A Season for Refreshing
As Spring approaches, my mind is flooded with imagery of fresh green newness! Thoughts of earth replenishing herself are invoked, and if you’re anything like me, you may also be thinking about replenishing and refreshing your own life. As the short, cold days of Winter give way to the bright warming light of Spring, I often find myself anxious to mirror this shift in my own day-to-day experience. Spring cleaning — you know, that week or so you take to clean out your closets, scrub the baseboards (yeah, right!) and open the windows — is a tried-and-true example of appropriating that seasonal shift to give ourselves the experience of newness. So I started wondering: how can I do some “spring cleaning” not just in my home, but in my life?
The first thing that came to my mind was taking an assessment of my current routines and habits, weeding out what doesn’t work anymore and looking for places to introduce more of what serves me in this season of my life. For me, this is where my nighttime, skin care and workout routines come under scrutiny. Ubiquitous as they may be in today’s world of wellness and influencing, they can truly be a demonstration of caring for yourself and setting yourself up for consistency, stability and health.
Taking an account of my current mental and emotional landscape was another key— what old mindsets and patterns of reaction am I holding onto from old seasons? Do I need to introduce a therapist for some help? Maybe; and maybe you do, too. And that’s so okay! The plants may not need assistance in shedding what’s old and sprouting what’s new, but sometimes we do.
Finally, I worked on discovering what truly replenishes my soul; looking for those true self-care things, not just pedicures and bubble baths (although for me, baths truly are rejuvenating). Keeping up with consistent Spiritual practices, spending quality time with a close person— not just empty social interaction— are some examples I value in my life. Find what touches the weariness in your soul and build ritual around that.
The newness of Spring need not be relegated to nature. We can appropriate the same idea to make sure we’re keeping up with the changes and evolution in our life, and meeting ourselves where we are. Spring is a season of refreshing, so let’s commit to refreshing ourselves this month and beyond!
Whitney Turner, MFT