Wellbeing Activities for Spring!

So the days are finally getting longer & the sun has been making an appearance a lot!!!

I'm so excited that spring is finally here & the world is waking up again!

It's so lovely seeing the sun again & the light evenings.

This time of year is so wonderful with all the beautiful flowers blooming & it definitely wakes me up after the long months of gloomy winter weather.

Now the weather is becoming more favourable it's the perfect time to get into good relaxation habits & of course, we can get out & about more too.

So below is a list of activities I love to do once the weather is lovely.

Spring activities for wellbeing:

Walking - is so good for us but there's nothing quite like spending time walking through a spring woodland. I just love seeing all those new fresh green leaves starting to open on the trees. And if you can find a bluebell woodland then you've struck gold!!

I made a trip this week to look at the wonderful Rhododendrons & Azaleas that are blooming right now in The Valley Gardens in Windsor Great Park. Such a wonderful sight & they smell amazing too! So perhaps this is a good time of year to find a local botanical garden near you to explore!

Farm Visits - for many years my family have taken a yearly day trip to a local farm for its' lambing days. There is nothing I find more therapeutic than cuddling little orphan lambs! Something about sitting on a hay bale with a snuggly lamb really chills me out. Sadly Covid has meant lots of farms have had to diversify, meaning that our local farm no longer farms sheep & I've not had time to check out what other local farms are running them. It's probably too late in the season now but I would definitely recommend for next year.

Soaking up the sun - whether it's spending time gardening, relaxing on a deckchair or sitting in your local park, it's always a great idea to enjoy the sunshine & blow the cobwebs away.

I find I don't feel great lounging about the house all the time & definitely need to have the windows open whatever the weather.

But the first chance I get I am outside breathing in that fresh air & I feel so much more alive. Today for example, I am sitting in a coffee shop (as I need to be online!) & it's killing me to see how lovely it is outside. But once I've done my work I'll be in my local park with my book enjoying the sun on my face & wind in my hair!

Even if I don't feel up to taking a proper walk, just sitting myself in a sheltered corner somewhere really helps.

My mum's favourite place to sit & soak up some warmth & sun is in her greenhouse! Even in winter she puts her coat & hat on, takes her deck chair & her cup of tea & sits enjoying the slightly warmer temperatures. She looks pretty funny but being able to get that extra bit of light & fresh air really helps to keep her spirits up.

Bringing the Outdoors Indoors - If like me you struggle to stay indoors, there are many ways in which you can decorate your home with the beauty of Spring.

If you have a gorgeously abundant garden then I'm super jealous but the likelihood is you have plenty of flowers & branches with which to decorate your home.

For those of us who aren't lucky enough to have a garden, local supermarkets or garden centres provide an abundance of spring flowers you can arrange in vases. Or what about some spring bulbs or other flowers planted in pots!

I also go out into the fields & hedgerows in search of things I can bring home. Obviously there is a need for caution when taking things from nature - we don't want to be greedy & take things that are endangered species such as bluebells, which are protected under law & should not be picked or dug up) or are on someone's property! But there are often branches that have been cut or blown down during bad weather which we can take for decoration in our homes.

So this makes me think about what Spring themed art / craft projects we can try? I know I'm too late for Easter but there are so many other ideas you can create.

Flower pressing / hammering - given that there is so much colour around at this time of year, in terms of flowers, perhaps it's a good time to prolong the life of your favourite blooms by pressing them.

If you don't have a flower press, they are reasonably cheap & can be sourced from many craft suppliers. Or you can use a stack of heavy books (old phone directories have great absorbent paper) with a weight on the top which will work in a pinch.

Once your flowers have been pressed & are dry, you can remove them from the press & use them to decorate anything from cards, notepaper or pictures to candles, paperweights or added to your resin pieces such as jewellery.

Or you could try hammering your flowers. Sounds nuts I know but it's an easy way of transferring the colour & shape of flowers onto paper or fabric with interesting results.

I've tried it with colourful pansies & it works very well. All you need is a hefty hammer, some paper or fabric, absorbent paper & your flowers / leaves.

I could go on for ages about fun Spring projects but thought it best to provide the link to the Pinterest projects page so you can check things out for yourself.

I'm sure you'll find something that interests you. Please feel free to comment on the blog or social media pages. I would love to see what you are working on & any tips or suggestions you may have regarding projects or activities that you enjoy at this time of year.