Sometimes our fate resembles a fruit tree in winter. Who would think that those branches would turn green again and blossom, but we hope it, we know it.
-Johann Wolfgang von Goethe
A year ago, when we started to shelter in place, you could see the rise in certain activities—people doing home and yard projects they “finally” had the time to do, cooking and baking, and neighborhoods filled with people walking in large numbers. Since then, we have all had to tap into our inner resources and find creative ways to manage our time while limited in space.
Spring is annually a breath of fresh air, a time when things literally smell clean and new, and the sight of the first flowers coincides with the promise of a warmer season of delight. This year, in particular, the sense of fresh beginnings holds meaning as a time when we can get outdoors and socialize in more pleasant temperatures, with enough distance or air to keep us Covid-safe while enjoying connection with others.
Stepping out with others or by yourself is a great therapeutic way to extend the space we can enjoy. There are many benefits to walking (sometimes called the “most underrated form of exercise”): it strengthens the heart, improves mood, increases your energy, allows you to clear your head and come up with good ideas enhanced by moving your body, boosts immune function, lubricates your joints, and more. Not only do you have a chance to look around and take in the views, you come back indoors with renewed physical and mental health.
Some of these same benefits apply to therapy. The first therapy session is intended to give you a glimpse of a unique, collaborative outlook and hope for the immediate future and beyond. It’s like taking a walk with someone down a path into new territory, the meeting of two minds toward a common goal: that you understand yourself a little bit better by sharing your thoughts and feelings and getting authentic support and feedback. Your initiative to set on this path is a great form of self-care that will offer you the next step in moving forward with another perspective. As we’ve seen with the pandemic, tough times can open us to inventive ways of adjusting to whatever life brings.
Written By: Vicki Dischler, LPC
Twin Cities Therapy and Counseling Associates
Twin Cities Therapy and Counseling Associates is a mental health clinic with counseling services by caring therapists. Please visit twincitiestherapyandcounseling.com for more information