Individual Therapy Bethesda MD

Unlike most people who look forward to the start of a new year to set resolutions, or to spring to do their cleaning, I find fall a particularly good time to start anew. When the weather gets cold, it makes me want to make a big pot of something comforting for dinner and think about how I want my home to feel. The change of season leads me to think more intentionally about how I want to spend my time and this year, I’ve thought a lot about how I want to create space in my life.

For me, this meant giving some serious consideration to my mind, body, and surroundings. I looked around the house and thought about things that I had been putting off, or items that had gone unused. I thought about my goals for wellbeing and that fitness routine I had been putting off for the last month. I began to set myself up for success by integrating healthy foods and simple exercises into my daily life. I thought about what makes me feel successful, or stressed, or grounded. What can I let go of? What can I add? It is, in some sense, a luxury to take time for ourselves in this way and take stock of our lives. However, I believe it is essential.

I talk to my clients a lot about creating space. Simple changes, like the ones I mentioned above, can give us more room to dedicate to our families, our jobs, or other things that fulfill us. To create space is to give ourselves the ability to choose. We can choose to react to something, choose to let it go, or choose to try something new. I encourage you to create space in your life by being intentional about the things that you can add or let go of. A few more suggestions to get you started…

• Try taking a yoga class
• Clean out your closet
• Take a silent walk, taking in your surroundings with your five senses
• Make one healthy change (whether that means integrating a gratitude practice, cooking healthy for the week, or going for a run)
• Notice an uncomfortable emotion (like shame, anger, or jealousy), and choose to let go of it