Weathering the Storm

Sometimes, it feels like it is always raining. I live in the Pacific Northwest (PNW) and this is often quite literally true. We get months of gray and rain that seems to indefinitely stretch on, though we are rewarded by the most beautiful summer months that make the rain worth it. 

This is true on an emotional level as well. We all have periods of emotional PNW winters where it feels like it will never be sunny again, only to eventually be greeted by the sunniest season. As we slowly inch out of winter, it feels like a good opportunity to talk about how to weather emotional storms.

Take it One Day at a Time

During a difficult period, it can feel overwhelming to think about the indefinite nature of the challenge. The best way to tackle this is to try and approach it one day at a time. Focus on getting through one day, and then the next day, and the next after that. Worrying about how long this might stretch on will actually increase the intensity of the overwhelm and make things a lot more emotionally challenging.

Weather not Climate

In the middle of the summer, do you ever look in your closet and shudder looking at your winter coat? The idea of needing a winter coat when you’re actively sweating and wearing shorts feels wild. And then, six months later, you come across your bathing suit and wonder if you’ll ever be warm again. It’s the same with emotions. When you’re in an emotional winter, it’s hard to imagine being in an emotional summer, and eventually you will be. Weather does not last forever- it is temporary and ever-changing- just like emotions.

Resilience

When you are going through a time of storming, it can be helpful to remember times in the past when you were successfully able to navigate challenge. This will build up your confidence for handling the current challenge you are facing, and helps foster resilience, which helps you navigate hard times. Being able to feel confident to handle challenge, or at least able to refer back to when you were capable of handling challenge, will help inspire more confidence.

Remember, rainbows follow rain. Though it may not seem like the storm will ever pass, there’s a rainbow just waiting to dazzle you.