Dust off the Winter woes and get ready a great remainder of the year
Sometimes it feels like we’re speeding through 2020, and other times this feels like an exceptionally long year, but no matter what, it’s been an odd one! One thing that is the same this year as it is every year, is that Spring and September in particular are times to start anew.
A fresh start can mean any number of things, such as swapping out a Winter wardrobe for a Summer one, meeting new friends, or trying something new! But why this time of year? Winter is a time of decay and death for much of life on Earth, where the leaves die and life cycles end, but for humans it can often be just plain depressing. And this isn’t because the rain makes us sad - well not really - but because the lack of vitamin D (aka sunlight) causes Seasonal Affective Disorder (SAD) in a lot of adults which is essentially Winter Depression.
But whether or not you were SAD this Winter, Spring is always the perfect time to dust off the cobwebs and start getting excited about the Summer months to come! So how can you get a fresh start this Spring?
#1. Swap out the winter meals for seasonal Spring dishes
Yes yes yes, we get the obvious ones out the way first! Seasonal fruits and vegetables are often a great way to ensure your diet has a varied supply of vitamins and nutrients, and it’s also often the most budget friendly option. Incorporating seasonal eating into your lifestyle this Spring and onwards you’ll be able to save money and stay healthy, while always having exciting new ingredients to freshen up a dish.
Seasonal eating can also mean changing what sort of dish you cook as the seasons change. Where you might enjoy a hearty soup during Winter, Spring can be a great time to dust off the BBQ, or even put together a warm couscous salad. Check out our recipe page for more ideas.
#2. Try a new exercise - maybe even an outdoor one?
While lockdown got us moving in herds in the suburbs, desperate to take advantage of what some jokingly described as the “government mandated daily walk”, as of late many of those walks have been fairly cold and miserable. It won’t be long now until it gets warmer outside, so why not look into taking up a new form of exercise that you can do outside?
It’s not only an opportunity to get a headstart on soaking up your next years supply of vitamin D, but trying something new - especially something physical - is a great way to wake up different parts of your brain and body, which can give you a fresh new outlook on life. Not only that, but it’s a great way to meet new people, and while social distancing is still important, social interaction is just as important!
There’s been a serious spike in interest in roller skating since it became viral during quarantine, so why not lace up and roll out?
#3. Konmari your Kitchen
“Spring Cleaning” is by no means our own invention, but there is some logic to it. Typically during winter things have a way of becoming a smaller priority - like cleaning out the gutters when it’s been raining non-stop all week. So when the Sun begins to shine again, it’s the perfect opportunity to get on top of a lot of those jobs.
But one area in particular we like to Spring Clean every year, is the kitchen! Why? Because of #1 on this list! If we’re about to eat seasonally, some of the utensils we’ve used religiously for the past 3 months are no longer that important, and some new ones will be. So that giant stock pot we’ve been making soups in goes back on top of the kitchen shelves, and out comes the lemon zester and the smoothie maker. While we’re doing this, it’s a great chance to do a quick “Konmari” of the kitchen, a Spring Cleaning method popularised by Marie Kondo, where you hold onto each item in a room and decide if it is still making you happy or not. It might sound a little magical, but it’s actually an incredibly effective way of reducing clutter.
#4. Book a holiday
No… Not overseas…. At least not yet anyway! But while the borders are still closed, it’s a great time to take advantage of this beautiful country we call home. There are smaller crowds at all the tourist hot spots (yes, even though it seems like all of your friends have been to Queenstown in the past few months, it’s still much quieter than usual), so you have more space and time to enjoy its true charm.
With the year we’ve all had, getting around the country to see something new is a great way to not only give yourself something to look forward to, but also is a way to give back to the country by reinvigorating the economy. We’ve already started to make our way around Aotearoa this year with a visit to Rotorua with some friends. Of course we had to visit Atticus Finch and try their Kimchi Mayo that is made from our Sum Yum Kimchi!
There’s plenty of ways you can make this Spring the opportunity for a fresh start before we head into Summer, let us know in the comments what you like to do every Spring!