Tips & Recipes for Embracing Slow Living in Spring

Spring is finally here! This new season is the perfect time to find balance between the fast-paced world and a slower pace of life. Learn about how to slow down and feel more present and celebrate the season of birth and new life!

The funny thing about writing about slow living and spring is that there’s nothing slow about it! We generally get this wild burst of energy that invites us to throw open the windows, seize the day, and do something special.

Fortunately, you can slow down without always having to move slowly. It’s all about being present and intentional and as long as you’re following those guidelines, you’re doing great!

Slow Living with the Seasons

Like my other seasonal guides, my hope here is to help you understand what the spring season is inviting you to do, including strategies for making the most of the season (like planting seeds and picking flowers), tips for how to align your energy to the season, and foods to eat and more.

Celebrating Spring

Spring is the season of conception & birth. Although there are some plants that show us their blooms right now, most plants are digging deep into the earth, spreading their roots and taking in nutrients. New life has started, but most of it is invisible to the eye.

Imbolc (February 1st) is a northern hemisphere Celtic tradition of celebrating the time between winter and spring. It lands halfway between the Winter Solstice and Spring Equinox and it translates to “in the belly,” reflecting how the earth is newly pregnant with the seeds and promised growth of spring.

Spring Equinox (March 20 or 21) is when the northern hemisphere starts tilting towards the sun in the earth’s revolution around the sun. This increases sunlight and warmth, leading us towards summer. Learn more about the vernal equinox here.

Calming Spring Routines

Spring is the perfect time to wake up, feel present, and set intentions for the new year. We’re generally already overflowing with energy and excitement due to the warmer weather, longer days, and all the color and new life outside.

Tap into this energy and follow it! If your body feels drawn to moving, cleaning, dancing, or organizing, give into it. Your body knows what to do right now more than your socialized mind. Trust it to tell you the right way to move forward.

Wake with the sun. (Is there any better way to wake up?)
Go for a walk in the lighter evenings.
Bring flowers indoors.
Start the day with gentle stretching and meditation to feel grounded and focused every day.
Join a club to get out of the house and meet other people.
Start journaling. It’s easy to feel grateful this time of year!
Incorporate fresh produce into all of your meals.
Make plans to visit with friends regularly.
Read or craft in the evenings instead of watching TV.
Open the windows to fill the house with fresh air (not during pollen season, of course).
Practice mindful movement.
Plant a garden and tend to it daily.

purple deadnettle growing in the spring.

How to Slow Down in the Spring

Slow your mind to reflect on the world around you. Your natural environment will look different from my own, although we will likely have many overlaps.

Attend your farmers market’s opening day.
Open the windows on a warm, sunny day and air out your home.
Swap out your wardrobe and put the heavy winter clothing away.
Wash bed linens, reorganize cupboards, and tackle some decluttering projects.
Bring nature into your home with freshly cut locally grown spring flowers.
Find time to be in nature on hikes or walks.
Notice and celebrate all the blooms, buds, and new growth.
Find a local dairy to try bright yellow cheeses made from cows finally back on pasture.
Visit a local farm to play with baby goats and/or help with planting.
Track the shift in daylight.
Make a sourdough starter or try fermenting something!
Go foraging! Look for wild garlic, spring mushrooms, and blooms.
Grow something inside or outdoors.
Look for ways to be outdoors with friends and family.
Try a new herbal tea with bright citrus or fruity flavors (or make your own tea blends).
Host a small gathering of friends for a maker’s party (make a craft, DIY, or food together).
Host a yard sale or a swap to clear your home of things you no longer need.

Eating with the Season

Look for local food. Many farmer’s markets reopen around April, so this is a great time to see what produce is being harvested and connect with others in your community.

The freshest foods will be the earliest, most tender greens. When our farmers market reopens in April, most of what you’ll see are foods like these:

Arugula
Kale
Chard
Salad greens
Spring onions
Radishes
Salad turnips
Raab
Asparagus
Winter greens (radicchio, endive, escarole)
Overwintered apples and pears
Citrus

As spring continues, you’ll start to see the harvest selection broaden significantly to include fresh spring carrots, new potatoes, peas, beets, rhubarb, cut herbs, nettles, fiddleheads, cauliflower, broccoli, and plenty more.

You will also likely find some overwintered crops from the season before like root vegetables, onions, garlic, and storage fruits.