I used to comment on my recently departed mother that she was like an old car for whom the medical profession serviced with multiple spare parts until the engine that was her heart could no longer be sustained; frequent hospitalisation, medicinal remedies, blood infusions and a plethora of operations all of which, over the years, ‘took its toll’ until her 91 years became the end.

Age of course, then plays its part, but it’s not set in stone. Some of us will be lucky to live a long, and relatively, healthy existence. And yet the chance of not seeking, indeed needing, the GP’s advice throughout life’s journey is slim, and probably less so when seniority is beckoning, knocking on the door, and guaranteed after stepping through the generational framework.

A reflective time then, realising that from a health perspective, life can be difficult. But it doesn’t end there. The complexities of relationships, anxieties, self-worth, financial concerns, expectation, insecurities, any one of which can create debilitating trauma.

The wider world too brings war, famine, death, global warming, political upheaval, poverty, and an overwhelming sense of uncertainty. It’s hard not to be moved, concerned, worried, feeling like there is nothing you can personally do. Only, perhaps, concede to the inevitable and raise a glass to temporarily ease the pain.

That is where therapy can help. It cannot change the physical realities, but it can help steer you to a better mindset, a calmer perspective, finding tangible ways to ‘smooth your brow’. Maybe, to support and guide one’s spirit to become less attached from those forgotten instincts. Consider, that in many ways, as humans we have lost our way, and the mix of day-today experiences moulded by those wider societal constraints prevent us from being able to ‘feel as one with nature’

So, take a walk, run bare foot along the sand, splash in the sea. Breath in the air, smell the aroma of farmland and hear the cows mooing in the distance. Stand at the top of the mountain and admire the view, say hello to the passing stranger and welcome the reciprocal smile. Rejoice in the naturalness of the space around you, and explore the lakes, rivers, seas and oceans, mesmerised by the vastness from where, perhaps, we once came. Be calmed by the hypnotic resonance of flowing water, a crashing waterfall and the ebb and flow of the tide. A garden feature, a spout and a vase, a stream trickling in a steady motion. Even the drip, drip of the falling rain.

And, finally, if you are lucky, warm your hands by the open fire with its hiss and crackle of the burning fuel, ambient colures of red, yellow, blue. The majesty and wonder of the elements, an awesome combination that evokes the evolution of life itself. And as a rewarding treat (certainly so if you find yourself in the pub), have that sensible tipple and consume your world, remembering that above the clouds, the sky is always blue.