The days are getting longer, the air warmer, and the birds are returning from their southern winter retreat. By mid-March, even a “winter-lover” like me is ready for spring.
I can’t wait to get back into my garden and eagerly await the first blooming daffodils, budding forsythias, and sprouting radishes. Outdoors and in the house, it is time to welcome colors back with a hurrah!
Bring Nature Indoors to Enliven the Senses
Looking to boost your overall performance and enhance your mental well-being? Spring brings a literal breath of fresh air—nature blossoms, and with it, all our senses come alive.1. Vision
Seeing fresh flowers brings spring to life and uplifts your spirits.Hearty hellabores are the first to awaken, along with early-spring bulbs such as snowdrops, crocuses, hyacinths, daffodils, and tulips. You needn’t have your own garden to bring these sweet-smelling beauties into your home—the latter three are widely available in stores.
Researchers noted that yellow flowers elicited a greater sense of relaxation than red or white flowers. However, all flowers had a positive overall effect on health. And, of course, flowers appear at their best in decluttered surroundings, which come with health benefits of their own.
2. Smell
Spring cleaning is not an outdated “ritual” our grandparents performed. In addition to improving functionality, it can also have a psychological effect.Giving your home a good spring polish—washing curtains, deep-cleaning carpets, or dusting frequently overlooked areas—helps remove allergens and reduce harmful airborne particles.
To revive freshness, a simple homemade vinegar cleaning solution, made with equal parts white vinegar and water, will refresh your home naturally. Alternatively, you can add a few drops of dish soap or essential oil to cut grease and add a springtime aroma to your home. However, avoid sweet-smelling cleaners, as they can attract unwelcome pests.
Did you know that your body sheds up to 24 ounces of water weight every night? Normal “nocturnal sweating” occurs through perspiration and respiration, creating a warm, humid microclimate under your sheets, which is ideal for mold spores and mites and can also create a musky smell in your bedroom.
Naturally, other rooms also benefit from the exchange of stale air for the refreshing scent of nature reawakening.
3. Hearing
While snow brings a hush to the winter landscape, spring’s chitter-chatter of lively birds reawakens our senses to nature’s sounds.Hearing birdsong is exceptionally good for our health—it can reduce stress, anxiety, and mental fatigue while improving mood and cognitive function.
4. Touch
Springtime is a wonderful time to engage in projects made with your hands. Activities such as arranging flowers, starting a sewing project, exploring paper crafts, or trying creative cooking can all be spring-themed and enhance mental well-being simultaneously.This spring, I’m focusing my DIY projects on sewing, creating a quilted spring table runner, chicken pincushions, and hanging Easter decorations.
5. Taste
Have you ever thought about tasting spring? Herbs of the mint family, such as lemon balm, catnip, peppermint, or spearmint, are the first to emerge after a long winter. Along with thyme, oregano, and tarragon, they make a delicious spring tea.
See what has survived the cold in the garden, pick the newest shoots, rinse off any debris, add them to a strainer or directly into a cup, and brew with boiling water. After 10 minutes, remove the herbs, add a little of your favorite sweetener (or not), and enjoy the taste of spring.
You can bring the first foods of spring to your table by reinstating your winter-paused trips to the local farmers market, where you'll find fresh seasonal options available locally only at this special time of year.
Regardless of the option you choose to enhance your five senses this spring—whether it’s a single activity or a combination, like building your own bird feeder—each choice will refresh your mind and body while boosting your mood.