Spring wellness is all about staying balanced.

This article gives you simple spring wellness guidelines to reduce stress and anxiety so you can thrive as the weather gets warmer.

Times of transition are unsettling.

Transition by definition means things are shifting faster than usual, in more noticeable ways.

Spring mirrors the transition you experience every morning.

Nature is waking up, and after a few months of winter, parts of you that were asleep are waking up too.

What was cold and immobile is starting to thaw and expand.

Energy is picking up momentum.

But just like in the morning, you might feel groggy and heavy during this transition.

If you’re out of balance, you might also feel stressed, overwhelmed, anxious, and like you can’t keep up.

There’s movement all around you in spring, and if you’re not prioritizing spring wellness strategies, all those changes can make you feel a lot worse.

Because what happens in the environment outside of you has a direct impact on what happens inside of you.

But when you know how to align yourself with the energy of the season, spring can be one of the most productive, joyful, and transformative times of the year.

Instead of feeling overwhelmed, impatient, and frustrated, you find yourself bursting with energy, creativity, and enthusiasm.

When you prioritize spring wellness strategies, stress and anxiety can melt with the snow so ease and confidence can start to blossom.

Sounds pretty sweet, doesn’t it?

It is.

I know from personal experience.

Once I learned about aligning myself with the energy of the seasons everything that I wanted in life started to come a lot more easily.

I stopped feeling like I needed to push so hard.

I began to realize that with just a little bit of awareness and intention, I could allow things to unfold for me with very little effort on my part.

And there is no time of year when this is more true than in spring.

Because spring is when nature’s energy is already accelerating up and out.

All you have to do is catch a wave and ride it.

But just like with surfing, it’s a good idea to make sure you have a solid idea of what you’re getting into before you try to stand on a board and harness all that power.

So let’s talk about the qualities that are dominant in spring, and then I’ll give you a few spring wellness guidelines so you can keep your balance as the seasons shift.

These are based on the wisdom of Chinese and Indian Ayurvedic medicine traditions, which have been helping people live and feel better for thousands of years.

Practice these regularly and you could find yourself coasting through spring’s barrel waves like a pro surfer.

Here’s what’s happening in spring:

In spring, the weather is all over the place.

One moment it’s snowing, the next it’s warm enough to go out in a t-shirt (hello layers!)

In most places, the qualities that dominate spring are windy (movement, shifting), cool, heavy, and soft.

(Of course, the specifics of your environment might be different, and it’s important to look at your unique situation to see what’s really going on for you. It’s always ok to adjust your diet and lifestyle to balance the qualities that are dominant where you are.)

The restlessness of nature waking up is counteracted by the heaviness of melted ice and rain saturating the soil.

Energy that was growing beneath the surface all winter now starts thrusting itself up and out to manifest in the visible world.

Spring is when plans are made, creativity is at an all-time high, and pushing power peaks.

But you can’t harness any of the expansive, exciting, and powerful energy of spring if you’re living out of sync with it.

For spring wellness, look out for these weedy springtime symptoms that only pop up when you’re out of balance:

• Anger and frustration
• Stress and anxiety
• Loss of appetite
• Bloating
• Loose or irregular stools
• Sinus or chest congestion, runny nose
• Seasonal allergies
• Lethargy, lack of motivation
• Headaches, especially on the sides or top of your head
• Feeling of heaviness
• Deep and dull muscle discomfort

For optimal spring wellness, you want to emphasize warming, light, dry, and mobile qualities in yourself and avoid the stagnation that leads to stress and anxiety.

Here are some spring wellness guidelines to stay balanced and reduce stress and anxiety:

• Go to bed within 3 hours of sunset and wake up with the sun
• Get your heart pumping and break a sweat at least a few times a week, preferably outdoors and in the morning (but really whenever, wherever you can get some cardio in is the right time and place to do it!)
• Spend time daydreaming and then make solid action plans
• Let your creative juices flow
• Use a neti pot to clear your nose
• Only eat when you’re hungry, stop eating when you’re about 80% full

And let’s take the food theme a bit further, because what you eat has a huge impact on how you feel, both physically and emotionally.

To stay balanced in spring and reduce stress and anxiety, you want your food to be warming, light, and drying.

Eat More:

• Bitter and pungent vegetables, like arugula, dandelion greens, mustard greens, asparagus, and brassicas like broccoli, Brussels sprouts, cauliflower
• Astringent fruits, like berries, dried cherries, apples, and raisins
• Pungent spices, like ginger, chili powder, black pepper, and turmeric
• Drying grains, like barley, rye, millet, amaranth, buckwheat, and corn tortillas
• Light proteins, like beans, lentils, white meat and fish
• Sprouts
• Lightly cooked and crunchy foods

 

Eat Less:

• Cold foods like smoothies, raw salads, and sandwiches
• Dairy products
• Heavy fruits like dates, figs, and banana
• Wheat
• Sweeteners
• Heavy fats, like fatty meats, avocado, nuts
• Salt

When you prioritize these spring wellness guidelines, you’ll notice yourself feeling lighter and freer in body, mind, and spirit.

Adjusting your lifestyle to complement your environment is powerful medicine.

But don’t take it from me, try this out for yourself!

Use these spring wellness guidelines and you’ll be amazed at how much more energy and ease you feel.

The more you tune yourself to nature’s rhythms, the less stress and anxiety you’ll experience over time.

I can’t wait to see where this takes you!

Want to learn more? Check out these books:

Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom by Acharya Shunya

Ayurveda: The Science of Self-Healing by Dr. Vasant Lad

The Everyday Ayurveda Cookbook by Kate O’Donnell

Healing with Whole Foods by Paul Pitchford

Nutritional Healing with Chinese Medicine by Ellen Goldsmith

Staying Healthy with the Seasons by Elson M. Haas

Women’s Power to Heal Through Inner Medicine by Maya Tiwari