6 steps to a better spring season

It’s that time of the year.

Animals are having their young. Frost is leaving the soil. Spring has officially “sprung.”

This is such an exciting season. Personally, it’s one of my favourites. Spring feels like New Year’s Day to me, as it feels like a fresh start again.

Time to start the garden. Time to start raking up all the winter debris off your lawn from the winter. Time to start putting your plans into action on the farm — and getting those boots back on the ground.

In my own life, I can feel things speeding up. I can feel my own personal “wheels” start to spin quickly. I help out on my family farm, so part of every spring is determining what capacity I am around for, while of course keeping my full time job at RealAgriculture a priority. It’s the time of the year where I’m starting to get back out on the road — where government guidelines permit, of course — and bringing our audience the top agronomic content across the Prairies, straight from the field.

As much as I’ve been excited to be back out, and feeling a bit of this “normalcy” (what really is normal, anyway?) that we’ve all been striving for after a year of an ongoing global pandemic — and a winter that required zero travel, it’s been a bit of an overwhelming time. The looming “it’ll be winter again before we know it, so I better do absolutely everything ASAP,” hovers over my anxious brain.

I know I definitely can’t be the only one feeling this way. So, I’m here to say: Take a step back. Enjoy that fresh air. Enjoy this time.

Here are some of the things I do that can help ground me when those brain wheels start getting out of control:

  • Organize your thoughts. Agendas, whether electronic or a physical dayplanner, can be helpful. I find even if I don’t reference my plans super regularly, just getting them all out into an organizational manner is a great way to get it off my chest.
  • De-clutter. I’ve recently torn apart my office in an attempt to find a certain cable I needed as I prepared for my first road trip of the season, which created a mess, to say the least. Since then, this packrat has been organizing and emptying out, Marie Kondo style. This made me feel as if I have a little more control over my life again.
  • Singing! I’m a terrible singer (Editor’s note: She isn’t), but there’s something about turning up that one song (for me, it’s Bennie and the Jets by Elton John) and wailing at the top of your lungs.
  • Start some plants. If you’re itching to get out in the field, maybe it’s a good time to do some germ tests at home.
  • Yes, I realize that life will always be busy. However, the busy season will not always be here. There is a light at the end of the tunnel, and reminding ourselves that calving season, seeding, and whatever is causing you to lose a little extra sleep, will come to an end, too.
  • The argument to the previous point: but then the next thing comes along! Yes, I agree. The other thing that has helped me is taking it one step at a time. There’s no need to eat all the pie at once.
  • Understand that not every year is going to be the best year ever. We are all our own worst critics. Sometimes lowering your personal expectations bar can be a huge relief.

Remember that when things feel like too much, there are resources out there to help you. Ironically, feeling overwhelmed can be such an isolating feeling, even though so many of us feel it. So remember that — so many of us feel this. You are not alone. You don’t always have to weather the storm alone. (Full disclosure, I’m personally terrible at this one. I get it. So let’s try asking for help together, ok?)

And lastly, remember we’re all human. Happy Spring, all!

Related:

RealAg LIVE! with Shaun Haney on taking care of your mental and physical wellness

A plant without sunlight can’t grow and neither can you

When it comes to mental health, just listen and know not everything has to be “fixed”

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