Embracing the Beauty of Spring

”The Earth laughs in flowers.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson

The sun has returned, bringing its healing rays of life and warming our skin once more. Animals, much like many of us, are emerging from their hibernation, ready to re-engage with a life where the flowers bloom and days are longer.

Read on, to learn of some of our suggestions on how you can embrace the springtime fully and better your mental health:

1. Connect with nature, the sun and those you care for  

Sunlight plays a big part in effecting our mood, so now that it has returned in all its glory, it’s the perfect time to go outside and explore the natural beauty of the UK.Spend a day to wander among the grassy plains of meadows, eat a picnic outside and listen to the world around you, adventure in a forest and follow a trickling stream wherever it may lead (keep your phone handy so you can get back!).  

Reconnect with friends outside, hiring bikes to go for a bike ride in the park or spend the day together lazing in the sun. Time spent with those you love is never time wasted.  Being outside in sunlight and connecting with nature is shown to reduce stress, encourage relaxation and enhance mood stability, whilst spending time with those you care about could be the perfect thing coming back from the loneliness that winter can bring.

2. Welcome change and champion growth  

Just like the season, is this time for you to make some changes? Ask yourself what is no longer serving you, the main culprits here often being work or relationships. But remember: approaching what’s not working and then taking steps towards what you want is a process. It’s not easy.Using the inspiration of the seasons, can you open your heart to the ebb and flow of life?

What steps is it you need to take along the way? You may find, for example, you wish to grow yourself creatively but fear the time and energy that could be wasted in this… Is it worth reaching out to someone you know who has pursued this endeavor?

Asking for help? Is this a step towards change that would move you closer towards the life you want?

Change is often hard, especially due to the constraints of our lives, so any small step you take in this direction deserves to be celebrated and praised. Make sure you share it with your loved ones and get the acknowledgement you deserve!  

3.  Give yourself what you need - Springtime is the season symbolic of hope. That’s why perhaps the most important thing is exploring what you need for hope to flourish for you.

Moment by moment, try and check-in with yourself compassionately and ask what is it you truly need right now. What’s a small thing, the smallest thing, that you can do to move towards that?

Whether it’s stretching your neck and back to release some tension, making yourself a cup of tea and having a break from work, lighting a scented candle of your favourite smells or messaging your friends to arrange a dinner date… We all have different things that would make us feel more hopeful in the moment.So, ask yourself: what would inspiring a sense of hope look like for you right now?

There’s no right or wrong answer. If you’re not sure, that’s okay. Maybe that’s just a sign that it’s time to explore what pursing joy means for you, moment by moment, more often.

Highlights & Updates

• Follow the Power to Live Podcast now on Apple Music and Spotify!Episode two is live now - listen to an interview with our trainee therapist, Soumya Singh.In this episode, Soumya explores how training as a therapist has developed her own sense of self and how she now views her vulnerabilities. Come “behind-the-scenes” with what it feels like to become a therapist in this powerful interview.

  
  

• If you are a client of ours willing to be interviewed about your therapy journey, or if you’d like to take part in real life therapy to be recorded for podcasting, then please get in touch!We’re offering you two free sessions with Power to Live and an Amazon token for £25 alongside the experience.  Email us at podcast@powertolive.uk to take part.  

  
  

• We currently have no waiting list!This means you can access our therapy service and be set-up with one of our lovely therapists within one week!If you or someone you know is looking for affordable therapy, now is a good time to come to us to receive support without a wait. Please see the pricing on our website here.

• We are thrilled to announce our new partnership with the British Film Editors!The British Film Editors are a non-profit association of film and television editors, who celebrate the art and science of film editing. They promote the importance of community to their members, highlight contributions editors bring to storytelling and champion their members and new talent.We are delighted to be working together!