Along with pumpkin spice everything, fall also brings the start of many shifting seasonal transitions. First, it’s back to school, then come weather changes and shorter daylight hours, and finally we begin to move into fall and winter holidays.
As the weather starts to cool, you may notice a slight shift physically. Perhaps you’re a tad congested. Maybe your digestion is off. Or maybe you keep finding yourself super tired at the end of the day. Our inner landscape is undergoing a transition in alignment with the change in season from summer into fall.
My business is also going through a major transition. Over the past few months, I have been working with an amazing team of professionals who helped me create a new website with an online studio. I am expanding my offerings and will be working with two companies that will support the technical side of my online business. Running Robots will host my website and hey, Marvelous will host my online studio. Clients will now have access to a technical support team if they have any troubles navigating the new system. However, both companies have worked very hard to make participation intuitive and easy to navigate. Holly Norin, the owner of Fancy Fox Design, is my new graphic designer. She is helping me create beautiful designs for my wellness offerings. I could not be more pleased with the support of these wonderful humans elevating me and my business to the next level.
On a personal note, my new website (same URL: www.mary-mccarthy.com) will look and feel different. It will launch this fall. With a flip of a switch, Running Robots will transition my current website to my new updated website. Current students will receive instructions on how to register and sign up for live-streamed classes or utilize the online library. PDF links have been created to help all students navigate my online studio with FAQs. I will be promoting the launch of my new website in the weeks leading up to this transition. I am super excited (and nervous) to share these changes with all of you. In addition to my yoga classes, I will now be offering individual and group wellness coaching, online courses, and presentations on a variety of wellness topics. Please follow me on social media (Instagram and Facebook) for special sneak peeks before the big reveal!
If you are like me and find it difficult to navigate change, here are a few tips and tools I have found helpful to cope with the transitions life may bring your way:
- Prioritize Sleep and Rest: Transitions are not easy on the body or the mind. Sleep seems to be the first thing to be sacrificed to the busyness that change can bring into our lives. Getting enough sleep is key to feeling your best. Making sleep a priority is more natural when it becomes a habit. When we get quality sleep, our body goes into repair mode and we can problem-solve challenges in our mind more effectively. When sleep is interrupted or pushed off, this vital phase of repair doesn’t happen efficiently and our immune system is weakened, making us more susceptible to viruses and colds and easily irritated or annoyed. Try to get 7-8 hours of sleep per night, preferably hitting the pillow no later than 11 pm.
- Eat Healthy Foods: Nourishing our body with a proper diet is crucial to being our best selves. Prepping meals and snacks ahead helps reduce chaos around mealtimes and provides healthy options when we are running short on time or ideas. Staying hydrated can also help keep our energy up. Sitting down to eat and enjoy a meal can help bring us into a state of mindfulness and ease.
- Stick to a Routine: One of the fastest ways to slide into overwhelm is to lose track of a daily routine. Our daily routines anchor us and allow us to feel more relaxed. Our brains like to know what is coming next. Reflect on your routine at the start of a new season or time of change and explore what needs to be adjusted. Consider beginning each day with reflection and meditation. A new day is an opportunity for a fresh start and to prioritize what is best for you.
- Plan for the Unexpected: As hard as we try to stick to a routine and plan our days, interruptions do happen and changes need to be made. It is helpful to leave a little space in our schedules (and our minds) for the unexpected. The best way to do this is to leave some breathing room in your routine. When you pack every minute of your day full, there is no room for things to pop up. Try looking at your daily to-do list each morning and pick three items as your top priorities. If you have these completed, you may not feel so disrupted when the unexpected happens and your attention has to shift.
- Practice Mindfulness and Meditation Daily: Whether through meditation or simply taking time to pause and noticing your thoughts and feelings throughout your day, consciously pause, breathe, and value your true essence. You are a vibrant being on a soul journey. Grounding yourself can help you tune in to what is important and give you space to listen to your inner wisdom helping guide you forward.
- Ask for Help: Many of us could benefit from increased support during transitions. Asking for help is not always easy but it can make all the difference, whether it is from a friend, a life coach or therapist, or a mentor.
- Learn to Say No: My last tip is mastering the art of saying no. We are trained to believe that saying no to commitments is negative and brings with it a sense of guilt. Our egos tell us that if we say no to an opportunity, that chance will never come again. Learning to say no when you’re feeling overwhelmed or not able to commit fully can help you feel lighter, more relaxed, and more present to yourself and your family. Making time for daily reflection allows us to tune in to that inner wisdom and guidance and respond with an excited (and not obligatory) YES!
It is important to give ourselves time to transition. We may need more space to understand what is needed for the next step and discern what it is we really want. Whatever it is that you need, offer the gift of self-compassion and loving-kindness to yourself and take time to listen to the subtle, intuitive messages from your everyday life guiding you along the way.
The secret to navigating transitions with resilience and grace is self-care.
