Where flowers bloom, so does hope.
Lady Bird Johnson
But the new season marks an end to the cold, dark nights of winter, and hopefully, to at least some of the restrictions we’ve been living under
As bleak as this winter might have been, it’s definitely given us a chance to assess what’s important to us. What are the things we’ve missed the most? Who are the people we miss being around? When spring comes we can take forward what we’ve learnt and cultivate a deeper appreciation of the things we took for granted before. Life might start to resume its usual hectic pace before long, so I think it’s important to use spring as an opportunity to stay grounded and take care of ourselves, in whatever way we need that to be.
A spring clean is to declutter, refresh, and renew the physical space and environment around us. Applying this concept to our minds will mean something different for everyone, because we are all unique and in need of different forms of self-care. But in whichever way it manifests, we all still need to take the time to look after ourselves and recharge our batteries, and this year it is more important than ever. Going into lockdown and having restrictions placed on our lives was a big change, and something we all had to adapt to. And now, coming out of lockdown and letting life slowly go back to normal is another big change, and something that will once more require us to adapt. Spring is an opportunity to re-energise ourselves before we go back into the world.
When I think of the times that I’m really feeling good, it’s when I have all the above in check, and I’m making myself and my wellbeing a priority
Whatever your usual self-care rituals are, there are some basic ingredients that will help all of us to reset ourselves: sleep, water, nutritious food, fresh air, and movement. These fundamental aspects of our wellbeing are often overlooked in commercialised self-care marketing, and can be the things we all too often forget about. But not having consistent sleep, or enough water, healthy foods, and exercise impacts on our physical and mental health. When I think of the times that I’m really feeling good, it’s when I have all the above in check, and I’m making myself and my wellbeing a priority.
Spring is the perfect time for us to start looking after ourselves again, as the warmer weather encourages us to step outside and drink in the fresh air, feel the sun on our skin and know that better days are coming! Let’s take care of ourselves and focus on the things that make us feel good this spring.