Seasons Change & So Do We: Journaling prompts to navigate change

Depending on where you are in the United States, Autumn is arriving in subtle or maybe not so subtle ways. The air is getting cooler, the leaves are dropping, and transition is happening all around us. Maybe for some, the transition to Fall is warmly welcomed and excitedly anticipated. For others, maybe not so much, but for most, there are sure to be some underlying anxieties or uncertainties about the changes that might accompany the shift in seasons.

With a change in seasons comes changes in daylight, routine, movement, food options, mood/emotions, wardrobe, and more. Someone with an eating disorder might find any and all of these factors distressing, as it changes the game for their eating disorder, which likes rigid routines and control. I want to normalize two things about this. First, change! And second, change is uncomfortable!

As humans, we tend to crave a routine and predictability. Sometimes, to our demise, we try to alter our course so much as to manipulate our own outcomes. This can make change even more uncomfortable when natural shifts occur from month to month that affect our bodies. Knowing these things about ourselves, and knowing that change isn’t comfortable and it is also normal, it can be beneficial to prepare for the changing seasons by keeping a regular schedule with eating and sleeping as much as possible, and prioritizing comfort when it comes to movement and clothing you wear.

If you find yourself distressed over changes within yourself that seem to change with the season, or even change over a longer course of time, try taking a moment to check in with yourself. Think about all the natural changes that occur on the earth and get curious about why you might not be allowing that same change within yourself. Below are some prompts to help you with this:

· What is your favorite season? What do you love about this season?

· What are all the changes that take place during the transition into this season?

· What changes do you feel take place in yourself with the transition into this season?

· Do your feelings about your favorite season align with your feelings about changes that take place in yourself? Why or why not?

· What changes are you willing to accept in yourself? What are you not willing to accept?

· What are the pros and cons of accepting and/or not accepting these changes about yourself?

· What would happen if you accepted changes in yourself the same way you accept changes in the seasons?