Spring

Stuck for inspiration as I have been recently, it seemed obvious to look around me, and there it all is, right before me: beautiful spring.

I absolutely love this time of year. Everything coming to life once again. The trees growing greener by the day, brightly-coloured flowers blooming, birdsong filling the air. It is a season of beauty and peace, especially when out in the countryside. I live in the South Downs, and whichever way I choose to leave my house, I can eventually arrive at some countryside, either the Downs themselves, the river bank, or woods and copses. All of these areas are teeming with nature, and are a far cry from the city where I work. I am prone to stress and anxiety, and just being outside in the open countryside gives me an overwhelming peace that reduces my stress-levels to zilch.

It's kind of obvious that I should welcome spring. I suffer from ye olde winter blues (known as SAD - seasonal affective disorder), which, for me, is characterised by bouts of depression and tiredness through late autumn and all of winter. I can be very happy throughout this time as well, but my mood is often low, and once low, difficult to lift. In the spring however, when a low mood occurs, just spending some time outdoors is medicine enough.

Spring has it's downsides though. The onset of hayfever for one, ho hum. The spring gales and rains can be frustrating too - you're always left with that dilemma of needing to take a rain mac or umbrella with you, even when it is beautiful sunshine out, just in case! Having said that, spring rains are ultimately refreshing, and just contribute to the beauty of the season further still.

Yep, generally I love spring. The mild temperatures suit me - I'm not good with extremes. Spring flowers are stunning. The bank holidays are always welcome. The longer daylight hours mean that I can return from work in the daylight and feel like I have a longer evening ahead of me. The joy of seeing newborn lambs in the fields is the same as it was for me when I was little. You can smell summer on the breeze. There is a renewed sense of that freedom and relaxation I used to get when I was at university at the end of deadlines just before the Easter holidays, and of the end of exams in May.

I think my one real resentment towards spring is that the sun is shining out there while I'm in an office in central London, grrr. Ah well, it just makes the weekends all the more precious, and thank goodness for the four spring bank holidays, eh?