Optimism, Summer Rain & How To Stay Positive.

How I shifted my mindset towards life & the ever-changing English weather.

Good Morning! I imagine you were not expecting to hear from me this morning. Don’t worry it’s not Monday yet... I have a bonus entry for you this week. There have been a lot of thoughts buzzing around my mind the last few days, that by Monday probably won’t be that relevant… So let’s start with a mini recap. This week albeit a short one, has been a lot. My patience has been tested with a teething puppy, the sporadic weather meaning changes of plans and work schedules, balancing life, house, work, social and puppy. I’ve had moments of overwhelm and frustration which got me thinking.

A topic and a question that I am asked very frequently. '“How do you stay so positive?” I’ve wanted to write about this for a while as it’s a topic that I am so passionate about and I think we could all benefit from, but I’ve been racking my brains to try and find the answer…why am I always so positive?

Granted I am by no means a dancing ray of sunshine 24/7. We all have our moments and as someone who deals with anxiety and PMS the negativity definitely arrives knocking at my door throughout the month. But I like to see positivity as a mind reset, a shift in how my inner voice speaks to me.

This might sound random but bare with me… For me it all starts with the weather. It’s a very British topic, the weather, why is that? I would imagine it’s because we experience all kinds of seasons all in one day. It’s always the topic of conversation for small talk, whoever you find yourself in the company of - a taxi driver, the cashier, the postman or a neighbour.

Seasons was the chosen name for my newsletter for a reason. An umbrella term for all that I love in life. The foundations of our calendar, governed by the weather changes, our lifestyle choices, wardrobe, groceries, hobbies and well.. pretty much everything in our lives revolves around them. Whether Spring is your favourite, to mark the renewal and growth of the year, or perhaps late Autumn the time to transition and begin the winter wind down.

I have realised over the last few years how much my life is totally encompassed by the seasons. Decisions I make and essentially all of the above.

I love them all but you just cannot beat the classic English summer.

A long weekend of balmy warmth, a gentle breeze, the hum of bumble bees and blue tits nesting, the freshly cut lawn enveloped in a rich orange sunset. Harshly followed by a grey, drizzly Tuesday morning, the trees bashing in the wind, delicate peony petals strewn across the bark. We really don’t know if we are coming or going around this time of year.

It’s a strange one, navigating the ups and downs of the weather forecast, sometimes accurate but for the most part it’s rather unreliable. I used to really struggle with the dreary days. I would have a consistent low mood, little motivation and a lethargic feeling that just wouldn’t budge. Particularly in the months that are supposed to be on route to summer. Winter feels like a looong slog that just will not ever end.

But one day in the dark depths of January… or maybe it was February (that time of year always feels like a blur) I woke up and just decided I didn’t want to live like that anymore. I’ve always been ‘positive’ on the surface and around others but as soon as I was at home the gloomy weather just completely consumed me. It was draining and to be totally honest I wasn’t a very pleasing person to be around.

For me I guess the predictability of the weather during the winter months is somewhat ‘easier’ to navigate than the sporadic autumn-esque days we experience throughout the summer. We know what to expect and our lives have shifted to that particular season. But as we are nearing the beginning of June the unexpected down pours, winds and slight chill in the air are frustrating. We have all we’ve been longing for that first glimpse of sunshine. Itching to dust off our BBQ’s, invite our friends over for garden parties and whip out the summer dresses….No wonder all we talk about is the weather!

The reason I am discussing the weather is because this was the turning point for me. I realised that I placed a lot of my own happiness in things that were totally out of my control. It was a huge waste of time and energy but I found myself a cycle of doing it over and over again.

When I started to embrace whatever the weather was that day, release the control on my mood and just lean in to that particular day and moment it all felt so much easier. So simple but something I struggled with for ages!

EMBRACING THE RAIN

I now almost see the rain and wind as an invitation to practice all the cosy things that I love. A slight break in the warm late Spring weather is embraced with open arms in comparison to the dread I used to feel upon seeing the 80% chance forecast.

The must have list to embrace the rain in summer.

• Cashmere loungewear: pulling on your favourite cosy outfit is a great way to fill the void of the summer dresses.

• Candles lit & low lighting: set the vibe wherever you are that day. I will always have the lamps on and a candle lit at my desk if it’s a little gloomy outside.

• Warming lunches: I take the opportunity of a break in the sunshine to have a delicious soup, make a casserole - anything super hearty and comforting.

• Movies / series: okay, it’s raining this evening which means you can’t be outside like you planned but use this time to watch something new.

• Appropriate outdoor wardrobe: my rain coat is my bestfriend now we have a puppy - I must be outside whatever the weather. The appropriate coat and shoes will always make being in the rain totally fine.

• Planning for the warm days: use this time to plan something lovely when the sun reappears

• Appreciating sunshine: the sporadic days of rain definitely make us appreciate the sunnier days more, we don’t take them for granted and we really soak up all the summer goodness we can.

• Summer nesting: much like the birds, when the rain comes I retreat to the house to nest. Organising the cupboards, re styling shelves, pottering around making the house feel lovely.

Seeing the rain as a mere part to play in the movie of our day rather than the villain.

LIVING A POSITIVE LIFE.

So, how do I stay positive? I think it all comes from having a relaxed approach. Releasing the reigns of control and I guess just going with the flow a little more.

When I looked into this I discovered that negative emotions transmit so much quicker than positive ones. We are programmed to experience the negative feelings so much stronger, more intense therefore it actually can be quite hard to push through to positive thoughts consistently. It can feel like hard work for some people. Which is why I think it’s so important to relish in those small moments of happiness, elevating your everyday life, seeing the beauty in the small mundane moments and practicing gratitude.

A life situation that occurred a few years ago taught me that life is so short and it can be flipped upside down and inside out in the matter of a moment. It’s so important to hold on to those positives when times get tough and I realised that when you have a positive mind you really do feel lighter. It is not healthy to harbour so much negativity, hatred and anger. I have always been quite an optimist and I do tend to see the silver linings in all situations. I am a firm believer that everything happens for a reason whether to teach us or guide us. Perhaps it comes down to the idea of manifesting. Your outlook on a situation could be your way of curating your mindset and ultimately how you live your life.

3 QUICK FIXES FOR LIFTING YOUR MOOD.

• Tune in to your mind and body, figure out what brought out the grey cloud, what do you really need right now. It’s definitely harder than it sounds but doing this is a really good tool to help you ‘snap out of it’ and if you are an Aries like me that always wants to fix things figuring out the reason can sometimes be quite reassuring.

• Talk to someone! This could be anyone from a neighbour walking the dog, the lady serving you at the supermarket, a colleague at work, a best friend, sibling, parent… absolutely anyone. Whether its an hour long conversation going into the deep inner thoughts of your mind or a surface level weather chat (we’re all pretty familiar with the weather by this point haha) It really is my fail safe way of lifting my mood. It almost takes me out of my spiralling thoughts and places me right back in the real world and it works every time.

• Consult the list. I have a list on my phone of all the things that make me feel better when I am having a bout of negativity. Ranging from cleaning to organising, watching a movie, cooking, or simply sat on my bed watching TikTok videos.

I hope you have enjoyed todays bonus newsletter… My hope is that this has given you a push in the right direction if you needed it. Perhaps you are feeling overwhelmed with the world today, you are struggling with a personal situation or perhaps battling your own inner voice. Just know that you have woken up to a new day and you are the person that holds the power to change your mind.

Our normal format will resume on Monday 6am as always!

Lots of love, L xx

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