As the days grow longer and nature awakens, spring offers a powerful metaphor for psychological renewal. In psychotherapy, we recognize that growth and healing require intentional effort—like tending a garden. This season is a time of emergence, shedding winter and making space for new beginnings. Just as flowers push through the soil after months of dormancy, we too can cultivate this transformation, fostering emotional resilience, processing unresolved feelings, and reinvigorating our mental well-being. Here’s how a psychotherapeutic approach, rooted in recent evidence-based research, can help you embrace a spring refresh.
1. Decluttering Mental and Emotional Space
Spring cleaning isn’t just for your home—it’s also for your mind. Unhelpful thought patterns (aka. cognitive distortions), unresolved emotions, and outdated coping strategies can create mental clutter, making it harder to function effectively. Research highlights the efficacy of thought-challenging (aka. cognitive restructuring or CR) in psychotherapy outcomes, showing a significant positive association between CR and therapeutic success (Koster et al., 2023). Additionally, mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT) has been shown to reduce symptoms of depression, anxiety, and stress while enhancing cognitive functions and emotional regulation (Segal et al., 2023).
Journaling, mindfulness, and psychotherapy can help reframe negative thoughts, creating space for healthier perspectives—much like clearing out overgrown weeds to allow fresh blooms to thrive.
Spring Exercise: Take 10 minutes each morning this week to do a mental “spring cleaning” journaling exercise. Write down one recurring negative thought daily and challenge it with a more balanced perspective. If this is challenging for you, consider individual psychotherapy to help guide you and support you along your mental health journey.
2. Re-evaluating Core Beliefs and Self-Narratives
Spring is a season of renewal, making it the perfect time to reassess our narratives. Are your core beliefs serving you or rooted in past experiences that no longer align with your present reality? Acceptance and Commitment Therapy (ACT) provides frameworks for identifying and modifying unhelpful patterns, promoting psychological flexibility and self-acceptance (Hayes et al., 2012). Just as trees shed old leaves to make way for new growth, we, too, can release self-limiting beliefs and cultivate a more adaptive mindset.
Spring Exercise: Spend time outdoors and reflect on a personal belief that might be holding you back. As you observe nature regenerating, visualize yourself letting go of that belief and replacing it with one that supports your growth.
3. Engaging the Senses for Emotional Regulation
Spring’s sensory richness offers a natural opportunity for emotional grounding. Engaging the senses can regulate emotions and reduce stress. For instance, mindfulness practices have been shown to alter brain waves associated with emotional regulation, potentially providing therapeutic benefits for conditions like anxiety and depression (Davidson & McEwen, 2012). Try stepping outside and immersing yourself in the present moment—feel the warmth of the sun, listen to birds chirping, or inhale the scent of blooming flowers. These simple practices can promote relaxation and emotional stability.
Spring Exercise: Take a “5-4-3-2-1” sensory walk. Identify five things you see, four things you hear, three things you can touch, two things you can smell, and one thing you can taste. This practice helps anchor you in the present.
4. Adjusting Daily Routines to Support Mental Health
Just as ecosystems adapt with the changing seasons, our routines can benefit from periodic adjustment. Behavioral activation is a key intervention for depression and anxiety, emphasizing the importance of engaging in meaningful activities (Dimidjian et al., 2011). Consider small but impactful changes—introducing a morning mindfulness walk in a local park, adjusting your work-life balance, or scheduling regular self-care activities onto your calendar. These shifts can reinforce positive behavioural patterns and enhance overall well-being.
Spring Exercise: Choose one part of your daily routine to refresh. Whether it’s drinking tea outside for a morning mindfulness activity or swapping screen time for a book before bed, introduce a small change that aligns with your personal goals.
5. Strengthening Interpersonal Connections
Spring encourages reconnection—whether it’s with nature or with loved ones. Social support is one of the strongest predictors of mental health (Holt-Lunstad et al., 2010). In relational psychotherapy, we explore how past attachment patterns influence present relationships (Johnson, 2019). Use this season as an opportunity to nurture meaningful connections—whether through deeper conversations, re-establishing boundaries, or engaging in outdoor social activities. Just as flowers in a garden thrive together, humans flourish in the presence of supportive relationships.
Spring Exercise: Plan an outing with a friend or loved one. A picnic, a nature walk, or gardening together can strengthen your bond while also providing mental refreshment. If you are experiencing significant issues in your relationships, consider individual or couples counselling as a first step towards strengthening bonds or creating positive change.
6. Practicing Self-Compassion in Growth
Nature doesn’t rush its growth, and neither should we. Self-compassion is a key component of mindfulness and psychotherapy, fostering patience and kindness toward oneself (Neff, 2011). Instead of striving for perfection, allow yourself to bloom in your own time. Practices such as self-compassion exercises, guided meditations, and reflective journaling can support this gentle, sustainable growth—just as a well-nourished garden flourishes over time.
Spring Exercise: Each morning, take a deep breath and say one kind thing to yourself as if you were praising or comforting a good friend. Repeat this practice daily and notice how your self-compassion grows.
Final Thoughts
Spring is a season of renewal, reminding us that growth is always possible. By engaging in cognitive restructuring, reevaluating core beliefs, using sensory grounding, adjusting routines, fostering interpersonal relationships, and practicing self-compassion, you can cultivate meaningful psychological change. This season, embrace your own natural rhythm, allowing yourself to grow just as the world around you does.
References
Davidson, R. J., & McEwen, B. S. (2012). Social influences on neuroplasticity: Stress and interventions to promote well-being. Nature Neuroscience, 15(5), 689–695.
Dimidjian, S., Barrera, M., Martell, C., Muñoz, R. F., & Lewinsohn, P. M. (2011). The origins and current status of behavioral activation treatments for depression. Annual Review of Clinical Psychology, 7, 1–38.
Hayes, S. C., Strosahl, K. D., & Wilson, K. G. (2012). Acceptance and commitment therapy: The process and practice of mindful change (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
Holt-Lunstad, J., Smith, T. B., & Layton, J. B. (2010). Social relationships and mortality risk: A meta-analytic review. PLoS Medicine, 7(7), e1000316.
Johnson, S. M. (2019). Attachment theory in practice: Emotionally focused therapy (EFT) with individuals, couples, and families. Guilford Press.
Koster, E. H. W., De Lissnyder, E., Derakshan, N., & De Raedt, R. (2023). Cognitive bias modification and cognitive control training in anxiety and depression: A systematic review. Clinical Psychology Review, 96, 102212.
Neff, K. D. (2011). Self-compassion, self-esteem, and well-being. Social and Personality Psychology Compass, 5(1), 1–12.
Segal, Z. V., Williams, J. M. G., & Teasdale, J. D. (2023). Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression: A new approach to preventing relapse (2nd ed.). Guilford Press.
