How’s Your Weather This Week?

6 Jan

In aviation, weather is never just background noise.
It shapes decisions, alters routes, delays departures, and sometimes grounds flights altogether. Crews are trained to assess conditions honestly — not to judge them, ignore them, or push through blindly.

Yet when it comes to our own wellbeing, many of us do the opposite.

We minimise.
We push on.
We stay busy being busy.

As the New Year begins and the Winter Solstice has passed — marking the gradual return of light — this can be a powerful moment to pause and ask a simple question:

How’s your weather this week?

Weather as a Language for How We’re Really Doing

One of the reasons weather works so well as a check-in is because it removes pressure.

You don’t have to label things as stress, burnout, or struggle for them to be real.

Instead, you might recognise:

Clear skies - steady, calm, manageable
Light turbulence - unsettled but under control
Low visibility - uncertainty, fatigue, lack of clarity
Holding pattern - waiting, stuck, conserving energy
Headwinds - effort outweighing progress
Storm systems - pressure building beneath the surface

In aviation, none of these conditions mean failure.
They simply inform the next decision.

Your internal weather works the same way.

The New Year Isn’t a Deadline. It’s a Checkpoint.

There’s often an unspoken pressure at the start of the year to reset, optimise, or hit the ground running. For aviation professionals, this can layer onto an already demanding environment — shifting schedules, disrupted routines, and limited recovery time.

But the New Year doesn’t have to be about acceleration.

With the Winter Solstice behind us, the days slowly lengthen. There is more light ahead — literally and metaphorically. This is a natural point to reflect, not rush.

Instead of asking:

What more can I do?

It can be more useful to ask:

What’s actually going on for me right now?
What conditions am I operating in?
What needs adjusting - not forcing?

Busy Isn’t the Same as Well

Aviation attracts high performers — people who adapt quickly, carry responsibility, and keep going under pressure. Over time, that strength can quietly turn into autopilot.

Staying busy can feel productive.
Staying busy can feel safe.
Staying busy can avoid uncomfortable questions.

But constant motion doesn’t always equal forward progress.

If you’ve noticed yourself:

Moving from task to task without space to breathe
Feeling constantly “on”, even off duty
Struggling to switch off without external coping strategies
Carrying fatigue that rest alone doesn’t resolve

That isn’t a personal failing. It’s information.

Just like weather data, it’s there to support safer decisions - not to criticise.

Identifying Conditions Creates Choice

In aviation, ignoring weather doesn’t make it disappear.
Acknowledging it allows for rerouting, holding, delaying, or sometimes choosing not to depart.

Wellbeing works the same way.

Naming your internal conditions - even privately - creates options:

Small adjustments rather than drastic overhauls
Support before things escalate
Recovery without crisis
Change without career risk

This isn’t about stopping everything.
It’s about flying with awareness.

Moving Forward With Intention

As the year unfolds, there is time.

Time to notice patterns.
Time to identify what drains energy versus what restores it.
Time to consider whether current coping strategies are still serving you.
Time to make changes that support longevity — not just survival.

You don’t have to have all the answers.
You don’t need to justify how you’re feeling.
You don’t need to wait until things break.

Sometimes the most professional thing you can do is pause long enough to check the conditions.

So - as the light slowly returns and a new year opens up…