It seems that every year in September I experience a mild level of depression. It is uncanny how early in the fall this feeling comes over me and I feel powerless to stop it.
Overall I am an optimistic person, but for a short period of time, this completely changes as the leaves start to fall. Brenda R., Vancouver Washington
Dear Caroline,
Dear Brenda,
Fall is a time for change and for many it means back to school, college or a new job. For some of us who are not “going back,” this can plummet us into a feeling of uncertainty, despondence and depression. Come fall, mold counts rise and many people can experience depression or anxiety when exposed to certain molds.
But just the mere acceptance that summer, a time of vibrancy and fun, is now over is also cause to feel blue. But if we look ahead to fall which for many is a time of building, regrouping and joining, these feelings can soon leave.
This summer our garden was in full bloom. There is a bench in the middle of the garden where I would often sit, read and watch the bees and hummingbirds draw their nectar from the flowers. As I marveled at nature in action I felt the feeling of sublime happiness – not a light coating of happiness but deep, sublime happiness – at that moment all was well in my world. I feel immensely grateful for that treasure in time. I shall carry that feeling into the deep, dark days of fall and winter.
So when you’re feeling a little down or blue, visualize a time where you were completely happy and in love with life. It is natural to experience such times in life but such an experience can be especially trying for the usually up-beat person.
Changes in nature, the phases of the moon or the diurnal rhythms of day into night do have physiological effects.
You might want to research Heart Math.org a scientific methodology that teaches heart-based living. Heart Math provides a scientific explain of how and why the heart and our mood, affects mental clarity, creativity, emotional balance and personal effectiveness.
Fully living from the heart gives us the opportunity to embrace life’s challenges and to move through them – with grace.
In the meantime, make yourself a cup of tea, breathe and know that this period of fallow before new shoots are revealed, will soon pass.
Caroline Sutherland has been a medical intuitive for twenty-five years, she is the author of The Body Knows – How to tune into Your Body and Improve Your Health, The Body Knows Diet – Cracking the Weight Loss Code, The Body Knows About Hormones and her latest release, The Body Knows … How To Stay Young.
Visit online at www.carolinesutherland.com