Ways to Welcome Spring
Every year, the first day of spring feels like a gift to me. I love seeing trees start to bud, hearing birds chirping outside my window, and knowing that soon it won’t be too cold for long walks outside.
This is the time of year when the Earth seems to wake up. We’re ready to move, grow, flirt, talk, clean out our homes and open our windows and doors.
We can use our natural, instinctual response to this time of year to make changes in our lives. Or, we can just have some fun celebrating a new season.
Spend time outside
Whether in a park or your own backyard, take some time to notice the changes happening in nature.
Go on a walk, or take some time to sit and observe. Notice the birds pairing off; give them names and a story. Look for buds and imagine what they might become.
If there’s a park or outdoor area you’re in regularly, observe the change over the next few months. Take photographs or make drawings and when summer comes, look back through them.
Move your body
As the weather warms up, we naturally become more motivated to exercise. The outdoor world becomes more attractive, and our joints and muscles are less stiff.
Use this energy to kickstart an exercise or movement habit. If you’ve been wanting to move more often, you have instinct on your side this time of year.
Movement doesn’t need to be a workout. Take a walking meditation, or simply stretch your body to wake it up. Use this time to get back in touch with what your body needs.
Eat spring produce
Food tastes better when it’s fresh! Go to a local farmer’s market and enjoy all the wonderful seasonal fruits and vegetables.
During winter, we often eat more, or eat heavier foods; partially due to the weather, our instincts, and of course the holidays. If you’ve been wanting to switch up your eating habits, it’s a great time to enjoy the vegetables and salad greens that come into season this time of year.
Some classic spring foods:
Leafy greens like arugula, kale, swiss chard, and romaine
Asparagus
Mint
Carrots
Strawberries
Kiwi
Lemons
Radishes
If you’re in the U.S., you can use this Seasonal Food Guide to find what’s in season near you during specific months.
Clean + Declutter
Spring cleaning has been around for a long time. It can be traced back to Nowruz, the Persian or Iranian New Year, which falls on the first day of spring; as well as to an ancient Jewish tradition of cleaning before Passover. In the Catholic church, this cleaning happens before Good Friday.
It makes a lot of sense. In spring, it’s warm enough to open all the windows and doors; but not yet hot enough to be overrun by insects.
Spring is a great time for a deep cleaning of your home, and to gain a new appreciation for it in the process.
You can also take this time to go through your belongings and let go of things you don’t need, or that don’t bring you joy. It’s the perfect time to clear your closet; you can discard the winter clothes you didn’t touch all season, and evaluate which summer clothes you can get rid of as well.
Reignite relationships
Spring is the season of love — even according to scientists. Plan a date with your partner or a new love interest.
But that doesn’t just mean romantic love. Especially this year when we’ve all been so isolated, it’s the perfect time to get back in touch with friends and family. Reach out.
As warmth rolls in, hopefully we can all spend more time together safely.
Spring is here! I’m celebrating and I hope you are too.
