It feels like this winter has been longer than ever. I enjoy seeing the shift as spring starts show us the beautiful changes that can happen after such a period of hibernation. The longer days help bring a little more light into the days and into our lives. I really enjoy getting outside for long walks and nothing feels better than the warmer weather.
As the snow starts to melt it is leaving behind the dirt and residue of the winter, it's a great time to reflect on ways that we can refresh and renew our own schedules and routines. I know for myself, the winter and the isolation of the last two years has affected my health in a variety of ways. While I do believe that this time of slowing down has been a good way to heal parts of me that were stuck in fast forward, there are other parts that I maybe slowed down a bit to much and now are in need of a little bit of TLC.
This week I took a little break to go home and spend Easter and my birthday with family, and it was great to get away and have very little that I needed to do or worry about. It's given me fresh insight for what I want to bring back into focus and some ways that I can start to renew my own energy and bring living life back into focus.
The first thing that I want to focus on is creating routine. While it's been nice to rest and relax and have fewer worries, I've gotten lazy with my own drive and need to find time to plan my schedule to make sure I'm getting in more things that I need. The first two things I need to bring back to my routine are focus on my exercise and meal planning. Living and working from home alone has been great in so many ways, but it's just too easy to go with the flow and do things on a whim and not have the routine that fuels my energy. So.... I've already made my grocery list for next week and will be planning out my cooking so that I have what I need to fuel my body in a healthy way.
Second, I've got all of the tools that I need to exercise, I just need to make a plan for what I'm doing and when. I've been working out at home for the last two years (which I do love), but I think I will start booking time a couple days a week for a gym workout. There is just something a little bit more motivating to be amongst others working towards their goals that makes the routine of exercise a little more committed than just working out at home. The community of seeing others in a positive space helps me mentally to get back on track and back into routine. After the last two years, this is definitely something I've avoided, but I think it's time to get back to it, if even just a couple days a week.
Personally, I feel like I'm ready for a shift out of the cold and dust of the winter and into the fresh new growth that spring can bring. I'm not quite sure what that shift is, but I trust that if I take the steps I'm feeling, it will get me to where I'm supposed to be.
If you're looking for a new fresh start, you're welcome to join me at yoga a couple days a week where I'll commit to stay present for everyone who attends. Yoga has been my one main commitment over time that has kept me in a routine and moving for the sake of myself and others, and it's important that I keep that as well.
What does the shift to spring mean to you? What will you be doing to shift seasons this year?
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