THE EDIT: SPRING FEVER
It’s almost here – the end of February, with March just around the corner, and we’re all breathing a sigh of relief – a hint of spring in the air! After the gloom of winter, this season has to be one of my favourite times of year. Spring has such a distinct feeling to it – the days are getting longer, the air is fresher, the daffodils are out and everyone’s mood starts to lift. With everything coming back to life, it’s a time for new beginnings and rejuvenation. So with our energy levels beginning to soar again, here are a few of my top tips to embrace the season for change and put a spring back in your step.
Start Walking
If you’ve been hibernating indoors all winter, spring is all about getting outside again and the perfect time to get back into regular exercise. I’m a big fan of the gym, but nothing beats the distinct fresh air of spring to clear your head and enjoy the beauty of nature as everything starts coming back to life. Research shows that regular walking helps us to stay healthy, live longer and lifts our spirits. Walking gives me time to reflect and has to be one of the best mood enhancers I know – good for the mind, body and soul. And it’s so accessible to all of us as one of the easiest and cheapest ways to keep fit!
Eat Well
Our bodies have a way of telling us exactly what we need as each season comes along, and as we move into spring we naturally crave lighter, fresher foods that cleanse and nourish the body after all of the comfort food we’ve indulged in over the winter. Everything that’s in season – citrus fruits packed with immune-boosting vitamin C, crisp salads, new seasonal greens – the list is endless, and they all contain the antioxidants that nurture our bodies and increase our energy levels. This is the time to get rid of unhealthy eating habits that have built up over the winter – AND it means getting ourselves back into shape for the summer!
Embrace New Opportunities
To me the start of spring seems to symbolise new beginnings and opportunities. It’s all about positive change and motivation – out with the old and in with the new! And the changes we make don’t have to be big ones – often it’s the little things that have the greatest impact on our wellbeing and give us the extra energy and confidence we need to do more. It can be anything, from studying a new language, taking up yoga, decluttering the home, to a more significant goal like moving house or changing jobs. Simply taking on something new creates a platform for success and in turn boosts our self-esteem.
Plan a Holiday
There’s something about the first hint of spring – about finally emerging from a seemingly endless winter – that has us all trawling through the holiday websites looking for that perfect destination. Just knowing we’ve got something to look forward to keeps us sane, and studies show that planning and anticipating a trip can make us happier than actually taking it! We have the prospect of basking in tropical sunshine, cruising down a river or exploring a new city ahead of us. This is the best time of year to sit down with family and friends and start planning that trip, because half the joy of travel is in the anticipation.
Take Stock of your Wardrobe
As we step out of the drab, dark wintry days, nothing can be more liberating or add that extra surge of confidence than embracing a new look for the new season. It’s too easy to hold on to the greys and blacks, the huge knits and the endless layers that seem to accompany this time of year, but with the first hint of spring in the air, this is the perfect time to take stock of your wardrobe and start adding a splash of colour. Research shows that colours can have a significant effect on our mood and the way other people respond to us. So this is the time to bring out those brighter colours – the greens, yellows and vivid blues that represent spring – and introduce a bit of colour therapy into the new season.
