It’s supposed to be the advantage of the UK – don’t like the weather? Don’t worry there’ll be a different one along in a moment.

But it’s (1) wet, (2) damp, (3) cold or any combination thereof and has been since about October.

And it’s making me glum.

As I’ve said previously – I don’t need seaweed or a barometer to tell the weather, I get to foretell it in my bones and joints…

Sigh.

But don’t worry – all the exciting work you’ve done has taken your mind off it. Hasn’t it?

I wish. Been a funny (peculiar, not hilarious – got to love the English language) week really.

Lots of talking which I like but the distinct come down after tax returns always leaves me bumping along the bottom for a while.

So I OUGHT to feel grateful that I’m starting to come back out and it’s ONLY two weeks into February but sometimes it just seems like it’s all a bit bleugh…

Hope you understand my expression of vague discomfort better than the spellchecker which has offered me “lughole” as its only alternative!

And I’m supposed to be being nice to myself more.

Although it could be argued that it would be difficult to be less.

It must be something about Thursdays.

If I yawn any more energetically I’m going to dislocate my jaw…

Happened even when I was working Fridays so it can’t be that.

Maybe I’m just finding how boring I am and am sending myself to sleep?

Hope not – and, if you think it’s true, please keep your opinion to yourself.

Probably just need my nap.

It was persistent pain clinic morning today.

Bizarrely the philosophies behind some of the strategies are actually fitting right in there with my business philosophy.

Take today.

We’re using a system called Acceptance and Commitment Therapy.

Somewhat similar to CBT but not.

The major difference being in the approach to thoughts.

Thoughts generally come unbidden to our minds – stop concentrating on your work, etc. and you find your mind cluttering with all sorts of nonsense.

Well I do anyway. It must be the weather.

Grinning face emoji.

CBT teaches you to think better thoughts whereas ACT just teaches you to de-weaponise the thoughts you’re already having.

In a nutshell.

Just imagine.

Someone tells you it’s important NOT to think of a pink elephant.

And what do you do?

Exactly.

It doesn’t even matter if it’s YOU that tells you not to think about it – in fact it’s probably almost certainly worse!

And the sorts of thought that do this are – generally – the negative ones.

You know:

• have a run in with someone and you spend the rest of the day thinking up ripostes it’s too late to make
• you wander around all sullen because you didn’t get thanked for something you did
• your latest good idea has been pooh poohed and it reappears a few weeks later as the next bright idea by your biggest rival (got the t-shirt here)
• You got left behind when the traffic lights changed because the idiot in front didn’t move when the lights went green but did just before they turned back again (or just after, happens a lot around here)

With me?

Well instead of teaching yourself to try and modify the thought to be good you can teach yourself to accept that it has happened and eating yourself up over it won’t change a thing.

Nice idea.

I’ll just cover a couple of the thought types here. Have a word if you want to examine the process in more detail.

Critical self – or Imposter Syndrome – put yourself down and blame yourself for outcomes outside of your control.

Shoulds and musts – putting pressure on yourself or creating unrealistic expectations.

Absolutely fascinating.

Well I think so anyway. And a good way of ignoring the weather.

And finally.

Invented a new Tai Chi move this morning.

To go with Rowing the Boat and Carrying a Ball which we covered in the session.

Mine is called Opening the Marmalade. Involves bruising your chest and nearly separating your shoulder blades trying to get the !*!* lid off an unopened jar.

Repeat three times until it turns.

Won’t catch on. Pleeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeease.

Tai Chi master and nothing about the weather… Image by Gianni Crestani from Pixabay