Tips for Surviving Spring
Spring can be a joyous time for some and for others it can bring on more unwanted stress. Our therapists have put together some tips to help you enjoy your spring and minimize the amount of stress you feel this month.
Eat your meals outside
If you have a hard time finding time or space to get outside, eat your meals outside. I love eating lunch outside, it helps to break up my work day and gives me a boost during the day. If you can’t do that, just open your front door. It’s still cool enough to not heat up your house, but not so cold that it will bring down your house temp.
Plant something
Touching dirt, earth, mud can ground you to the earth and decrease the anxieties that come with spring.
Free up your to-do list
Minimize – your clutter, your schedule, your commitments. What do you truly value – time with family and loved ones? Building your career? Freedom to relax? To be outdoors? Are you putting energy into those things: if not – what are the barriers? What would an ideal day look like – what’s one step you can take today to start creating that?
Start to notice if you are putting pressure on yourself to ‘make the most’ of spring or summer. I often get anxious knowing I want to savor the summer and enjoy it to the max. That pressure actually makes me feel more agitated than excited. When you start to feel like you have to fill up your calendar and check off all your bucket list items, try to come back to non-judgement and enjoy whatever moment you are in.
Schedule time to do something fun or pleasurable. Often, waiting for the time to present itself will not happen. Don’t wait for burnout, be preventative.
Practice grounding yourself
Practice grounding yourself in the moment. What do you see, hear, touch, smell and taste. Connect w your five senses, narrate in your head how you would describe what you’re experiencing w your senses.
Do it when you’re taking a walk or while you’re doing the dishes, try it when you’re anxious. This uses the same part of your brain that anxious thoughts occupy. So if you increase mindfulness, it will be harder for your anxiety to compete for your focus. If those thoughts start intruding, just acknowledge it and come back to describing. It’s a helpful way to put you back in the driver seat of your thoughts. It is also a way to enrichen a neutral moment and increase vibrancy in your everyday life.
Be intentional
Pause – what do you hope to get out of going on social media right now? For which reason are you working out? What need is that food fulfilling? How much time do you want to spend playing that video game? How much overtime do you want to put into your job? Does it align with what you want to get out of your day/week/year?
Identify the need you’re trying to fulfill with it – is there a better way to meet that need? Identify why you’re choosing it and your life starts to feel more empowered and in-control.
Being intentional is a good way to make sure that how you spend your time aligns with what you want out of your life.
If you’re still feeling overwhelmed and stressed try talking to someone. A trained therapist can help you work through your thoughts, feelings and emotions to allow more of the feelings and sensations that we need like connection, happiness, and a sense of control.