May 2026
May often arrives with a sense of momentum. The days feel longer, nature is fuller, and there can be an unspoken expectation that we should feel more energised, motivated, or emotionally “better” too.
But for many people, that is not the reality.
Sometimes spring highlights the gap between how we think we should be feeling and how we are actually coping inside. You might notice yourself feeling emotionally flat, disconnected, more sensitive in relationships, or frustrated that things still feel difficult when the world around you seems to be moving forward.
In Interpersonal Psychotherapy (IPT), we understand that emotional wellbeing does not happen in isolation. Our mood is deeply connected to our relationships, life experiences, and the pressures we carry, often quietly.
When Growth Feels Uneven
One of the hardest parts of struggling emotionally is the belief that you are somehow “behind.”
Behind other people.
Behind where you thought you’d be by now.
Behind the version of yourself you expected to become.
May can intensify these feelings because it is a season so associated with growth and movement. But emotional growth rarely happens in a straight line.
Sometimes healing looks like:
- Setting a boundary for the first time
- Replying to a message you have avoided
- Letting yourself rest without guilt
- Recognising a feeling instead of pushing it away
- Asking for support instead of coping alone
These may seem like small things from the outside, but internally they can represent significant change.
The Link Between Relationships and Mood
IPT focuses on how our relationships affect the way we feel, and how our emotional wellbeing shapes the way we relate to others.
You may notice your mood changes depending on:
- Conflict or tension in relationships
- Feeling lonely or misunderstood
- Changes in family dynamics
- Loss, separation, or life transitions
- Feeling unsupported emotionally
When these experiences build up over time, it can leave people feeling stuck, overwhelmed, or emotionally exhausted.
Therapy is not about blaming relationships or finding fault. It is about understanding the emotional impact of what you have been carrying.
Food, Emotions, and Coping
For some people, emotional strain also affects their relationship with food.
You might notice yourself:
- Eating for comfort when feeling low or disconnected
- Losing your appetite during stress or conflict
- Feeling caught in cycles of restriction and overeating
- Using food to soothe difficult feelings
These patterns often make more sense when viewed through an interpersonal lens. Food can become a way of coping when emotions feel difficult to express, manage, or share with others.
This is one of the reasons I have recently developed a collaborative IPT and dietetic pathway for binge eating support bringing together emotional and practical care in a compassionate, joined-up way.
You Don’t Have to “Earn” Support
A lot of people delay therapy because they think:
- “Other people have it worse.”
- “I should be coping better than this.”
- “Maybe I just need to try harder.”
But emotional pain does not need to reach a crisis point before it deserves attention.
Sometimes therapy simply offers a space to pause and understand yourself more clearly especially when life has felt emotionally heavy for a long time.
A Gentler Approach to May
This month, instead of asking yourself:
“What should I have achieved by now?”
You might gently ask:
“What do I need more of right now?”
Support?
Rest?
Connection?
Understanding?
Space to talk honestly?
Those questions matter.
Moving Forward at Your Own Pace
May is often described as a month of growth but growth does not have to be dramatic to be meaningful.
Sometimes it begins quietly:
- Feeling slightly less alone
- Understanding your emotions more clearly
- Responding to yourself with less criticism
- Beginning to believe that things could feel different
If you have been struggling with your mood, relationships, or emotional eating, you do not have to work it out on your own.
Therapy can offer a place to begin gently, collaboratively, and without judgment.
Contact Jane via 01470 517214 or email janetaylormadeipt@gmail.com