It seems, finally, as if the doom and gloom of winter is loosening its shackles on us; and not a moment too soon. The days are getting longer, the sun is peeking through the thick, depressing clouds, and the optimism of spring is seeping its way into the air!
Winter is a great time of the year to be cozy, introspective and productive – it’s typically when my gym lock-in begins (after the post-Christmas haze starts to eat at my brain), meals are based on warmth instead of want, and there’s lots of calming candles and fuzzy socks. I love it, and I’ll never throw too much shade onto winter, but oh how I adore that first sunny and mild day after weeks of -25°C and never-ending snowfall.
When spring comes around, I can’t help but feel giddy, thawing the serious and meditative state I adopt when the weather gets cold. It almost warms me up for the spontaneity and fun of summer, but with elements of the productive seeds I’ve planted (Get it? gardening joke!) in the cold months; it’s the perfect amount of whimsy and sparkle that I need to wake back up after hibernation.
Sometimes though, the transition gets tricky – but following these steps always seems to help me get that sunshine, springtime pep back in my step!
Revisit a Childhood favourite
One of my favourite ways to get a little bit of sparkle back into my life after a rough patch is going back to experience something that I once loved as a child. I’ve seen a lot of girlies online doing this with collecting Calico Critters or Littlest Pet Shop toys (those went triple platinum in my house as a child), or revisiting old pieces of nostalgic media.
For me, the best way to tap into my nostalgia is to pop on an old film that may or may not be as objectively good as I claim. For example, the sexy rom-com that I was definitely too young for as a nine year old, Coyote Ugly (2000), or the live-action film that my sister swears I hallucinated, Bratz: The Movie (2007).
Neither of these movies are perfect 10/10s, nor would I say they’re on the same level of film excellence as I’m used to, but it doesn’t even matter – I’m gonna continue to love these movies until the day that I die, because they’re silly and make me forget about the monotonies of adult life.
Make a fun, bright playlist
I am seriously loving the pop girly revival that we are experiencing right now.
From the newer emerging artists like Olivia Dean and KATSEYE, to the already-famous Zara Larsson and Sabrina Carpenter, lovers of fun and whimsical music are spoiled for daily listening choice. It doesn’t have to strictly be pop music, anything that makes you have to fight a smile can count. Some of my happy day songs are super old country tunes, or tracks from the Hannah Montana movie.
Based on my (minimal and NOT scientific) research, it is 100% impossible to have a bad day if you’ve got a cutesy playlist playing in your ears.
So, throw on your headphones, and get ready to have that Lush Life!
embrace the side-quest
In case you’re unfamiliar with the term “side-quest”, it typically refers to going on a little adventure or de-tour from whatever you task you were meant to be doing, just for the fun of it.
More often than not, if I’m with my friends, the main goal of the hangout ultimately gets lost on us in favour of chasing what sounds fun in the moment – “if we’re gonna watch a movie, we need snacks from the store, but then we need to get gas, but we should also go pick up (insert name)”… and so on, until the clock strikes 3am and we realise we haven’t even picked a movie to watch yet.
Though it can be tiresome sometimes, especially for a planner like me, it is so deliciously freeing at the same time. Plus, side-quests don’t even have to be super thrilling. It can literally just be going for a drive with your friend until you drive past that one sports bar in town with the good appetizers. In my opinion, side-questing heals the soul of the pressure of responsibility, and helps your friends bond!
choose joy over productivity
Stay with me for one second. I am not at all endorsing throwing away every responsibility that you have in favour of a good time. Homework still needs to get done, you still need to clock in for that 9am shift… but there’s always room for a little bit of indulgence.
If you find yourself drowning in your textbook, surrounded by piles of laundry, the best thing you can do for your brain is shut it off. Drop everything, change into a fresh set of clothes (even if it’s going from one pair of pyjamas to another), and cozy up with something fun. It could be a TV show you’ve been meaning to start, a podcast that you love, or even just funny YouTube videos.
Even if it’s just for an hour or two, it will feel like all the difference. We live in such a productivity-driven culture that inherently (and incorrectly) ties your self-worth to what you can accomplish in a day, and I hate it. You are just as allowed to be lazy, within reason, as you are allowed to rip through all of your assignments and tackle all of your chores at once.
spring has sprung!
Leading a whimsical little life is a lot easier said that done, however the beauty of being whimsical isn’t about doing things just to look like a cool or fun person – it’s about doing what brings you the most amount of joy.
Thank you for reading!