january reflection: the value of rest
This past weekend, our Columbus team had a belated holiday celebration. We went to AR Workshop in Worthington to get crafty together, enjoy each other’s company, and reflect on 2022. North High Street in Old Worthington was quaint and idyllic as ever, and it was lovely to celebrate a year of growth for our practice — but also really nice to get a little taste of that holiday cheer now that we are thoroughly mid-winter.
As you may imagine, during January therapists help a lot of folks manage that dive from the height of holiday commotion into the part of winter that is less, well, dynamic. With that can come seasonal dips in mood, increased anxiety, and general malaise. And the truth is we are not immune to it either! Not that everyone experiences full-on Seasonal Affective Disorder, but most people feel a little “blah” this time of year. Maybe you have been, too.
There are the usual suggestions of course — exercise, rest, therapy, vitamin D, a sunlamp. But something else I’ve always encouraged my clients, employees, and loved ones alike to do during this season is to try to embrace what our environment is demanding of us. It is really, really hard to slow down in modern life. School and work and rehearsals and meetings and housework: these things do not really stop. But in the moments where we have a choice, rare as they are, it can feel really good to stop fighting against our bodies and the weather, and remember that there is value in rest.
I made a big change in January. I have stepped back completely from working with clients to focus on running Wild Hope. It was an excruciating decision to make. The new year started with saying goodbye to folks I had worked with for years – supported through having babies and live through an entire pandemic. Many are clients who stayed with me (thanks to telehealth) through two practices, a move from Columbus to Cleveland, and my own maternity leave. Part of this month’s reflection was intended to go more deeply into what we have planned for 2023. And it still will! But in order to make big plans for this year, and to make sure my clients would be getting services from a therapist who was 100% present for clinical work, meant letting go.
What does this have to do with winter malaise and seeking rest? Well, I’ve really had to take my own advice since concluding with a caseload of folks I’d been working with for almost 4 years. There’s been a lot of reflecting, a lot of self care, and a lot of giving myself patience as I reorient myself, personally and professionally, to be a full-time business owner. But that is the beauty of slowing down. It gives us the gift of pausing to process what has been, and for a bit, to just be still.
And from there, well, then you get to planning!
So what do we have in store after we’ve allowed ourselves to hibernate a little this winter? These are the things we are most excited to work on as a team in 2023:
Continuing to bring exceptional mental health care to folks across Ohio by collaborating and consulting as a team between our two offices in Columbus and Cleveland
Expanding our perinatal services through educational and supportive programming for pregnant clients and new parents; and providing comprehensive support and training to our dedicated perinatal team
Developing continuing education courses on topics such as perinatal mental health, trauma, and other specialties for our colleagues in the mental health space
Connecting with our local mental health community through organizations with similar missions and values; and engaging in advocacy as a team around the issues that impact our clients the most
As we gear up for snow and 17 degree weather this week here in Cleveland, I know I will be practicing (or trying to practice) acceptance, self-compassion, and doing what I can to focus on my family. And when I need that little bit of motivation or burst of energy to keep up with all of life's demands, I’ll be imagining and planning for all the things to come in 2023. From under my fleece, weighted blanket, of course.