What's your weather like today?

Today I lay out in the yard watching the clouds pass over.

I basked in the sun and marvelled at how dark and grey the clouds quickly became and then watched as this ominous looking horizon became a clear blue sunny sky again in no time.

I filmed the clouds for a while which felt like I was watching for hours but, in reality it was only a few moments.

Looking at our emotions as our internal weather can be a helpful strategy.

Can you control the weather?

I can’t.

To tell you the truth, big storms scare me a little and I have lived through the scary experience of lightning hitting my home which blew all the electrical things with a mighty large bang.

I was safe, it was just loud and intense.

Sometimes our feelings are really loud and intense.

And sometimes it feels like what we are experiencing is never going to leave.

I know that all storms will eventually pass.

Even the big loud and scary ones.

The ones that make us shake and tremble.

Like that electrical storm where my home was hit.

When the huge boom and the crack sounded and my home shook, I screamed instinctually and ran into my stairwell along with my cats, all of us wide eyed and trembling.

Acknowledging our feelings when we are facing internal storms can help us.

Being kind to ourselves, validating our experiences and speaking to ourselves like we would to a loved one. “Rossy that sounds like a really scary experience”. Being scared , screaming and running are all completely normal responses, it sounds like you did what you could to keep yourself safe”.

In prolonged times of stress or conflict it can be easy to slip into unhealthy patterns of dealing with our emotions such as trying to fight against them, shaming ourselves, getting swept up in them and/or overidentifying with them.

Learning to understand and accept our interior world and view our internal weather patterns through a lens of compassion is an important skill to cope with the many seasons that will pass throughout our lives.

One practice we can adopt is to take regular personal weather reports.

If you had to give a weather report describing your feelings right now, what would it be?

Is it sunny, windy, warm, or cold?

Are there clouds in the sky or is just clear blue for as far as you can see?

Are there storm clouds brewing?

Just notice the weather and allow yourself to sit closely with whatever you are feeling for a few moments.

Notice what’s present for you with curiosity and kindness.

Can you change the weather?

You don’t need to change anything you are feeling right now either.

All feelings are OK.

You don’t need to feel ashamed for feeling any particular way or pressured to make it pass, can you control the weather?

I can’t, what I can do is look after myself while its stormy and cold or sunny and hot.

And I can check in with myself to ensure I have sunscreen or an umbrella, shelter and support if my senses tell me a storm or heatwave is coming.

I can remember my positive coping strategies and ensure I speak to friends and loved ones and/or a professional if I feel like I might need some extra support.

And I can remind myself that these feelings will pass eventually like clouds in the sky.

They will blow over.

That's reassuring news isn't it?

Sending clear blue skies your way.

With much compassion,

Rossy