How to use the momentum of spring to create positive change in your life

Spring! A time to dig out your favourite jorts, dust off the ol' single-speed, and drag out the flower pots. Our five-ish months of sunlight are fleeting and precious; it's important to get all you can out of these warm weather days. With that in mind, I reached out for expert advice on how to use the momentum of spring to do more than sit on a patio until fall. Here are Janna Comrie, a behavioural psychotherapist, Nicole Mahabir, the director of JAI Wellness, and Brent Bishop, a personal trainer, and founder of Think Fitness Studios, on creating positive changes in these bright and energetic months.

Take advantage of the sunshine

Brent Bishop: Get outside more. Getting out for a brisk walk, run, or hike in the forest and away from city streets can be extremely beneficial for your physical and mental health, not to mention a great stress relief from the common long work week. If weather is cool, dress for it, but get outside and take in mother nature, your body and mind will thank you for it. Consistency is key. Try to make this a regular habit (i.e. get out 3x/week for a 30 minute outdoor immersion).

Nicole Mahabir: Sunlight generally means more vitamin D and better serotonin levels — naturally strengthening our immunity, and our energy levels. From a health perspective, a change of season naturally means a change in our habits is required. This can create a fresh, new feeling in the atmosphere you are usually immersed in, with a sense of freedom and clarity.

Get social

Janna Comrie: Getting social… laughing and joking with friends is a great way to boost energy and it's something that Canadians tend to shy away from over the winter. Joining a league, team, or club can also be a great way to get exercise.

NM: Add some love to your relationships; travel together, try something new together, learn together. Recommit to what you want and remove what you no longer need, such as toxic relationships. It's the time to plant new seeds in all areas of life and to re-establish what you want to grow.

BB: Hire a coach. We all need a coach, to some degree, and the accountability that comes along with it. Make the time and investment to hire a coach, even if it's for just a couple of personal training sessions to get you on track. Set up a program and create some momentum.

Find the right routine

JC: Be conscious of getting good sleep and the activity level that you're at prior to going to bed. With the longer daylight hours it's easy to do yard work until 9:00/9:30 PM. That can be over stimulating right before you try to sleep at 10:00 PM. Give yourself some time to wind down before hopping into bed.

NM: If you want to align with the natural environment, wake up earlier with the sun and start your day off with movement or exercise. If you are struggling with transitional phases or seasons in your life, find consistency in your daily routine. Whether it's waking up and going to bed at the same time, going to the gym once a week at the same time, or seeing friends routinely, this structure can help to ease mental and emotional chaos.

Declutter your home and mind

JC: Another great way to energize yourself during this time of year is to declutter and organize your space. A lot of people find that as the spring cleaning begins, reviewing their wardrobe (keeping only pieces that they feel good in) and eliminating unused items helps to create a sense of accomplishment and space in the mind.

NM: Seasonal transitions are perfect times for cleansing the body, mind, and emotions from feeling lethargic and stuck. Everything thaws out in nature, so your body may naturally feel the impetus for change and the desire to lighten the load on life. Letting go of the old and cleansing your body, mind, and wardrobe will positively affect how you feel, leaving you connected and revitalized for the summer.

Set new goals (and write them down!)

NM: Embodying change is key. It's a great time to plan the latter half of the year and set goals, and an excellent time to have a weekend away to reevaluate a new plan of action on life. Take some space to grow. Here, the guidance would be to pace yourself and plan achievable goals and follow through on them. When we write down our checklist, our mind and emotions don't have to hold on to as much. Writing down what our goals are can help alleviate mental stress, keeping track of our checkpoints in real time for real accomplishment.

BB: Choose an event: an active bucket list vacation; a running event; a hiking event… There's nothing like a tangible event to drive your focus and results. Ramp it up even further by aligning the event (or choosing an event that aligns with) a charity or cause that you believe in. In the time leading up to that event, you will be getting those fitness results and making a difference. No one can take that experience of completion away from you. It is very powerful.

Check in on your lifestyle. Is it balanced?

JC: I would love to see people use the spring to work on establishing a balance between family, work, social, self-care and hobbies. A lot of people put all of their energy into one or two of these baskets and if either of those baskets breaks, it is often accompanied by anxiety and/or depression. Diversifying our balance helps to protect against the stresses that life will throw at us.

NM: Act on the change that you want to see, be courageous and implement a structure that follows through with the momentum of the season. Any goal is possible, so when you set out on the journey of the next chapter, envision the end and know that it is attainable if you take the right steps toward your goal.

These interviews have been edited and condensed.

Chloe Rose Stuart-Ulin is a Montréal-based journalist and editor. Her work has appeared in Ha'aretz, CBC, Lilith, Maclean's, and The Garden Statuary. Follow her @chloerosewrites.