April, the Month of Changes
A warm hello to you all,
Welcome to April, a month that rings with it all sorts of changes.
We’ve just had a time change—and if you’re still struggling to adjust to those earlier mornings, let me encourage you to listen to our March podcast, where Caroline and I offer practical ways to help you and your dog adjust to the time going forward,
The weather is warming up noticeably now, which calls for changes in what you wear.
Easter falls in April this year, on the ninth. That means the parents among you will have children at home for a couple of weeks, which requires adjustments to schedules both in daily routine and with regard to your work.
The Easter holiday offers the opportunity to get away for a break, and many of you will no doubt take advantage. Although chosen and enjoyable, this will be stressful even so because you’ll need to adjust to another new routine, a new location, and perhaps different food.
And when it comes to changes in routine, you might want to think of April as a practice run for May, because this year we have no less than three May Bank Holidays!
Change is good for us. It’s energising, and it encourages us to be more flexible about the way we live. But all changes—even those we choose—are stressful. That’s why Caroline and I have decided to write about how to deal adaptively with the stress that change inevitably demands.
I’ll start by explaining exactly what we mean by ‘stress’, and I’ll describe two sorts of stress. In my second offering I’ll give you some psychological tricks to help you turn the less palatable sort of stress into something energising and inviting.
Caroline will, as always, share some of her incredible store of wisdom about the canine world, explaining how to recognise stress in your dogs, and then offering ways to help them accommodate the changes that April will bring to your household.
What do you say, then? Let’s raise a cheer for Spring!
Warmest wishes,
Linda and Caroline