Springtime Self-Care: Uplift Your Mood with Rituals for Greater Well-Being

The magic of springtime is undeniable: Flowers reawaken from their frosty slumber and sunshine lingers into the evening hours, evoking a spirit of renewal that extends beyond nature and shades our mindsets for the months ahead. As we step into the season of new beginnings, we’re going beyond a simple declutter to prioritize self-care with springtime mood boosters!

Keep reading to explore our spring self-care tips, including ways to make the most of the season and keep your stress levels reliably low. 

Spring Self-Care Tips: Mood Boosters for the Season

With spring’s arrival, we have a chance to refresh our self-care efforts and sprinkle our routines with glimmers of joy. Here are our top self-care tips to make your spring season the brightest one yet. 

Start a New Outdoor Activity.

Exercising outdoors is a two-for-one mood booster. It brings you into the sunshine for an instant dose of serotonin while getting your blood pumping and stimulating endorphins. Serotonin and endorphins are both “feel good” brain chemicals: Serotonin elevates your mood, while endorphins melt away stress and function as natural painkillers. 

In the spring, temperatures rise enough to comfortably exercise outdoors, without the (potentially stifling) heat of summer. Trying a new activity outside is an excellent self-care practice, as it fosters brain plasticity (your brain’s capacity to learn and develop) while providing all the mental health benefits of physical activity. 

Need ideas? Consider adding these forms of outdoor exercise to your springtime routine:

• Yoga in the park or on your patio

• Roller skating

• Hiking

• Outdoor HIIT workouts

• Tennis or pickleball

• Tai chi

• Cycling

• Kayaking

• Paddleboarding

• Gardening (yes, it counts!)

Savor Local, Seasonal Produce. 

With every change of season comes a new crop of in-season produce—and an opportunity to get creative in the kitchen! We view seasonal food shopping as a form of self-care, as it grants us flavorful, nutrient-dense produce and fresh meal inspiration. Plus, the weekend trip to the farmer’s market is a chance to connect with your community, meet the people who help cultivate your food, and spend some time in the sun. 

Beyond a trip to the market, seasonal produce paves the way for another stress-alleviating activity: Cooking! Whipping up springtime meals gives you a chance to unwind and get into a meditative flow. Cooking calls for presence, focus, and creativity, all of which can help you release the day’s stressors. 

Looking for springtime culinary inspo? Here’s some of our favorite in-season produce:

• Asparagus

• Peas

• Radishes

• Carrots 

• Artichokes

• Arugula

• Kale

• Spinach

• Lettuce

• Beets

• Broccoli

• Apricots

• Kiwis

• Cherries

Make a Mood-Boosting Playlist. 

New season, new tunes! Whether you’re drinking your morning coffee, commuting to work, or spring-cleaning around the house, listening to music in the background can have a greater impact than you might think. 

Listening to upbeat, emotional music stimulates the release of dopamine and serotonin, two brain chemicals that can instantly uplift your mood. Music also has natural soothing effects on the brain and body, helping to lower your blood pressure and cortisol levels. Remarkably, whether you’re listening to classical masterpieces or heavy metal, the stress-reducing qualities of music stand strong. 

So, set your springtime routine to music. As you adjust your routine to longer, warmer, sunnier days, your playlist will serve as a little self-care boost. 

Take a Phone-Free Frolic Through The Flowers.

Throughout the frigid winter months, it’s all too easy to cozy up on the couch and scroll the day away. But now that the screen-filled winter freeze is over, it’s time to step outside and frolic in the flowers before they yield to the summer heat. 

The best part of a floral nature walk? With eye-catching colors and enchanting aromas, flowers engage all of your senses, helping you stay focused on the present. This isn’t just a theory: It tracks with the science behind how our brains work. 

Vibrant blooms are easy on the eyes—and your mind. Bright colors can influence your energy levels, blood pressure, and even your memory. For example, during cold winter months, the outdoor color scheme of gray, white, and black can make you feel low or unmotivated. In contrast, spring’s lively color palette of bright yellows, oranges, pinks, and purples can uplift, inspire, and energize. 

The sweet floral scent of springtime blooms can also benefit your mental well-being. Certain aromas, like lavender, relax your body and mind by affecting the limbic system— a group of connected brain structures that influence your emotions. This link between smells and relaxation is why aromatherapy is such a widely used mode of stress relief. When flowers are in full bloom this spring, you can experience those calming aromas firsthand! (Bonus tip: You can double up on these aromatic benefits by adding floral-infused skincare to your spring beauty routine.)

Ideally, you can take a mindful walk through the local blooms without traveling too far from home. But, if your neighborhood and local park are lacking in the flower department, consider a day trip to a botanical garden. 

Spring showcases nature’s beauty and beckons us outdoors, into the crisp air and sunshine. It’s the ideal time to refresh your self-care efforts and put your mental well-being at the forefront. So stop and smell the roses—they won’t be in season forever!