As winter recedes and we embrace this new season, it can feel as though we are emerging from a time of hibernation and stepping out into the light. While the shorter days and colder nights of winter create a perfect setting for reflection and dreaming, spring is the time to set new intentions into motion. 

Spring, after all, is the season of renewal and new growth. Even the light feels different now, as it illuminates the pinks and bright greens that are the harbingers of the season, with trees budding and flowers blooming all around. The world itself seems to awaken. 

Set intentions

Unlike rigid goals, intentions are aligned with your deeper purpose, flexible and rooted in your value system. Ask yourself what you hope to cultivate in this new season. Like any seedling in the earth, your growth will be gradual; just keep moving toward the light and let the joy you feel determine your direction. 

Do you want to increase your creativity? Deepen your social connections? Grow in a professional capacity? Write down your intentions and come back to them at the end of each week to see what progress you’ve made and what direction you want to move in next. Share your work, imperfect and incomplete as it may be, with friends and colleagues: It will create momentum and keep you moving forward. 

Create space

A great way to begin the season is by spring cleaning your life: physically, mentally and emotionally.

Spring cleaning your home removes built-up dust and allergens after the long winter. Spring is also the perfect time to get rid of things you no longer use and declutter both your home and digital environments.  You’ll feel refreshed and ready to tackle new projects. Remember, you can start small and just do a little at a time: It will soon add up. 

Adapting the spring-cleaning concept to our mental outlook means learning to let go of the stressors and habitual negative thoughts that serve no purpose.  Journaling can help in this endeavor, identifying boundaries you may need to set and helping to create greater awareness and mindfulness in your days. 

Feel the joy

“The earth laughs in flowers.” — Ralph Waldo Emerson

You may notice that you are feeling renewed energy as daylight saving time increases the span of natural daylight, and our serotonin levels rise along with it. Serotonin is the brain’s “feel-good” neurotransmitter and also acts as a hormone, affecting learning, memory and happiness, among other things. 

To maximize it in your life, try getting more morning light — even a short walk in the morning can make a difference in how you feel throughout the day and help you get more sleep at night. Try incorporating outdoor movement, whether through hiking, biking, stretching or tai chi in the park, or by participating in a team sport. You can create an annual springtime morning ritual, waking earlier than usual to experience the sunrise and the beauty of the dawning day as the world awakens around you. 

Spring is a season of growth, change and new beginnings. Enjoy a nature walk, noticing the flowers in bloom. Listen to the birdsong; watch the clouds moving across the sky. Make this a meaningful turning point in your year, as you pivot toward the light and joy.