So I would normally have sent out my tips for a healthy, happy spring by now but I paused because of the coronavirus situation.  I questioned if it was relevant or even superficial. Spring is when we welcome the longer, lighter days and a return to a more external life. It’s a time of renewal, growth, vision, inspiration and hope.  And that seems at odds with what’s going on and the distress and fear I’m encountering regularly in my coaching practice.

But you know what, the energy of spring is happening and living in synch with it is a fundamental part of health and well-being.  So how can we tap into the power of spring to help us with what we’re currently experiencing? I’ve tweaked my usual seasonal advice to try and find something that works.

  • Get fresh air and get moving, especially first thing.  Obviously, this has to be based on the current guidelines.  Sunshine and vitamin D exposure is vital for a healthy immune system but this is about so much more. Even if indoors, try and open the windows and position yourself so the sun reaches your skin without going through glass and take in the fresh air.  Take time to watch nature. It’s such a busy time out there and so grounding to get lost in it for awhile.

  • Movement is key, even indoors.   There are so many online classes and tutorials out there.  I can really recommend my friend Jill’s Core Club.  She’s a wonderful Pilates and movement teacher and her classes are so fun and informative.

  • Clean up.  Help the Liver do its job of flushing out toxins with plenty of seasonal, fresh foods.  Avoid foods that stress the Liver like fried or fatty foods, alcohol, sugar and chemical preservatives.  Fruit and veg are still in the shops (especially the small, independent ones), plus tinned and frozen vegetables are packed with goodness too.  Have faith – the supply chains have got this.

  • Forgive & let go.  Old resentments and grudges harm the smooth flow of Qi, the basis of health. We’re all in this together so let’s be tolerant, kind and compassionate. It helps everyone, including ourselves.

  • Take a risk and try something new.  Now this one sounded tricky but actually we may all be about to have a lot of time on our hands. There’s a wealth of potential to learn a new skill, whether for fun, self improvement or perhaps a business opportunity.  There’s online courses and tutorials and I would really suggest that people who can pay for live video call instruction to help the self-employed out – oh, and get a far richer experience.

  • Create order.  Have a sort of your surroundings to make space for the new. It’s likely you’re going to be in your home a lot so why not get those tasks done you’ve been putting off?

  • Make a plan. Imagine what you would like to create in your life and make plans to make these dreams a reality.  And yes, this is possible at the moment. I’m not underestimating the significance of what’s going on and the havoc it’s wreaking, but remembering that there is a future and making positive steps towards it is a great way to provide some balance.

  • Work towards your harvest.  Spring is when we sow the seeds for the future we want.  The energy of spring brings vision. Let’s tap into that energy to work out how we can move forward, individually, as a society, as a world.