The psychology of spring, or the best time for change
We have already welcomed the calendar spring, the clocks have been reset, the remnants of snow have melted - it's time to finally lift our heads from the computer, get up from behind the desk and wake up from the winter lethargy!
According to many studies, it is in spring that we have the most desire for action.
- The sun's rays provide us with adequate doses of vitamin D, a breath of warm air gives us energy and motivation for change. The days are getting longer, we need to take advantage of this, because if we miss this moment, our positive energy will go to waste.
From Goal to Action.
Spring is a good time to dust off and revisit unfulfilled New Year's resolutions. Only a few percent of us have the determination to turn them into action and successfully carry them out, usually the motivation runs out as early as January.
Now is the second and probably last chance to make a difference in our lives this year..
Before we embark on changes, it is first worthwhile to precisely set our goals and ask ourselves questions:
Why do I want to do it?
What is the main purpose of my activities?
What is really important to me in achieving this goal?
What obstacles and habits can hinder me from reaching my goal?
Let's also think about whether these are our own goals?.
If we want to do something to please others, because of a fad (e.g., everyone is "eco" so am I) or for company (e.g., most friends are training for a marathon, so even though I hate it, we spend time running together).
Most changes require persistence and motivation, and these are hard to come by if the goal is not ours..
A properly defined goal of change is the basis for success. However, it must be well-defined, specific and realistic. This is the difference between a goal and a dream. It is not enough to declare, for example, that we will raise our professional qualifications in the near future. It is also necessary to outline a realistic time and way to achieve this goal, and perhaps also the necessary costs.
While pursuing a goal, it is also helpful to remind yourself what the end result is supposed to be and to visualize your success.
, i.e. to imagine what our life will look like after the realization of the goal, how the change will affect our functioning, what benefits we will receive and what emotions will accompany it. Visualization can also have a more material form - for example, in the form of sticking in a visible place a written manifesto of our goal (e.g. Anna Kowalska - a doctor of law from 2022) or a photograph (e.g. our own photo from 5 years ago, if we are trying to lose a few pounds). In this way, we remember our goal every day and strengthen our motivation (e.g. to study, exercise or diet).
What would be changed here?.
Not everyone has the need for big changes, but spring energy is conducive to getting out of the daily routine. Small changes in our environment and daily habits will help us feel better. Here are some interesting suggestions:
Our look
It doesn't take much to make us feel better about ourselves. All it takes is a different hairstyle, new eyeglass frames or a different combination of clothing pieces, and already looking in the mirror we feel different.
Order in the environment
Spring is conducive to tidying up the apartment and closet. It's also worth doing a virtual cleanup once in a while, that is, going through your computer drive, the contents of your cell phone or social networking profiles. Organizing documents and photos, deleting no longer needed material and outdated contacts will save us time in the future.
Changing habits
It is said that to develop a new habit, you need to perform a specific activity every day for a month. But for that you can work on two or three habits at the same time! What can you change? For example, get up 15 minutes earlier every day to exercise or eat breakfast in peace instead of rushing hungrily to work.
Learning something new
In the era of widespread access to the Internet, developing our knowledge or passions is greatly facilitated. We can not only use e-learning courses, but also remotely participate in various seminars (webinars) or listen to presentations or academic lectures available for free.
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Exit.
Most of our activities, especially professional ones, take place online. We spend a lot of time staring at a computer or smartphone screen, writing back business emails after work, checking the news on weekends. So it will do us good to log off the Internet from time to time - for one afternoon, a day (e.g., Sunday) or a whole weekend. This will also allow us to see if and how much we are addicted to our smartphone or social media, and how much time we waste browsing useless information. So how about it - ready for spring changes? Author:
Psychologist, career counselor, crisis intervener, coach, trainer
