How the Changing of Seasons Can Benefit Your Emotional Health
Isn’t it crazy to think about how drastically different you can feel during the cloudy, cold months of winter versus the sunshiny, flowery months of spring? Many of us experience a slight shift in mood and personality when the seasons change from one to the next – and especially now, as we enter the warmer months where we spend more time outdoors and forget about the darkness that we may have experienced this winter.
The changing of seasons can positively benefit our emotional health in a variety of ways, and we’re here to remind you of how.
The changing of seasons reminds us,
…that life is ever-changing and ever-shifting.
Think about a time in your life (maybe a season, a moment or a day) when you didn’t feel like yourself. Perhaps you were unhappy and feeling disinterested, or maybe you were anxious and irritable. Did these feelings last forever? Although they felt very real and never-ending in the moment, there is a great chance that today, you are feeling extremely different from how you did back at that time.
This is a perfect example of how seasonal change is related to our lives. Just as the seasons change in our personal lives (for example – a season of sadness after loss of a loved one may turn into a season of gratitude and reminiscing), the seasons of the earth change and remind us that life is always heading in new and encouraging directions.
…that nothing lasts forever.
Similar to the above, the changing of winter to spring reminds us that nothing in this life lasts forever. No hard conversation, season of depression or anxiety, breakup or divorce, busy season at work, or difficult day lasts for eternity. These moments and seasons pass, just like the good ones! This encourages us to savor and be grateful for the moments and seasons that are wonderful and good, while also recognizing the important learning opportunities that exist in the moments and seasons that are hard.
…that there is always a chance to start new.
Entering a new earthly season is a great reminder that there is always a chance to start over. Maybe you have been struggling in the fitness department and want to get back into a good fitness routine, or perhaps you haven’t been cooking as much as you’d like and want to start meal-prepping again. Each new season presents an opportunity for you to start fresh! How can you take advantage of that this spring?
…that there is always something to look forward to.
Sometimes, we get so stuck in the business of our day-to-day lives that we forget about the fun and exciting things that we may have ahead of us! With a new season, there is always something to look forward to. Right now, maybe you look forward to the first green buds appearing on the trees, the 70 degree afternoons spent at the park, the 5k race that you’re participating in in May, or the final few months before summer. There is always something upcoming to be excited about, and spring reminds us of this.
…that there is beauty in everything.
Whether it’s the first snowfall of winter or the sound of church bells at your son’s springtime wedding, each earthly season and season of life has something beautiful within it. Even the darkest moments in time appear beautiful in hindsight because of the learning and self-growth that happen within them. How can you see beauty in the season that has just passed, or the upcoming?
How do you choose to see beauty and meaning in the changing of seasons? Although sometimes it can be hard to do so, we believe that it’s always worth it to find meaning in life’s most precious, beautiful, trivial or challenging moments. By doing so, we get stronger, experience more feelings of gratitude and peace, and help to optimize our emotional and mental health.
Nest Health Connections
Nest Health Connections is a corporate wellness company revolutionizing health and happiness in the workplace. We create holistic customized wellness programs for employers and their employees.