Keeping time for wellbeing - monthly column from Roscrea's Emma Coonan

As we say goodbye to another St Patrick’s Day, we can count on the clocks to give us our next March milestone. This weekend as the clocks spring forward is the moment many have waited for, and one which has become a true symbol aof springtime.

Although I have found myself writing about the clock change for a few years now, it still feels like a relevant milestone to reflect upon. Despite its predictable arrival each year, it is amazing how many conversations it still sparks. We never seem to tire of reflecting on what this time of year means for each of us.

As I reflected on this this week, I wondered if this acute awareness and desire to talk about the changing clock is less about the clock change itself, and more about the changes or events that are happening in our own lives, reflected against the backdrop of this consistent event.

Time to Reflect

Do you remember where you were this time last year, as the clocks were getting ready for their annual change? If you are anything like me you might struggle to remember where you were this time last week, let alone last year, so perhaps like me you are taking out your diary right now to look back.

I was curious to ask myself this question, and as I opened my diary I remembered that the clock change last year coincided with Easter Sunday. I suddenly remembered how I felt about how early Easter arrived last year. Personally, I love the tradition of the spring clock change, and I also love Easter. It is in fact one of my favourite times of the year. The fact they both fell at the exact same time last year, for me, felt somewhat rushed and a little too condensed.

This memory made me feel grateful for what I perceive as the slower pace of change this year, as I look forward to gaining some extra light this weekend, and welcoming in an April Easter. In the spirit of reflecting on changes or events in your own life, what might you feel grateful for as this new season approaches? Noticing even one small thing we feel grateful for can really support our sense of wellbeing.

Time to Connect

As we take the time to notice what has or is changing in our own lives, often more easily identifiable against the sense of consistency which sometimes only the clock can bring, we might find ourselves in a very different place this year to where we were last year. Or perhaps, things have not changed much at all. Whichever it is for you, how you feel about this will probably depend on how you feel about change.

Change comes in many forms, whether it is a new job, a new hobby, a new arrival to the family, or a change in direction leading you somewhere you haven’t been before. If we can approach change with wellbeing in mind, it can help us to see the excitement in new beginnings, allowing us to feel the joy as well as the natural uncertainty which change can bring.

If you are navigating a new path, why not consider who or what you may need to help you to navigate it? Perhaps there are others who have walked this path before you who you can connect with, ask for a little advice, or simply just to hear their story, one which may help you to navigate yours.

Keeping time for wellbeing

Giving some thought to what this new season means for you as you wind that clock forward may help you to consider not only the extra sunlight and impending Easter egg enjoyment, but also what you might need this week or month to look after your wellbeing, or perhaps the wellbeing of another.

Time tends to move quickly or slowly depending on what is happening in our lives, and of course it helps to remember that it is actually us who are doing all the moving. Taking some time to reflect or to connect, no matter how small, can help us to take stock, and to slow down a little if we need to.

Whether you are moving quickly or slowly this week, keeping some time for wellbeing in whatever that looks like for you, may be the perfect way to welcome in this clock change, to begin to welcome in Easter, and all that this may mean for you.

A final thought...

Emma Coonan (pictured above) is an Accredited Psychotherapist with IAHIP and ICP, Lectures in Psychotherapy, and is a qualified Adult Education Trainer. After leaving Coláiste Phobal Roscrea, Emma studied English and Media in Maynooth University, before combining her Psychotherapy training with experience in the corporate world. Emma focuses on applying Psychotherapy practices for everyday living, through developing resilience, stress response, and mindfulness practice.