Changing Seasons, Changing Parts: Using IFS to Navigate Seasonal Shifts
As the summer comes to a close and a flurry of back-to-school preparations begins, you might find yourself in a complicated emotional landscape. On one hand, you might be feeling anticipation and excitement for the fresh start that fall seems to promise (even long after you’ve finished with school, those associations remain strong!). On the other hand, the end of summer can stir up feelings of anxiety and loss. The season’s close might mean the end of a dreamy vacation, and dreading having to re-enter the bustling rhythms of everyday life.
From the perspective of Internal Family Systems SM (IFS), developed by Richard Schwartz, this complex brew of feelings is not necessarily a bad thing. It’s just informative. This transition period is an opportunity to engage with the parts of you that are responding to the impending changes, to get to know them better, and ultimately to enjoy greater peace and equanimity in the face of increasing stressors. Let's take a closer look at how IFS can help.
End of Summer: Anxious Parts
The transition from the spaciousness of long summer days to the busyness of fall can trigger a range of anxieties. Whether you or your loved one is beginning a new school year, or it is simply the start of a busier season, many of your parts might be activated at this time. Parts of you may be worried about certain unknowns, such as new teachers, classes, or social dynamics. You might be concerned about managing increasing demands or juggling a busier schedule. Some parts may harbor fears of failure or feelings of inadequacy, becoming activated in the face of new challenges and adventures.
It's important to acknowledge these anxious parts with empathy and provide them with the reassurance they need. Remind them that you've navigated these transitions before and that you have the resources to handle the challenges ahead. Encourage them to share their worries, and then work together to develop coping strategies and practices to help soothe their concerns.
Parts and their unique fears, concerns, and anxieties can guide you toward important things to pay attention to and changes to implement in your day to day life. For example, perhaps you have a part that thrives on structure and routine. This part may be eager to dive back into the familiar rhythms of autumn and the school year, finding comfort in the predictability of the schedule. It might help to work with this part and create a plan that balances the necessary tasks with moments of rest and relaxation.
At the same time, you may find a more free-spirited part longing for the unstructured freedom of summer. This one might resist the impending return to the constraints of obligations from work or the school year. Explore ways to incorporate more playfulness and spontaneity into your daily life (mid-day dance breaks, anyone?) even amidst increased responsibilities.
Ultimately, the key is to approach parts of you with compassion, curiosity, and openness to whatever they are advocating for, and find ways to include them in your life. As always, working with a skilled IFS therapist can help you generate the Self energy that will help you access and communicate with parts from a place of compassion and ease.
The End of Summer: Grief and Soothing
On another level, the waning days of summer can also evoke a sense of grief inside tender parts of us. The parts that feel attached to the season and have trouble letting go with the passage of time. Maybe these parts basked in the warm, lazy afternoons, and the opportunities for adventure and relaxation. These parts may feel a longing for the carefree days of youth.
It can help to create space to connect to these parts as well - to their sadness, nostalgia, and any other feelings that arise. One possibility is to set up a ritual that honors the gifts of one season while welcoming the beginning of the next:
Take a walk in a special place. Bring an object that symbolizes summer – a shell, or a piece of dried seaweed – or grab a small rock or pebble on your walk. As you walk, hold your object and contemplate anything you’d like to honor and/or release. Imbue this object with what needs to be released at the start of this new season. Once you reach a special place, leave your summer object and breathe out everything you’d like to release.
On the walk back, focus on your intentions for the new season, and what you hope to bring with you from summer, such as a sense of ease, or present moment awareness.
Chronic Stress and the Treadmill of Life
One of the key challenges in transitioning from summer to autumn is finding ways to maintain any sense of rest, recreation, and rejuvenation that you experienced in summertime, when the days were longer and felt more spacious. The polyvagal theory can offer helpful insights here.
The polyvagal theory suggests that our autonomic nervous system has three primary states: sympathetic (fight-or-flight), dorsal vagal (shutdown/collapse), and ventral vagal (rest and digest). During summer, many people spend more time in the dorsal vagal and ventral vagal states, which allows your system to rest and recharge.
Now, as you return to the busyness of the fall, it's important to intentionally cultivate that ventral vagal state, rather than slipping into a state of chronic stress and collapse. Sometimes our parts that are on the go forget that rest is important for getting things done, and returning to a school year or normal workload may set us off into overworking, without adequate time to recharge.
Some strategies to help you maintain that summer-like sense of rest and relaxation could include:
Incorporating daily mindfulness or meditation practices that help you access the ventral vagal state.
Scheduling regular breaks throughout your day, even if they're just 5-10 minutes long, to step away from your tasks and engage in activities that soothe your nervous system.
Prioritizing self-care rituals, such as taking a stretch break, going for a leisurely walk, or engaging in a hobby that brings you joy.
Seeking out opportunities to connect with nature, whether it's tending to a small garden, going for a hike, or simply stepping outside to take a few deep breaths.
Surrounding yourself with supportive friends and loved ones who can help you process the transition and provide a sense of grounding and comfort.
For many of us, the end of summer can also signal a return to the chronic stress and overwhelm that we experienced the previous year. The parts of us that were burned out, exhausted, and feeling like they were constantly on a treadmill may start to resurface, dreading the prospect of re-entering that cycle.
It's crucial to address these parts with empathy and a commitment to break the pattern of chronic stress. Reflect on the self-care practices and strategies that helped you maintain a sense of balance and well-being during the summer months. Identify the specific areas of your life that tend to contribute to your stress levels, and work on developing sustainable solutions.
Perhaps you need to have a conversation with your employer or school about adjusting your workload or schedule. Maybe you need to be more intentional about setting boundaries and saying no to certain commitments. Or it might be time to explore new ways of managing your time and energy, such as outsourcing certain tasks or incorporating more efficient productivity methods.
By addressing the root causes of your chronic stress and making a concerted effort to prioritize your ventral vagal rest, you can help the parts of you that are dreading the "treadmill of life" feel more grounded, resilient, and equipped to navigate the demands of the school year.
Finding Ease with Transitions
Shifting from the carefree days of summer to the structured routine of the school year can be a complex and emotionally charged experience. By approaching this time through the lens of IFS, we can compassionately engage with the various parts of ourselves that are responding to these changes.
Whether it's the anxious parts, the grieving parts, or the parts that crave the restorative nature of summer, the key is to listen curiously to what they need and work to find ways to maintain a sense of balance, self-care, and connection throughout the school year.
By incorporating the lessons and insights of the polyvagal theory, we can also actively cultivate the ventral vagal state, allowing us to tap into the restorative powers of rest and digest, even amidst the busyness of the fall. In doing so, we can ease the transition and start the school year filled with greater well-being, equanimity, and joy.
A therapist at the IFS Telehealth Collective can help you find and connect with the parts that need to be seen, heard, and ultimately healed. If you live in California, Florida, Massachusetts, Michigan, New York, or Oregon, please contact our Client Care Coordinator or call 503-447-3244.
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