Danielle Peterson

We’ve made it! Spring is finally and officially here! As much as I love winter, and I really do! I am always a little bit relieved when Spring is finally here again, with her reassurance that energy and abundance will soon pick up again.

Spring, with her longer days and warmer nights. Her birds chirping, bees buzzing and flowers blooming!

While winter is a time for rest and renewal, by the end of it, I often feel myself a little rest-less! and anxious to no longer slow down but speed up and bloom. My heart and mind are teeming with projects, dreams and ideas for the year ahead, and I feel energized and renewed and ready for a more active kind of self-care.

In recent years, our society has finally recognized the importance of meaningful self-care. Self-care can mean a lot of different things to different people, and it can look different for each of us throughout different stages of our lives. But it’s important that we are taking time to do the things that fill our buckets with joy, energy, and peace, in whatever form best suites our needs.

At one point in my life, I was feeling so stressed and overwhelmed that I found it very difficult to take the time for self-care practices. Whenever I tried, I found myself feeling guilty- thinking, “how can I be taking time to do X, Y, Z for myself when I have A, B, C that I really should be getting done instead?” It was at this point that a good friend of mine helped me to see that self-care isn’t about avoiding the things that we “should” be doing; it’s more like putting on an oxygen mask to help us survive the turbulence in an airplane. While it may seem like a trivial thing, without it we would pass out before we could do anything else we needed to do. By taking that little amount of time and effort to take care of ourselves first, we are then able to tackle the other tasks that need our attention much better than we could have without it.

Life will always be full of to-do’s and should do’s, and that won’t change. But science and psychology are showing that by taking time for self-care- even just 5 or 10 minutes!- we enable ourselves the power, strength, revitalization, and energy that we need to tackle those to-do’s more effectively.

As we grow and develop through different stages, our minds and bodies change. We are focused on different goals and dealing with different challenges; our bodies go through physical changes and adapt to the stages we are in. And that means that our self-care routines may change a little at different times in our lives.

And just as our self-care routines may change through different seasons of life, they can also change through the different seasons of each year.

So today, I thought I would start a series, exploring some of the different activities that refill my emotional, physical, spiritual, and mental tanks with each different season.

I hope they inspire you to take some time to fill your tank, so that you have the energy and power you need to tackle the tasks that life throws your way; whatever season of it you may find yourself in.

1) Take a walk in the sunshine:

As the weather starts to warm up, it can be so nice to get outside again and enjoy the warmth of the sun on your skin and the change in the air from a frozen chill to a warmer breeze.

2) Do some gardening:

Science has shown that gardening has a lot of positive benefits, not just on our bodies but on our minds and moods as well.

3) Buy yourself some flowers:

As Miley Cyrus has recently reminded us- you can buy your own flowers! And why not? While flowers can be fun on special occasions like valentines, I find a similar joy in picking out a bouquet for myself on a random Tuesday that felt like it needed a little brightness added to it.

4) create some art

Enjoying some form of art- be it watercolor, sketching, oil painting, sculpting, etc. Can be a great outlet and method of self expression. If you are working through something difficult and can’t seem to find words, maybe try expressing the feelings through art. It may or may not become a designer piece, but I bet it will help you to feel a little better.

5) have a spa day- facials, mani, pedi, the works

I am one of those people who usually chips my nails too often to have them painted regularly, which is maybe while it feels a little extra special when I do. But I still love getting pampered. There is nothing better than a good soak in the tub, a foot massage, facial, or a fresh set of cute nails to help you feel brand new.

6) do some deep cleaning

Deep cleaning is not always my idea of fun or relaxing. But I have learned that not only does it declutter and organize my physical space, it also helps me to declutter and organize my thoughts and my mind. Usually I have more extra burden floating around up there then I realize and a good deep cleaning also helps to lighten my mental load and help me feel refreshed.

7) (re)Learn a skill

Spring is a great time for reawakening not just in nature, but in our lives as well. Whether it’s an old hobby that’s fallen by the wayside, or a new skill that you have been telling yourself “someday” you’ll get around to- let today be the day that you start again and give it a try.

8) Take on a home DIY project

This one comes, for me, with a mental word of caution to not bite off more than I can chew. But Spring is a great time to update the look and feel of your space after a long winter cooped up inside.

9) Give something a fresh coat of paint

Sometimes all it takes for something to feel brand new is a fresh coat of paint. If something in your space is feeling old, tired and worn out but you’re not ready to replace or get rid of it- try a fresh coat of paint for a whole new feel.

10) Enjoy the rainy days

Maybe because I grew up in places with lots of grey, rainy days, I have always loved the sense of renewal and the invitation to take a deep breath and soak things in that rainy days bring.

Where we live now, those rainy days are few and far between, but in some ways that makes them even more special when they come.

Whether you are a rain boots in puddles or a blanket and a good book type of person, look for ways to slow down and refill your tank on the rainy days that come your way. (For me it’s usually puddles, by the way)

11) Find a class in your community

For some time now I have been telling myself that I will take a ceramics class in my local community. I have been putting it off. But not anymore! Life is too short, and there is no time like the present to put yourself out there. Whether for some alone time or with a friend, find a class that speaks to you- painting, cooking, exercise, whatever! Spring is a great time to get out there, and you may even make some new friends with similar hobbies and interests as you along the way.

12) Have a massage

After a long and gloomy winter, our bodies are usually carrying a lot of pent-up stress and feeling. Get some relief and feel like a new person, ready to conquer the world after a nice massage.

13) go on a bike ride

Bike rides were something that my family used to do a lot when we were kids, and then it became something my dad and I did as I got older. It was a great chance to spend time together and enjoy the sunshine and some exercise.

Now I live too far from my family for regular bike rides together, but it’s still something that I enjoy and brings me relief from the stresses of my day.

14) Make a physical change

At the end of winter, it’s easy to feel a little tired of our own company. This is a great time then, to make a change. Whether big or small, drastic or private. Go get yourself the haircut you’ve always wanted but been too scared to try. Change your hair color. Switch it up and try contacts instead of glasses, or vice versa. Buy a new lipstick color, or switch out your winter wardrobe for brighter spring colors. Whatever it is, allow yourself to make a change and become new in some way, for yourself and others.

15) Redecorate

Maybe there’s some artwork you’ve been meaning to hang up. Maybe you’ve been meaning to replace a worn out old rug with something new. Even just changing out your pillowcases and dishcloths can make a world of difference. Whatever it is, allow your space to change with you and help you accomplish the new goals that you have for yourself this year. Sometimes even just rearranging the furniture can make your home feel like a new space and help you to see things around you with new eyes.

I Hope these ideas sparked some of your own and helped you think of some ways to enjoy and relax in this new and blooming season of life.

If you have other ideas to share, or found these helpful, I would love to hear about it in the comments!

Happy Spring!

DP