With the passing of the first day of spring, there are brighter days ahead of us. For some of us, that is news we desperately needed to hear. The long, dark winter days are okay when Christmas is coming, and even for a short while in the new year. However, after a while, the dreary days start to get to you.
Some of us get to work or school and it’s still dark or overcast, and by the time we are leaving the sun has already set. We become low on vitamin D, energy and often motivation. The Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders, considers what we often refer to as the winter blues to be a very real and persistent disorder, called Seasonal Affective Disorder. If this winter, or any other, were significantly hard for you, you’re not alone.
Lucky for us, spring is finally here! It’s time to work through the rut that winter placed you in and focus on bigger and better things. Now, this may be easier said than done. However, there are so many things that spring offers to help you out!
First, the warmer weather leaves no room for excuses that keep you inside. Go for a walk, or better yet, a run! Find your motivation, and you will find your way back. Even just sitting outside to read a book, instead of staying cuddled up inside is great. Last summer I decided to invest in a hammock and it was such a great decision! It helped encourage me to sit outside and soak in the sun, whether I was reading or writing or even just taking a quick five or ten minute break from life.
Not only is getting out in the warm weather good for your mental health, but it’s great for your physical health. Going for regular walks, or going for a hike, are all great ways to get back in shape and see improvement in your physical health. This can help boost energy levels and help improve sleeping patterns. These factors help contribute to your motivation and then further, to contribute to a productive day of work/school.
There’s something unique about walking outside on a cold winter day. If the sun happens to be out, which sometimes seems rare, it can be absolutely breathtaking to see the luminous reflection of the snow and ice. On the days where we aren’t lucky enough to see the sun, it’s no longer bright and encouraging. We start to see the world as if it’s conveyed in black and white film. It sucks the colour out of our vision, and inevitably, out of our lives. I don’t know about you, but my winter wardrobe mostly consists of various shades of grey and black.
The emergence of spring brings with it some much needed colour. This ambiance does more than just freshen our visual palettes, it gives us hope. It tells us that we should take risks, wear new things, go new places, meet new people. It brings new growth and reasons to try new food. It tells us that just as there are a million colours around us all at once, so are the endless opportunities. It tells us that despite how we are feeling, the world can be a bright place.
Spring is the break so many of us desperately need. It’s a fresh start, an opportunity to grow along with the world around us. It’s the producer of new things, new opportunities and new people. It’s a chance to leave behind a place in your mind that was holding you back, and telling you that you weren’t enough. You are enough, and now it’s time to prove that to yourself.
Featured image via Oleg Magni on Pexels
