Plenty of positives 'spring' up this time of year: Jennifer Moss

We're starting to see those signals that we're coming out of the darkness of winter: From the birds chirping, to more sunlight, and buds emerging on trees, spring fever has begun.

According to researchers, there are plenty of positives that "spring" from spring.But for some people, what feels like a sudden change can cause stress. Especially during uncertain times.

But first, let's discuss how spring improves our mental health

A big part of the enthusiasm comes from the change in weather. Most of us are familiar with the idiom, "In like a lion. Out like a lamb." This is most certainly true in Canada. Some of us worry that if we blink, we may just miss it.

The memes have already started to circulate about the Canadian four seasons. Almost winter, winter, not quite winter. Construction. And, despite that it's still minus temperatures overnight, you'll find many Canadians jogging in shorts in March.

We're not alone. Anyone living in colder winter climates go through this desire to recharge come out of hibernation and reboot their mental health. It's like coming out of a long sleep and we want to immediately get out that stored up energy.

Similar to animals coming out of hibernation, it's a result of the weather improving and more hours of daylight. Weather of all types plays a role in our mental health. Enduring days of rain and darkness can increase depression, whereas sunlight has the opposite effect.

Fun in the sun

As you can imagine,more light is good for us. But there is a real chemical shift happening in the brain that impacts our moods. Increased hours of sunlight heighten the production of serotonin,a hormone that stabilizes our mood and enhances feelings of well-being and happiness. It also helps positively impactsleeping, eatingand digestion.

Plus, we get a boost of vitamin D from the sun, often referred to as the "happy hormone,"is actually at a deficit in people who live in northern climates. So when we add that mood booster to the mix in spring, it increases our well-being.

With more hours of sunlight and overall better weather, we start to see more people outside. Personally, for months I've been trying to get the dog walked before it was pitch dark at 5:00 p.m. but now I go outside at 7:00 p.m. and I feel like the whole world is alive something I love about spring.

The reason I may be enjoying it is simply being outside is really good for us. Scientists at the University of Michigan found subjects who spent at least 30 minutes outside in pleasant weatherfelt happier, they had an overall better mindset about life and experienced reduced stress.

According to experts at the University of North Carolina, the data shows perhaps not that surprisingly,people are more physically active in the spring. We all know that exercise is good for us. But, specifically what happens in the body is that physical activity leads to a boost in endorphins,a chemical in the body that reduces stress and pain.

Spring blues?

For most of us spring is a healthier time of year, both mentally and physically. However, it's important to note that for some it can be a time of unhappiness.

Whenever there are seasonal changes, new behaviours emerge. There is an obvious weather component for sure. Just like we start to experience feelings of coziness and rest in the fall,we start to experience feelings of cooped up energy and reawakening in the spring.

But, when it comes to spring, it's a highly volatile season. We can have beautiful warm weather one day, and then the next, it's dark and freezing cold. That volatility in weather contributes to a volatility in emotions something that our brains don't enjoy.

According to Dr. Susan Lin at John Hopkins Hospital in Philadelphia, the further we are from the equator, the more unpredictable our weather changes, which can lead to unhappiness and depression.

Also, people with extreme allergies and problems with their immune system are at further risk of depression something that comes from the kind of thaws we experience in Canada.

For many, spring does mean hope and renewal. However, when someone is depressed, they can feel in sharp contrast to those feelings. This ends up increasing feelings of isolation which is fatiguing.

Be in the present

To combat some of these highs and lows, we need to leverage the positives of spring. Remember that good days are a bonus and the unruly Canadian weather is out of our control. That also means that this year of all the years getting out and seeing people from a healthy social distance is going to be great food for the soul.

We can still have a socially-distanced coffee on an outdoor patio or a walk in the park. So, just be out in the world. We've not only been cooped up for way too long,but we have been lonelier than any other time in recent history.

In my research and conversations related to well-being during the pandemic, I keep hearing from extroverts that they used to be out all the time and loved their social life before the pandemic. And yet, after this year of being alone, they've started to fear being out with others. We need to do what we can to pull ourselves, and others, out of this dark mood.

From a mental health standpoint,try this exercise. Ask yourself: What is one thing that if not for the pandemic and lockdown, I would have not learned about myself? What can I now take forward into this new season of hope?

This pushes away the negative self-talk about last year and places us squarely in the present atime where hope can be found. If we just take some time to get out, look up, and take it in.