Finally, The Spring Has Returned

By ALICE O’BRIEN - Alice O’Brien Counselling, Newmarket

If you’re lucky you might have spotted a few snow-drops peeping up in your garden. Or you may have benefited from the few extra minutes of brightness in the evenings to squeeze a walk into your after-work routine. There are signs for the Spring all around us now; birds are louder in the morning and colour is coming back to the previously bare hedges. After a long Winter, we are emerging into a brighter few months.

There are many mental health benefits to the changing of the season and our emergence from hibernation:

• Most obvious of all is that the brightness entices us to get outdoors, to get moving. And exercise is the biggest tool we have to help us with depression and anxiety.

• Warmer weather prompts us to put the heavy coats away and get outside, increasing our intake of Vitamin D which we are depleted in over the winter. This benefits our overall health and immunity.

• Long out of sight birds and animals begin to re-emerge. Hearing the birds chirping early in the morning can increase our mood and therefore give us more energy to face the day ahead.

• Spring time can be very motivating when it comes to cleaning and tidying or organising our space. This gives us a strong sense of achievement and purpose.

• We can air our space again in the Spring- throwing open our windows and allowing the air to circulate around our space- allowing energy to flow through. Awakening our homes as well as ourselves.

• Our bodies reduce the production of melatonin in the Spring as we are coming out of the sleepy season. This increases our energy and our mood.

So, as we approach the new season, you might be reminded of what you learned in school- Anois teacht on Earraigh. Beigh an la ag dul chun sin eadh. Now with the coming of Spring, the day is getting long.