It’s time to wake up from your long winter nap! If you’ve been getting your dopamine from a screen and your vitamin D from a tablet, don’t panic.
Spring can be a gentle season of reawakening.
The natural cycle of winter into spring brings a shift in our minds and our bodies, but we aren’t always aware of it when we’ve been so busy distracting ourselves with holidays, New Year’s resolutions, and a job that never fluctuates with the seasons.
But if you’ve noticed the slump – feeling lethargic, less motivated, and disrupted sleep patterns – it’s time to reset your energy levels before your stress hormones get the better of you. Here are 13 spring awakening tips to help you do just that.
1. HAVE A GREAT BIG YAWN AND KISS THE DARK GOODBYE.
The sun is creeping back and you should be there to meet it! Deep breathing stimulates your energy levels, whether you’re outside enjoying a brisk day or inside your car or office. Oxygen is something we take for granted, but shallow breathing is a normal pattern when you’re static in front of a screen all day or sleeping – aka winter habits. Deliberately taking in some fresh air along with fifteen minutes of sun exposure will signal your body that it’s time to wake up.
2. STRRRRETCH!
Moving every day doesn’t have to mean training for a marathon, especially if high-energy sports do not suit your Enneagram type. Don’t default to fight or flight, overthinking your exercise goals. Try a gentle, welcoming balance that fits with spring, like adding a personality-appropriate exercise that can be practiced online in the comfort of your living room. Yoga, for example, is like a giant stretch after a long nap and can be thought of as self-massage.
3. PUT THE CAFFEINE AND SUGAR DOWN AND PICK UP A GLASS OF WATER INSTEAD.
You used coffee to replace the adrenaline that’s in short supply during slumber season. While it’s crucial to hydrate during the dry months of winter, you may not have achieved it because caffeine is a diuretic. Dehydration stunts energy. Take a hint from spring’s flow of water through rainfall, ice flow, and snowmelt. If the earth is ready for a big drink of water, so are you. Let it all soak in.
4. CANS AND CARBS ARE FOR WINTER—EASILY STOCKPILED AND REQUIRED FOR SURVIVAL.
Those winter pounds we gain are as perennial as a snowstorm. If we are mindfully shifting, we can slowly swap out our pasta with the obvious springtime replacements: greens. Fresh produce is on the way, but now is a great time to start your garden. Indoor potting lets you keep fresh herbs year-round and sprout seeds to be set out after the last frost. It’s time to pull out the seed catalog and plan a fresh summer garden full of energy-inducing greens.
5. TRY A NEW RECIPE.
In addition to mental exercise, everything about cooking teases the senses awake. A new spicy scent, a fresh flavor combination on your fork, or the sound of the chopping board as you rhythmically dice an onion stimulates curiosity as well as dopamine. Did you know that your personality type can predict which flavors you like? Concocting a new smoothie, herbal tea, or vegetable juice that’s just right for you can be fun and will keep the vitamins in and leave the sugar crash out.
6. LIGHT A GENTLER FIRE.
The fireplace roared through winter, both aggressive and defensive energy unnecessary in spring. Candlelight signals a distinct new energy level, and you can reset it through a fragrance in your environment. First, figure out your stress responses by personality type. Then if you need calmer energy, try lavender, chamomile, bergamot, sandalwood, ylang-ylang, vanilla, rose, or jasmine. To raise your energy levels, reach for eucalyptus, peppermint, orange, lemon, rosemary, clary sage or cinnamon.
7. BRING HOME A BOUQUET.
Nothing says spring like fresh flowers, and the more, the merrier. Fill your space with your favorite colors, shapes, and textures, and don’t forget to add a couple of green houseplants to supplement. Take it up another level and hang bird feeders outside your window for more pops of color, then take a hint from their springtime revelry and enhance your visual boost with audio. Turn on some music to complete the mood, whether it’s classical or dance music.
8. IS IT TIME FOR A PET?
If you’ve been putting it off because kittens and puppies are so much work initially, this might be a good use of these last weeks of winter. By the time the lanes are dry, you’ll be ready with a new walking buddy or someone to tell your tales of adventure to when you return. If you can’t bring home a new pet, consider volunteering at a local shelter to get your fill of energy-boosting cuddles and kisses.
9. PLAN YOUR VACATION.
Just browsing those photos of the island paradise and watching the surf crash up against pristine beaches will give you a glow. Take your favorite summer outfit out of the closet and hang it on the door as a promise. If you’re planning a road trip, our free road trip personality test can help you visualize the road trip of your dreams!
10. LOOK IN THE MIRROR AND SMILE.
Remind yourself why you love that face! It’s time to treat yourself to a mani/pedi or a shave and a haircut at an upscale salon. Maybe you want to stay in for a bubble bath. It could be that you just need to hire a babysitter for a day and treat yourself to the bliss of silence. Whatever floats your boat and puts some pep in your step, it’s time to put it on the calendar this week.
11. CALL A FRIEND.
Need I say more? It’s the fastest way to a smile. You know who your people are and which ones can boost your energy with only a few words. Call someone who makes you laugh, don’t text them! The voice is irreplicable and so are relationships. Don’t forget to set a coffee date for later where a hug or a handshake will instantly boost your dopamine. If you join a club, learn a hobby, or participate in anything fun that includes interaction with people, it will give a big boost to your energy levels.
12. CLEAR THE SPACE PHYSICALLY TO CLEAR THE SPACE MENTALLY.
Yes! Your great granny’s spring-cleaning frenzy was not because she was bored – she knew a fresh nest makes room for fresh attitudes. “Out with the old” will make space for whatever new things are headed your way this year. Her year-round routines were a steady, visual reminder that not every season has the same tasks, the same shifts in atmosphere, or the same energy levels. She worked with the seasons, not against them and everything was right in its own time. If the mere thought of cleaning brings you out in hives, we have some creative spring-cleaning tips for your Enneagram type to motivate you!
13. SLEEP.
It’s the #1 way to reset your energy levels in both mind and body. If your body’s internal clock is resetting in a subtle way and if your sleep routine is suddenly not working out, ask yourself what your body needs. Maybe your winter weekend habits, drinking habits, or eating habits are throwing it off. Be mindful and unwind before bed deliberately with any of the tactics on this list so you can wake up feeling springtime fresh.
Don’t let the list intimidate you. If you need some gentle persuasion to wake up and take that first baby step into spring, here’s a little something for you by The Beatles.
Source: truity.com ~ By: Jolie Tunnell ~ Image: Canva Pro