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Ideas for Renewing and Revitalizing our Lives
This Spring
By Tara Watkins,
LICSW
Spring has
officially arrived! Days are becoming longer
and warmer. Spring holidays, such as Passover, that celebrate the theme of hope
and renewal, are right around the corner. What better time than now to begin to
think more fully about how we might revitalize and renew ourselves? Here are a few tips:
De-clutter:
physical, mental, and emotional purging
When
we think of renewal we often think of rebirth. Mental and emotional clutter
often gets in the way of actualizing this experience. Many gardening experts recommend trimming
back old branches on plants in early spring before new buds emerge to help keep
a plant blooming at its fullest potential. Our lives parallel this example.
Each spring we are reminded to reassess and
“cut back” what is weighing us down, sapping our energy, and holding us
back from fulfilling our hopes and dreams. We may need to challenge the
negative or limiting thoughts we have about ourselves and how things “should
be,” rather than accepting how they truly are, in order to more fully embrace
our actual life as it is here and now.
Getting rid of
physical things we no longer need can be hard, but a good place to begin.
Identifying something as clutter often has more to do with how we feel about it
than how it might necessary look in our home. If you are having a hard time
parting with something, I recommend focusing first on those belongings that
have a negative association. For
example, holding onto possessions such as clothing, home décor or
correspondence given to us from past partners (especially if these were toxic
relationships) usually only serve to bring us down. Instead, try to focus on
keeping things that inspire or motivate.
Explore a new
spiritual practice
Daily spiritual
activities, such as yoga or meditation, offer a chance to renew ourselves more
fully in the moment. They can be a gift we give our true selves. Additionally,
reading sacred texts, either our own tradition or those of others, helps
connect us to the larger community. This feeling of connection forms a
foundation for rebirth, both within us as well as our greater community.
Start something
completely new.
Focus on spring
as a time of new beginnings and resolve to do something you’ve always wanted to
do but never felt you had the time for. Maybe it’s time to begin taking more
care of your physical health, start volunteering, or begin to explore that
creative streak?
I encourage you
to begin slowly, one change at a time, gradually
adding others as you go. It’s a good idea to begin making small changes first, as this is usually
more manageable and helps set us up for success and a desire to continue trying
new things. Remember that it’s never too late to fulfill a dream-we might just
need to adapt the way we go about trying to achieve it.
Spend more time outdoors.
Lingering outside when spring arrives
can be especially beneficial. One study conducted by the University of Michigan
found that during Spring when participants spent at least 30 minutes outside,
the warmth and sunshine positively impacted their mental health and overall mood. As time spent outside increased, researchers
found that study participants experienced improved mood and memory as well as
increased openness to new information and creative thoughts.
"Being outside in pleasant
weather really offers a way to re-set your mindset," says Matthew Keller,
the post-doctoral researcher who led this psychology study. He explains that
although most people think weather affects mood previous research tested this
theory and found no relationship. “We did find that there are two important
variables: how much time you spend outside and what the season is. If you go
from winter to spring and spend enough time outside, there's a noticeable
change."
Keller stresses, "life is full of color
and life is fun. It's easy to forget that during the wintertime."
Slow Down
Life moves so quickly,
we seem to always be “plugged in” in some way or another through our
smartphones, and various other digital gadgets. We are surrounded with constant
stimulation from information. It can be hard to quiet down our minds, or just
slow down enough in general to have true quality time that is “unplugged” with
our families. One way we might be able
to achieve this is to have one location in our homes where we store all our
smart devices (such as a basket). When we walk through the door, all devices
are placed here and only retrieved during specific times. This allows some
families to feel like they reclaim family time as well as some time for
themselves.
Simplifying helps
us rethink what is most meaningful in our lives and if have lost our way from
this. We might reflect on: What do we value most? How much quality time do we
spend with people we love and doing the things we most care about? What is the
best way to use our time to create the life we want?
Hopefully, these
tips have encouraged you to reflect on what is most meaningful and “spring” into
a life that is more fully your own. Welcome to Spring!
If you want to
implement some of the suggested tips but find yourself struggling to do so, as
the Kesher social worker for Emanu-el I am here to help you work through these
challenges. I can also explore potential supportive services, if needed. My
contact information is: 401-527-7772 or tara@jfsri.org. I also hold monthly Shabbat drop in hours
in the main temple office. My next drop in hours are Saturday, April 7th.
Rose Murrin is the Kesher social worker at Congregation Beth Sholom.
Kesher is the congregational outreach program of Jewish Family Service of Rhode
Island, funded by the Jewish Alliance of Greater Rhode Island, and currently
active at Congregation Agudas Achim, Temple Torat Yisrael, Temple Emanu-El,
Temple Sinai and Congregation Beth
Sholom. Rose may be reached at rose@jfsri.org or 401-331.1244.
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References:
Brenner, Abigail,
M.D, 7
“Rituals” for Spring Renewal, Psychology Today, March 28, 2013.
Khazan, Olga,
“How Spring Opens the Mind” The
Atlantic. March 21, 2014.
Science News,
October 7, 2004, University of Michigan.
https://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2004/10/041006082239.html
