Spring Fever: Areas of Focus for Rejuvenation This Season

With Spring Comes Hope

In a year of disappointment and cancellations (trips, weddings, parties, concerts, you name it!) it’s refreshing to be able to rely on a constant; something we can rely on regardless of COVID, politics, or other circumstance. I felt this same optimism at Christmas this past year and I feel this way now about Spring. Spring is coming, and nothing and no one can take that away!

The challenges of the past year were (and are) no joke. Many of these challenges and transitions we are still facing today, but with Spring comes hope. Last Spring was when our COVID journey began, and this Spring we are finally taking steps toward closure. The vaccine is being distributed, schools are back in session, and rescheduled weddings and events from the previous year are coming up on their new dates. We have come full circle; except this Spring, instead of fear of the unknown, we have hope.

We know that anxiety is tied to fear around loss of control (another lovely theme from this past year), and a great way to manage this is to focus on what can be controlled. With Spring comes an opportunity to take back some agency over our own lives. The warm weather often provides a natural energy boost and capitalizing on that can give us some much-needed momentum after a long, cold, lazy winter. Here are some focus areas that come to mind for me when I think of Spring rejuvenation:

Get outside! We’ve been indoors all winter and likely in much need of a little extra sunlight and Vitamin D. Go for a walk, take the kids to a park, hope on your bike. Busy schedule? Open your window next to your desk and let the sun shine on it. Take your laptop out onto your front porch. Drive home with your windows down. On your walk to your mailbox pause and breathe in that fresh air and give thanks that you can do so without freezing your tail off!

Revisit your New Year’s Resolution. It’s likely at this point that we may have lost sight of or gotten off track with our turn-of-the-year goals. Take a moment to think about why that may be and adjust your goals accordingly. Did you realize making 5 gym trips per week wasn’t as realistic as you thought it would be? Perhaps committing to 3 brisk, after-dinner walks per week feels more doable to you. It’s likely you set your original goal for a reason, so revisiting the original intention and setting a more sustainable goal can build our confidence and competence.

Get tidying. The spaces we keep can be a reflection of our inner selves; and the clutter (or lack thereof) around us most certainly impacts our mood and our mental health. Does the idea of “Spring Cleaning” seem too daunting a task? Tackle a smaller project or take 10 minutes to tidy a smaller space (such as your desk). Need some inspiration? Check out @thehomeedit or @gocleanco on Twitter or Instagram; both accounts grew immensely in popularity over the course of the pandemic and both provide practical, realistic tips for implementing cleaning and organizing into our daily lives.

Repurpose your time. The metaphor of Spring is a rebirth, rejuvenation; and with it comes an extra hour+ of sunlight. What will you do with your “extra hour” and your newfound energy? Will you take those walks we’ve discussed above? Read a few extra books to your kids before bed? Start journaling, painting, lettering, or another new hobby you didn’t quite have the energy for in the Winter? Start going to therapy?

Check in with others. My family and I had many a bonfire through the Spring/Summer/Fall of 2020 to social distance with friends and keep those connections strong. Cue the arrival of Winter and we suddenly had lost our ability to gather outside. With the return of Spring comes more opportunities to spend time together safely outside. As humans we crave (and require!) connection with others. Ask friends and family “how are you really doing?”. Perhaps they’ve found a renewed sense of energy as well and are feeling hopeful about the future and the eventual end of the pandemic. Perhaps though, they aren’t. Or perhaps you aren’t. If you or someone you know is having a hard time identifying with any of what I’ve said above about feeling rejuvenated and re-energized and believe you may be depressed, talk to someone you trust. It’s a common misnomer that the highest rates of depression and suicidal thinking happen during the winter months; it’s actually at the turn of Spring and Summer. Someone who is deeply depressed may feel even worse after seeing others rejuvenate with the change in weather and wonder, “What’s wrong with me? Why am I not feeling better, too?”. You can read more about it here. If this is you or someone you know; tell you primary care provider that you’re feeling this way or a trusted friend or family member who can help get you connected with professional help. Talk or text helplines are available 24/7, including the National Suicide Prevention Lifeline at 800-273-8255.

The pandemic and the struggles that go with it continue but this constant remains: Spring is coming and for that I am thankful!

Written by Abigail Haag, LPCC

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What counselors do – and what they don’t: giving advice.

By Analisa Pretelini • 12 Nov, 2021

You’ve arrived for your counseling session and have prepared your burning question for an ongoing situation: “what should I do”? You’ve waited for this moment. What you did not prepare for, however, is the response from your counselor “giving advice is actually not part of my job”. Confused, disappointed, (and possibly a little frustrated) you wonder what counselors do anyways if not give advice. Humans frequently seek advice from their family, friends or colleagues. So, it is understandable why clients may see an opportunity to ask their counselor advice, too. Sometimes clients have expectations that their counselor will provide them with solutions or “quick fixes” for their troubles. This expectation can come from misinformation about counseling in the media, particularly what is displayed on television/film. This portrayal is typically inaccurate of the responsibilities of a counselor. However, it is commonly believed – you aren’t alone! Additionally, clients may believe that the counselor is the professional and knows what to do in a given situation. In actuality, counselors don’t know what would be best and avoid giving their clients advice altogether. Here’s why: Giving advice is not part of their job (really). In fact, most counselor preparation programs, agencies, and practices consistently reiterate why providing advice is not appropriate for a counselor. There are multiple reasons for this, including the fact that counselors and their clients have different lived experiences. What may be suitable for the counselor could be harmful for the client. Additionally, the American Counseling Association Code of Ethics prohibits counselors from imposing their own values, attitudes and beliefs on a client. Advice giving could easily violate this ethical code. Giving advice can hinder clients’ growth . Believe it or not, advising clients on what to do can cause them more harm than good. Providing advice can increase the client’s dependence on the counselor. By relying on advice from a counselor, the client learns that they are incapable of making their own decisions. This prohibits the client from growth as the counselor acts as a rescue. By encouraging the client to trust in their own decision-making skills, clients can increase their confidence. Though there may be a time and place for advice based on the counselors style and therapeutic judgement, the standard belief of counselors is that advice is not appropriate. So, now that you have a deeper understanding of what counselors don’t do on this matter, let’s look at what counselors do instead: Provide a safe environment to process situations and emotions Offer support when client’s need to make difficult decisions Assist clients in exploring the various choices available Empower clients to trust in their own decision making skills Help guide clients through a self-discovery process Weigh the possible impacts of certain decisions Set treatment goals related to increasing autonomy and decisiveness Explore and uncover client’s motivations, values and desires Introduce skills and tools for a client to utilize outside of session Operate on the belief that client’s know what is best for their lives The examples listed above all stem from a common belief – the client is the expert. These actions by the counselor help support this belief by encouraging the client’s autonomy and self-exploration. Rather than taking on the role of “advice-giver”, these actions provide support and guidance in hopes to enhance the client’s belief in self. If you are curious to learn more, asking your counselor their belief on advice giving will help you set expectations for your therapeutic process and learn more about your counselor. References MedCircle. (2020, February 9). Seven Things A Therapist Should Never Do. https://medcircle.com/articles/what-a-therapist-should-not-do/ The Rosenzweig Center for Rapid Recovery, LLC. (n.d.). Why Most Therapists Don’t Give Advice to Their Clients. The Rosenzweig Center for Rapid Recovery. https://acceleratedresolutiontherapy.com/therapists-dont-give-advice-clients/