Spring is a wonderful time of year. We all look forward to the pop of green leaves and flower buds after a long winter. You can feel that latent energy bursting up and out with excitement as Spring boldly shows its presence! It is, however, important to understand how that rapidly changing energy affects each of us.

Many people easily adapt to these changes and go with the flow, feeling energized. On the other hand, some of us have a bit more trouble with the changing of seasons, especially the shift from Winter (which is a much lower and still energy) to Spring (which is vibrant and full of movement). Most people who are affected by Spring tend to either feel easily irritated, like they have a “short fuse,” or tired, like they cannot keep up the pace. To better understand why this happens to us, we can look at traditional Chinese medicine (TCM).

According to TCM, each season is associated with an organ – the Liver is related to Spring. In a physical sense, our Liver detoxes our body by
metabolizing not only protein, fat, and carbohydrates, but also chemicals like medicines we take. The Liver constantly works hard to keep us purified. In TCM, the Liver neutralizes us on an emotional level too. If we let our negative emotions build up, we create heat in the Liver to the point that we become “hot-headed” or that we “explode.” (Side-note: the Liver is also associated with Blood, hence emotional mood swings during a woman’s cycle.) If our emotions have not calmed down after a while, physical problems will start to show up, including headaches, nosebleeds, and high blood pressure. Think about that heat rising!

The tiredness people feel during the Winter-to-Spring transition is often due to lack of movement and poor food choices. In the Winter, we stay inside more, sleep longer, and eat heavier foods like meaty stews. We need this period of building up to handle the face-paced Spring energy. Once we enter Spring however, we need to lighten up and get moving! It’s a great time to start going on long walks and breathe in the fresh air. To lighten the diet, eat foods like salads, sprouts, and seeds.

Just as it is important to stay physically healthy through diet and exercise in the Spring, it is also extremely important to stay emotionally healthy. Taking time out of your day to meditate or do yoga can help keep you on a more even keel. Try keeping a gratitude journal; every time you feel upset and frustrated, write down something you are grateful for and focus on that instead. You will be amazed at how quickly you can turn your mood around. It’s all about prevention! If you prepare yourself for Spring and know what to expect, you can implement ways to stay happy and healthy.