Are things just a little harder these days?
If so, I’m sorry to hear it. And also? You’re not alone. I’ve been surprised every day this month at how cold it is and how much time and difficulty that adds to my day! Of note, I live in a place where this happens, I can’t figure out why I’m shocked.
There might, of course, be any number of reasons you’re having a tougher go of things right now – from personal challenges to world news to budget season. Today I want to focus on something we often ignore:
The weather (and weather-like obstacles).
If it’s really cold or snowy or incredibly rainy where you live, that impacts your resilience. If you have a lot more chores than normal or something small breaks at home, if you have to train someone new at work while doing your regular job, if you agreed to watch your friends’ kids for a couple of hours or your parent asks you to add a few things to your grocery run… none of these challenges are big disruptions. None of these are even unexpected. And each of them can drain your resilience for a space of time.
I’m not saying we shouldn’t do those things. Dealing with the weather, keeping our homes running, doing our jobs (even when there’s a little extra), helping someone out – these are all part of life.
What I’m saying is that recognizing the impacts on your resilience is valuable. Valuable in three ways:
- You’ll better understand your own reactions
- You can take into consideration the extra time or focus you will need
- You can plan a little recovery for yourself
Our brains see all change as risky, but unplanned change is riskier and our reactions are less predictable. If you go about your day as usual when there are additional challenges thrown in – even as simple putting on all that winter gear, clearing off the car, stripping all the wet gear off again when you finish – your brain struggles a bit more to stay even and calm.
So when you’re considering your own state of mind (and I hope you do), factor in the “usual” stressors and give them the attention they need. That makes you smarter and more resilient!
How’s your weather treating you?
All my best,
Dr. G