to help build psychological flexibility:

https://www.therapistaid.com/worksheets/becoming-psychologically-flexible

Mindfulness is a deeply important part of self-acceptance and ACT. Mindfulness can help strengthen our contact with the present moment by enhancing our awareness of our thoughts, feelings, and here-and-now experiences (Harris, 2006). As we enter spring, the urge to constantly look forwards and live in the future is strong. However, while the seasons are changing, we are changing, and it is important to pay attention to how this plays out. Through mindfulness, we can engage with these changes with openness, interest, and without judgment, allowing us to accept both the positive and negative that may arise. 

Below is a 10-minute self-acceptance meditation:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0QtwoSPLWs

Spring is a time of so much potential joy and hope. Yet, the journey into the season can be arduous, confusing, and tricky. Maintaining a focus on self-acceptance, flexibility, and present awareness can help ease through the transition and be ready to embrace blooming flowers and pleasant nights with a sense of well-being, love, and kindness to ourselves.

References

Dindo, L., Van Liew, J. R., & Arch, J. J. (2017). Acceptance and commitment therapy: A transdiagnostic behavioral intervention for mental health and medical conditions. Neurotherapeutics, 14(3), 546-553. https://doi.org/10.1007/s13311-017-0521-3

Harris, R. (2006). Embracing your demons: An overview of acceptance and commitment therapy. Psychotherapy in Australia, 12(4). https://contextualscience.org/files/article%20psychOz-.pdf

National Center on Health, Physical Activity and Disabililty (NCHPAD). 2020, October 9. Mindful: A meditation series (guided meditation for self acceptance) [Video]. YouTube. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k0QtwoSPLWs

Therapist Aid LLC. (2023). Becoming psychologically flexible: ACT skill. https://www.-therapistaid.com/worksheets/becoming-psychologically-flexible