Last night, spring arrived, signifying that the days are getting longer and the sun shines more. It's called the spring equinox rather than the solstice because there is now an equal amount of light and darkness received across the Earth. The sun now sits directly over the Earth's equator as it moves northward.
Traditions worldwide celebrate spring as a time of new beginnings and renewal. In agricultural societies, the spring equinox marked the start of the planting season. Many rituals, often with pagan roots, mark the equinox by planting seeds. Eastern wisdom traditions view the spring equinox as a time of cosmic equilibrium, striking a balance between contrary yet interdependent forces – yin and yang, Kali and Shiva, life and death.
Animals and plants have behavioral and physical changes when seasons change. Humans have developed technologies so that bodies no longer must do much to adapt to the changing seasons. Yet, we still adjust our behaviors and have physical and emotional changes in response to the seasons.
More daylight boosts energy in the spring, and people often feel an elevated mood, possibly related to increased serotonin levels. A sense of renewal motivates people to let go of what is no longer helpful or useful: Spring cleaning is both physical and emotional. Reproductive hormone levels rise in women and men in response to more sunlight. Melatonin levels are lower, so many people don't need to sleep as long as they did in the winter months. The body begins to produce more vitamin D, helping to strengthen immune systems. As moods brighten, people may experience memory improvement and bursts of creative energy.
The beauty of spring flowers comes with their release of pollen, and many people start to sniffle and sneeze. For some, temperature changes and spring showers trigger headaches. I had a college roommate who tried everything under the sun to alleviate her troublesome allergy symptoms, but nothing worked, and she was congested and exhausted for a full two months a year.
More common changes occur in peoples' responses to spring, impacting their moods, perceptions, and thoughts. And, of course, there are many variations and individual differences. Western mental health sciences have paid relatively little attention to how we respond to seasonal changes unless our responses are outliers or fall in the category of an illness or pathology; for example, seasonal affective disorder. There is so much to learn about the natural biological rhythms that are our body's response to nature's cycles and how these rhythms impact health and wellness. Understanding our body's response to changing seasons and how it subtly impacts our perceptions, thoughts, and moods is a helpful practice in self-awareness.
Spring fever is an amorphous condition that writers and poets have described for centuries. It manifests in early springtime, and its symptoms include exuberance, restlessness, laziness, friskiness, and daydreaming. It can also present as fluctuating moods and energy levels, especially relative to the prior winter season.
For as long as I can remember, my version of spring fever was the experience of contradictory internal states. I felt exuberance and restless energy, and I would also experience passing states of melancholy that were unique to early spring. As a child and into adulthood, when the malaise visited seemingly out of the blue, it confused me because I didn't know how to make room for it with the buoyancy I had just been experiencing. And it felt out of step with the mood of everyone around me. I didn't have the language or understanding to describe it or share the experience with others.
As a young adult (and psychologist-in-training), I attempted to analyze this seasonal experience, looking for life experiences that may have contributed to or caused it. But the analysis wasn't fruitful because my “spring fever” isn't caused by something historical or outside of myself. However, as with other internal changes, like hormonal ones, our response to what is happening outside is influenced by internal shifts.
Through mindfulness practices such as curiosity, non-judgment, and acceptance, I make room for the full range of experiences that are my body's response to the arrival of spring. The passing malaise that visits with the blossoming of trees is fleeting, even more so because I make room for it, and it adds nuance to the season's buoyancy. I even appreciate the opportunity to play with what no longer feels like opposed polarities, but now is the layered experience of spring.
Learning to be curious observers of our internal states as they fluctuate, whether from seasonal changes or for any other reason, is an insight practice that helps us gain self-understanding. By observing our internal “seasons,” we can better discern our responses to what is happening outside of us and more skillfully respond.
Reflection Practices
How does your body respond to the change of season as spring begins? Do you notice a change in mood or physical changes? Are the changes pleasurable, unpleasant, or neutral?
Write down what you notice.
What, if anything, would you like to welcome into your life this spring? What would you like to cultivate or foster in the coming few months? What would you like to release in an emotional or physical spring cleaning?
I loved this article Li Gracias! In Chinese medicine, each season is associated with one of the five elements: Wood, Fire, Earth, Metal, and Water. The Wood element corresponds to the spring season and is linked to the Liver and Gallbladder organs. Wood energy is characterized by growth, flexibility, and the ability to generate change. When Wood energy is balanced, it promotes creativity, vision, and assertiveness. However, imbalances in the Wood element can lead to symptoms such as rigidity of thoughts, frustration, anger, or stagnation. Chinese Medical Practitioners may recommend treatments such as acupuncture, herbal remedies, dietary adjustments, and lifestyle changes to help restore balance to the Wood element and promote overall health and well-being.