I think everyone is getting to that point where we need the sun to shine, both literally and metaphorically!
We are craving that feeling of warmth and optimism which sunny days bring, when everyone smiles at each other and stops to chat (about the weather!) in the street, and of course, with that we gain the enthusiasm to get moving and productive once again. A human cycle which would be observed brilliantly on a David Attenborough Documentary if we were a different species!
It has indeed been a long and strange winter with challenges we could never have expected to face, but it is not unusual to feel like this at this time of year. Granted, the need for personal connection with friends and family is a real and difficult feeling to cope with and being contained within our four walls, a restriction which can bring on a sense of cabin fever in us all, but the short, wet days of January/February often have us all complaining and yearning for Spring!
So this is a perfectly normal time of year to start to think about new beginnings and hope for the future, a fresh look at lifestyle and life balance. Almost a refuel of positivity for our body and soul, which will gather momentum as we head into Summer and which will see us through til we hit the 'nothing left in the tank' stage again next Winter (which will come with or without C-19!!!) and we complete the human cycle of needing the sun to come out to save us from our Wintery shackles once again.
Exercise is one of the easiest things to add into your daily routine and it should feel like a gift to yourself, a refuel, not a chore. Choose a way of moving your body which works for you, don't be tempted to compete or compare your choices to anyone else around you!
So when we are free to socialise with each other again.... maybe think about walking/running/cycling/dancing to your social engagement rather than taking the car. Feel the sun on your back, observe the things on your journey which previously you may never have noticed, and smile, even behind your facemask!
Above all, do what makes you feel good, and as life makes a slow return to our 'new normal', we must all try to hold on to the gratitude and joy we feel the first time that we experience that sense of freedom this year. That is the hardest thing to do I reckon, to not go back to sweating the small stuff, keep perspective and like the animal kingdom, strive to be a species who evolve and learn from our experiences. Finger's crossed!!
See you outside soon to fill the tank I hope,
Sam xx