There’s a certain something in the air… if you don’t sense it right now, don’t worry because it’s coming very soon! Spring: break, vacation, weddings, fever! The windy, blustery days of early spring are give way to budding trees and blooming daffodils. The birds are migrating and the small animals emerge from their hibernating spots. Frolicing dogs are frisky; lawns and flowers burst into vibrant hues of brilliance. And, if we’re paying attention, people begin to behave differently.
For lots of people, spring brings about the desire to ‘get moving’ and we feel abundant energy. Suddenly we want to take care of things we’ve let go in the winter months (think spring cleaning) We get that much needed burst of momentum that makes us want to reinvent everything!
In the cold winter months, the body produces high levels of melatonin, a hormone that manages sleep-wake cycles. When spring arrives, the ever increasing daylight is registered by a certain light-sensitive tissue in the eye, which tells the brain to decrease the production of melatonin. When the hormone decreases, you feel more awake!
At the same time, levels of another chemical, serotonin, increase in the spring months. This mood-enhancing neurotransmitter gives you the energy boost and enthusiasm that characterize spring fever.
Spring IS coming. The sun WILL come out again. There is an ebb and flow to life that says this is so. So when things seem bleak and blah… remind yourself that all things in life are temporary. You will bask in the sun again, your brain chemistry will make sure this is so.
