Maybe you are enjoying the spring flowers, the extended days of light hours, the birds singing.

Happy Spring!

Maybe you are frustrated with the rain and mud.

Believe me, it is muddy in my garden!

Maybe there is even more involved with your emotions. Maybe they are still as dark as night… or just very gray…

Have you got the spring blues? Are you tired and ready to scream? Try my Past, Present Future Model (PPF)to reflect and change your attitude for the better.

As we in Switzerland deal with lots of rain and cloud cover, let’s try and take a deep breath and reflect on what we have and what we can look forward to.  Here’s the model in a nutshell:

Remember the past and be grateful, savor what we have in the present and anticipate the good things the future holds with hope.
“the past (serenity, gratitude, satisfaction, pride, forgiveness) 
the present (interest, pleasure, savoring, awe, joy, amusement, mindfulness, and kindness) 
the future (hope, optimism, inspiration, faith)”
- from “Learned Hopefulness”

Remember

Remember the past and be grateful because being grateful is a key part of being able to cope with life. 

In Learned hopefulness we also can think of the past and accept it with peace, not ruminating the “shoulda, coulda, woulda” issues. This brings serenity.

Maybe we have accomplished (a lot?) and can be satisfied and even proud of ourselves. What big project have you recently accomplished?

What have I experienced, either recently or a while ago that I can remember and how can it put a smile on my face?  What (tough) experience have I learned from and how am I grateful for the learning?

What three things are you grateful for or satisfied with, or proud of – today?  Write it down. Do this often (daily)!

Savor

Savoring the moment or the experience- is key to keeping a balance in life, especially in tough times. Today, maybe the sky is an awesome blue at the moment, or the ice cream and coffee you are having is really delicious, or the music you are listening to is beautiful, so beautiful you want to cry.  Maybe your cat is purring on your lap. 

Whatever it is, savor it.  Stop and enjoy it. Take some pleasure in this present moment. Tell (or hear) a joke and laugh. Listen to music and sing and/or dance. Enjoy!

Pause and really consider the enjoyment and relax. Be in this moment. Breathe.  Savor it. Then, you can add a mindfulness activity and really lever savoring up a bit.  Finally, look forward:

Expect and hope

Did you know that two Jewish men wrote Somewhere over the Rainbow? Did you know that it was written in the time of WWII? That shows real hope!

Having hopeful expectations for the future is also helpful in coping in times of difficulty. 

For example, I am hoping for an extended period of “less busy”. It hasn’t happened yet, but I expect it will soon, and I am working “towards” this. This and other hopes fill me with positive expectations.

Finally, a few good friends will keep you happier, and healthier- Kelly McGonigal says so in her famous TED Talk about how to make stress your friend.  That means, call or skype or meet up with someone who you love and trust and do something fun together, or have a good chat, or both.

This week: Make a plan and carry it out:

Everyone knows it’s hard to make the changes so I give you these three tips for change:

·      Make a plan

·      Tell a friend for support

·      Fix your environment for positive success (e.g.: turn off the news until Dec. 15th, or buy treats to enjoy in these next difficult days)

If you want to talk more about the difficulties you are having and how to fix your life for the better, just give me an email.   Busy or not, I will squeeze you in!

Have a hopeful week!

Patricia Jehle               patricia@jehle-coaching.com