Are you ready to leave winter behind and  embrace the rebirthing energy of spring? Here’s my 5 top tips!

Are you ready to leave winter behind and  embrace the rebirthing energy of spring? Here’s my 5 top tips!

A woman hiking on a trail surrounded by wild flowers.

If the warmth of the sun has kissed your skin and you have an extra spring in your step, consider some of the following ideas to lighten your load and inspire you into a new season of possibilities!

In the Northern hemisphere, the days are getting longer, the sun warmer and signs of burgeoning life is expressing itself everywhere you look. From daffodils and blossoms, to new shoots and buds and the choir of excited birds greeting each morning with delight, newness abounds! And Like the seeds that have lain dormant over the winter, we, too, are ready to emerge from  hibernation and embrace the renewal that spring brings!

1. Re-visit, re-evaluate and reset your new Year’s Goals.

As the calendar rolls over into a New Year, many of us find ourselves reflecting on the previous year and declaring what we will do differently for the new one. Goals are often set around weight loss, new diets, more exercising, gym passes purchased, fridge stocked with healthy foods and notifications set upon our devices reminding us to drink more water, get up and stretch from our desks, monitor our screen time and wind down for sleep. We commit to more self care, better time management and stronger discipline towards our vices. We charge into the New Year ready to undo a lifetime of formed habits, usually with very little strategy in place.

Before we know it, we’re stopping at the drive thru, “just this once”, the veggies in the fridge have turned to compost, our gym bags hang abandoned in the closet and we are hitting snooze over and over again before dragging our sleep deprived bodies out of bed to do it all over again. So…what happened?

Take a moment to consider what worked and what didn’t? Are there goals you have moved closer towards and feel successful with? Were some of your intentions unrealistic? Did you take small and manageable steps towards introducing new habits into your life? What got in your way?

Spring is a great time to check in with our original goals and re-commit to the ones that feel most authentic to us. A change in season can also create different opportunities to explore health goals you may not have met such as better weather for walking, biking and hiking or more delicious fresh veggies available at your farmers market. Let’s face it, creating goals in the middle of winter, when it is dark all the time and our natural inclination is to slow down, can make bouncing out of bed or choosing salads over potatoes really difficult! I want to also acknowledge that many people are truly derailed by Seasonal Affected Disorder (SAD) through the winter. Supplementing with Vitamin D can help both our immune systems and overall well-being through the months we are deprived of sunlight!

Consider a spring cleanse that includes a clean meal plan (nothing processed, no alcohol, wheat, dairy or sugar), along with a gentle self care program of reflection, gentle movement and other goals you may choose to explore. These resets can be a great kick start to following through with commitments to healthy habits and can often spark the inspiration to keep going.

A health coach can assist with supporting you through creating realistic lifestyle goals and breaking them down into attainable and maintainable steps through habit and behaviour changes. A health coach can also support you through  a safe and effective cleanse if you are feeling the need for a simple reset.

To learn more about how a Coach can support you check out What is Health Coaching

2. Declutter your home, car and office.

One of the most liberating things you can do is declutter your space. How is it that we come to collect SO MUCH STUff? And, equally, why are we so attached to all the material items we collect?

Open the windows, crank up the stereo and take a weekend to purge any unwanted items that are no longer serving you and JUST LET IT GO! I promise it will feel so good!

For many this might be a big and overwhelming endeavour so if need be, pick away at it in free blocks of your time. Closets, clothes, dust collectors, unused or broken items chucked into storage abandoned and forgotten, fridge, freezers and pantry’s are all great places to start. If you get really motivated you could move to filing cabinets, sheds and garages (GULP!). 

Give usable things away and feel good about reducing your load. All that extra stuff is just weighing you down! When you let go of the old, you make room for the new!

Ask yourself if these items bring you joy? Are they practical? Do they serve a purpose in your life? Are you attached to this particular item for a reason? What can you let go of?

Another tip is to become a more mindful and conscientious consumer. Stop the clutter before it starts. Before purchasing something new, ask if you really need it, what is it’s purpose for you and be Careful not to confuse true value with the Raven’s love of sparkly things. If you do need it, can you purchase it second hand?

3. Get outside.

With the weather shifting and the days growing longer, take the opportunity to get outside and take in the beauty of spring. Breathe deep of the fresh air and let the stagnant, indoor air of winter out of your lunds. Take in the sights, smells and sounds of spring and connect with the magic and essence of new life!

Are you present? There is beauty all around you, don’t get so distracted that you let it pass by unnoticed! Be in the magic!

4. Let go of negative thoughts and stories.

Like the rebirth of spring, we can give rise to new thoughts and tend to the garden’s of our minds. What do you want to grow? You get to choose! Is it time to clear away the deadfall, prune back the overgrowth and nurture the beauty awaiting underneath?  

Are you stuck on negative thinking loops or running the 3 am hamster wheel. Are there people in your life that you struggle to forgive or events in your past you keep bringing in to your present? Negative thinking and attachment to the past can keep the light from shining through. Maybe it is time to weed out your mental garden!

There are many techniques such as mindfulness, journaling and meditation that can begin to shift our mental awareness, try something new!

5. Grow a plant.

Watching seeds burst forth through the dirt, or a new baby plant explode with limbs and leaves because all it wants is to grow, is such a satisfying way to connect with the charge of spring energy. Grow some herbs on your window sill or veggies in a garden box or simply get a new house plant and witness the essence of life! Just don’t forget to water them!

Fertilize, water and nurture your commitments and watch them grow!

Consider spending some time quietly visualizing the secret garden that is your life. Imagine yourself walking through the gate, looking around and taking stock. Enter the tool shed and select what you need to tend to your space, then get pulling, pruning, picking and planting to your heart’s desire. It is yours to grow, make it how you like! Are there hearty big trees? Delicate sweet smelling flowers? Birds, bees and butterflies? Remember to always return to your garden and nurture it with love!

Yours in health and Wellness,

Karyn

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Inner Vision Health and Wellness Karyn Lawson RMT INHC