Discomfort

One of the most challenging aspects of therapy is the near-constant state of unease it triggers. Therapy isn’t intended to make you comfortable, it is intended to help you to grow and develop into someone better able to cope and rebound from the events of life. Although I find therapy to be enormously helpful in supporting my recovery and equipping me to embrace and engage with life, it is nonetheless mentally–and sometimes physically–exhausting. This week’s sessions have not been any more taxing than normal, but normal is pretty heavy in its own right.

One way that I recognize that I am evolving is that I am being more gentle with myself than I have in the past when faced with exhaustion. My typical response is to press forward until I collapse. This week, though, I have seen a turning point. I am modifying my days to allow for more rest and more time to reflect and center myself. Although these steps are small, they are important and needed progress.

As we head into the weekend (whatever that means in these times), I hope that you can find time for restoration and for seeking joy.