Seasons Of A Year Well Lived, Thank You

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We reframe the year through seasons—winter, spring, summer, and fall—to honor rest, capacity, and the quiet work beneath the surface. Stories, science, and prompts help you map renewal, release hustle guilt, and trust your rhythm without apology.

• emotional seasons as a framework for meaning
• fallow field metaphor for rest and renewal
• expansion and contraction across day and year
• trauma‑informed lens on capacity and pacing
• permission to pause without losing growth
• tension with goal setting
• guided prompts to map winter, spring, summer, fall
• gratitude and self‑recognition as integration
• trusting yourself as seasons return
• simple practices for daily micro‑seasons

Transcript

Speaker: 0:00

Welcome to Couch Time with Cat, your safe place for real conversation and gentle check-in. KWVH presents Couch Time with Cat. Hi friends, and welcome to Couch Time with Cat. Mental wellness with a friendly voice. I'm Cat, therapist, best-selling author, TEDx speaker, and endurance athlete. But most of all, I'm a wife, mama, and someone who deeply believes that people are good and healing is possible. Here in the hill country of Wimberley, Texas, I've built my life and practice around one purpose to make mental wellness feel accessible, compassionate, and real. This show is for those moments when life feels heavy, when you're craving clarity, or when you just need to hear, you're not alone. Each week we'll explore the terrain of mental wellness through stories, reflections, research, and tools you can bring into everyday life. Think of it as a conversation between friends, rooted in science, guided by heart, and grounded in the belief that healing does not have to feel clinical. It can feel like sitting on a couch with someone who gets it. So whether you're driving, walking, cooking, or simply catching your breath, you're welcome here. This is your space to feel seen, supported, and reminded of your own strength. I'm so glad you're here. Let's dive in. What if this year wasn't just hard or beautiful or overwhelming? What if it was seasonal? Today we're honoring the seasons of 2025. The quiet winters, the blooming springs, the hot summers, and the messy falls. This is Catch Time with Cat. Let's explore what this year really taught us about strength, softness, and experiencing our lives. Have you ever gazed at a tree or a forest of trees? In spring, it bursts into bloom like it's announcing something holy. In summer, it stretches out in full strength. And by fall, the leaves start to change and start to drop. And in winter, the tree just rests. There's no shame, no panic. You can even feel an ease when you're amongst the trees. What if your emotional life, this whole messy, meaningful year, also moved in seasons? Hi, I'm Cat, and you're listening to Couch Time with Cat. I'm a therapist, coach, TEDx speaker, and your companion for all things mental wellness, especially the parts that are hard to name. Today we're talking about the emotional seasons of the year and what did the year teach us. There's a story, part science, part scripture, that always stays with me. It's about the land and how it heals. In agriculture, there's an ancient practice called letting a field lie fallow. This means the farmer stops planting for a season. No crops, no production. The land just rests. To the outsider, it looks like nothing is happening, but underneath the surface, everything is happening. The soil is replenishing, nutrients are returning, and the ground is preparing to sustain life again. If the farmer skips that step, if the farmer keeps forcing the land to produce without pause, the land wears out and it gets stripped of its goodness. And what's beautiful is that this idea isn't just agricultural, it's deeply spiritual. In Leviticus, God tells people to let the land rest every seventh year. A Sabbath for the soil. No planting, no harvesting, just trust. Trust that enough has been given. Trust that growth doesn't always look like effort. That rest is not only allowed, it's necessary. Even the land needs a Sabbath. I wonder what if our souls need that too? I actually really think that our souls need that. Sometimes I forget and I have to remind myself. But when I think of us as part of nature, as growing and as evolving, I remember, oh, I can produce and I can hustle and I can be busy and I can create, but I also need rest. Rest is a crucial ingredient in the rest of what's happening. If you've had a year that felt like stillness, like letting go, maybe you didn't feel like you bloomed. Maybe it wasn't a failure. Maybe this is your fallow season, a sacred pause, a spiritual resting. What looks like nothing on the surface might be a holy restoration underneath Only you can know that. Only you can turn inward and really evaluate what is this stillness for me? Do I need it? Do I want it? Maybe it is too much rest. I doubt it, but rest is a necessary component in our wellness. Psychology tells us that human beings need a rhythm. There's an expansion and a contraction, just like nature. So think of expansion like spring and summer. You get bigger, bigger, bigger, and then fall and winter is contract, contract, contract. So there are these big cyclical macro seasons. And then there are smaller ways that we expand and contract through the day. So we wake up and we go to work and we go to school and we expand, expand, expand, and then we come home for dinner and showers and bedtime and sleep and contract, contract, contract. And then we expand and contract, and everybody needs that type of rhythm. If we're expanding too much, we get really stressed. If we're contracting too much, it's very unhealthy. So we all need these rhythms. So we have these rhythms in the day, we have them in the month, we have them even in our school year. We have them for our kiddos, or if you're an adult taking higher education. We also have them in the seasons, and then we have them even in larger seasons of life. Our nervous systems respond to cycles of rest and activity, just like nature. We aren't designed to be in go mode 24-7. But the culture we live in doesn't always support that. We praise productivity and overlook the quiet work of rest, integration, and emotional reflection. From a trauma-informed lens, honoring emotional seasons is about tracking capacity. Have you ever heard the term broken? Somebody says they feel like they're broken. That's not my favorite term, as you can probably guess, but you are not wrong. You are not broken if you didn't quote unquote grow this year. Maybe you were conserving energy or healing or simply surviving. Nobody knows what you're going through. You have a very particular set of circumstances that I don't have, and vice versa. Maybe your best girlfriend has a particular set of circumstances that nobody would know she is dealing with. Or maybe your best guy friend is carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders. But because he's so nice and kind and loving, nobody would ever guess it. Maybe he is doing the bare minimum. But you know what? He is walking through the world in a way that he's proud of and that he's kind and generous. But you know, maybe he's not setting goals and growing like culture tells us we should do. All that is okay. All that is validated, and your life is still meaningful. Healing is never linear, it's cyclical, it's layered, it's seasonal, and sometimes we need big swaths of time to just gather ourselves. Here's something beautiful from neuroscience. Our brains are wired for renewal. Every experience we integrate, whether it's joyful or painful, has the potential to deepen our resilience and identity. You don't need to push through. You can pause and still evolve. I'm gonna repeat that because that's so powerful. You don't need to push through. You can pause and still evolve. For people like me, this is these are two very, very difficult sentences and quite frankly, hard to believe. I my spirit, my wiring, just the way I have experienced life, I definitely err on the push-through side of things. Pausing and resting and letting the landline follow for me is quite difficult. I will absolutely admit that. I'm in a season right now where I have told myself that I'm not going to set big goals for a few months. And um the amount of discomfort that that brings me is kind of comical. I am very uncomfortable not achieving. And because I've set the bar higher and higher for myself over the years, it feels very, very vulnerable to rest and sit still and not achieve. So that may sound silly or funny to you, but remember what I said just a few minutes ago that everybody's set of circumstances are different. And for me, not setting a goal is my edge, is where I need to grow. It's much easier for me to be on autopilot and to achieve than to sit and be still and let things come up and feel that kind of squirminess inside. I am learning that I don't have to push through and that I can pause and that I can still evolve. You're listening to Couch Time with Cat. I'm Cat, and maybe I'm oversharing. And today we're talking about the emotional seasons of our year, and maybe thinking about what your year has revealed to you. Let's start with a simple and meaningful exercise. I want to invite you to imagine your year in four seasons. Let's start with winter. When did you feel still, quiet, and alone? Spring. What moments felt like new beginnings, like hope breaking through the frost? Summer. When were you full of energy or maybe even overstimulated? Think about the Fourth of July, think about watermelons and picnics. When were you full of energy that just soaking up the sun and doing activities all day long? And fall. What did you let go of intentionally or not? We don't just live through external seasons, we carry internal ones. And we can feel a personal fall in the middle of a literal summer. That's that expansion and contraction I was talking about earlier. And sometimes we can feel the hope of spring, even as the world outside feels cold and gray. Our emotional timelines sometimes they sink with the calendar, but sometimes they don't. And that's okay. Can you name a season that defined you in 2024? Oh, that's such a good question. Can you name a season that defined you in 2024? Maybe you did something that really surprised you. I think the season that defined me this year was spring. I tried two new experiences, and I really surprised myself. I went snow skiing for the first time, and that was, I was full of adrenaline and nerves, and it was just exhilarating. I loved it so much. And then I ran my first ultra in the late spring, and that taught me so much about myself, and both of those things really helped me grow my confidence and were full of learning and adventure. Here's the next question: Was there a surprising bloom or maybe even a quiet unraveling? Maybe you let go of a relationship. Maybe you finally shared your heart with your partner about a particular topic. Maybe you got closer with your kids. Were there moments that asked you to slow down even when you didn't want to? Oh lore. I bet a lot of us can identify with this. You know, when you feel under the weather and it's a completely inconvenient time and you think, I do not have time to be sick, what is happening right now? Sometimes our bodies will force us to slow down if we're not paying attention to them. And sometimes we have to protest our way through the sickness, like, I can't do this, I don't have time for this, I don't have time to be sick. But your body needs it. And so it says, hey, sister, hey friend, we're gonna lie in bed for three days, even though it's inconvenient. And here's one more question. When were you surprised by your own resilience? Oh man, I really hope you take time for that question because being reflective isn't always about learning where we can do better. It's about recognizing how well we already do, how good we already are, how much we contribute, where we are blessings, where we are gifts to the people around us, because we are. And if we don't take time to recognize that about ourselves, we are missing a huge piece. It's not always about doing more or becoming better, it's about recognizing how good we already are. I remember a moment this year when I thought I was I had more energy than I actually did. And I had to let go of a project, of a work project that I really wanted to get off the ground, but it just wasn't working. And it felt like a failure. And I'm kind of scrunching my nose as I say that because it didn't just feel like a failure, it kind of was a failure. But over time I saw it as a redirection and as something that made when I let go of that particular project, it made space for something deeper. So it looked like giving up from an outsider perspective was actually making room for something else that was really gonna be going to be meaningful and fulfilling to me. Okay, let's take a deep breath together. Can we do that? If you're not driving, can you place a hand on your chest? I'm gonna do it with you and breathe into it. And then just let yourself exhale. The hand on your chest should remind you, oh, there I am. There I am. What did this year ask of you? That's another really powerful question that you can sit with for a little bit. What did this year ask of you? Did you meet it with love, or did you meet it with hope? Or did you meet it with survival? Maybe a little bit of all three. Any answer is okay. There's no right answer. There's no wrong answer. There's no best answer or better answer. All answers are okay. Here's a little tool to try. And if you're driving, definitely not now. But if you have a piece of paper and a pen around, here is a suggestion. Or just an idea. Maybe make it your own. Try creating a seasonal timeline of 2025. Winter, spring, summer, and fall. And just write down a few experiences that were really meaningful to you during each season. And just recognize how much you've already been through. Before we leap ahead to 2026, I can't even believe I'm saying that out loud. We have to honor and kind of encapsulate 2025. We have to integrate it, reflect on it, accept it, look at it. You're listening to Couch Time with Cat. I'm Cat, and today we're slowing down to honor the emotional rhythms of the past year. When we reflect on 2025, it that allows us to make meaning and to see ourselves in time and space and to give ourselves credit for all that we have experienced and accomplished. Don't forget, you can text or call me at 956-249-7930 with any reflections or questions. I'd love to hear your feedback. And if you have questions, I can answer them anonymously on the show. You know what I love about seasons, listener, is that they come back. The good ones come back. But ooh, sometimes the tough ones come back too. I guess all the times the tough ones come back. But each time they come back, we are more prepared, we're more agile, we're wiser, we're more discerning. And we get to meet that season not as 2024 self or 2025 self, but 2026 self. Because every time you go up against something challenging, it's not the same you. Things are going to be good and you can trust yourself in the good. Things are going to be dicey and you can trust yourself in the dicey. Things are going to be rock bottom, so difficult, maybe even excruciating. And I believe in your ability to walk through that season, to meet it with wisdom and discernment and hope, and with all the skills and strength and compassion that you've built inside of yourself through the year. You have all that inside of you. Recognize it. Let yourself lead with that. The difficult time will not bring you down. You can walk through that season. Here are a few more questions, some more reflection questions. Maybe you don't want to answer all of these. Maybe you think, oh gosh, this is too much homework. That's okay. Take what questions work for you and then write them down. And maybe take them into a journaling session. Maybe take it into your vision board session. I'm a big believer in vision boards. When we name what we want, when we can see it, when we know what direction we are heading, it is so powerful. What are you judging yourself for not accomplishing this past year? Can you offer yourself some grace around that? Maybe it just wasn't time. Maybe it's going to take a little longer. Maybe you needed another tool or two. Who or what helped you feel the most like yourself this year? I am smiling so big with this question. Who or what helped you feel most like yourself this year? Did you connect with a friend? Did you go dancing? Did you cook a recipe that you didn't know that you could cook? Did you laugh? Oh my gosh, I'm thinking, I reconnected with so many old friends this year. And man, am I so grateful for that? The way I belly laugh with them is just, it's so, it's such a gift to feel to be able to feel like yourself. When did you surprise yourself with your strength, your softness, your ability to stay? Oh my gosh, that's a great one. Here we go. When did you surprise yourself with your strength, your softness, or your ability to stay? What version of you did you help grow this year? What version of you did you help grow? Maybe it's your more spiritual self, or maybe it's your more friendly self, or maybe it's your more authentic self. And here's your last journal prompt. I know, listener, I had you so busy today. So, so busy. One season I'm grateful for this year is blank. Because it taught me blank. Maybe it was winter because it taught you rest. Maybe it was fall because it taught you release. Maybe it was spring because it reminded you that hope can return in even the most unexpected ways. And that's a literal interpretation of season, but maybe you had a little mini internal season. Maybe it was a season of teaching your kiddo a new skill, or you learning a new skill, or working on a project at work. What's a season you're grateful for this year? And what did it teach you? Remember, you don't have to bloom on demand. You get to be seasonal, you get to be soft and strong. This isn't a race, it's a rhythm. Listener, this show is six months old. Oh my gosh, can you believe it? Thank you from the bottom of my heart for being here. Whether you tune in live on Sunday mornings or catch the podcast on your own time, it means so much to know you're out there listening, feeling, reflecting, and laughing right along with me. Hosting Couch Time with Cat has been one of the most meaningful parts of my year. And I'm deeply grateful for the way you show up, not just for the conversations we have about healing and growth, but for allowing me space for softness, stillness, and even silliness. Thank you for taking deep dives with me and for letting me be fully myself behind the mic. It's truly a privilege to offer Couch Time with Cat each week and to be part of the incredible KWVH team. The show is more than just radio content. It's meaningful for you and for me, and I don't take it for granted. Thank you for making space in your life for these conversations and for being part of a community that believes in compassion, curiosity, and mental wellness. Here's to many more mornings together. Couch Time with Cat airs every Sunday at 10 a.m. on KWVH 94.3. And you can catch the replay as a podcast every Monday on Apple, Spotify, and iHeartRadio. Make sure to follow and subscribe and leave a review. Every week, a few thousand of us gather heart to heart across the airwaves. What a gift! Thank you for being part of this beautiful growing community. Until next time, be gentle with yourself, rest well, and I'll see you in the new year.