Transition Seasons & Chronic Illness: Why Spring Isn’t Always Energising -

This year, I am trying for gentle living, pacing and supporting my low spoon body instead of constantly pushing it. But with so much pressure to start spring cleaning, this time of year can feel more overwhelming than energising. But my body is still moving slowly, transition seasons and chronic illness need a softer and gentler approach, so let’s chat about it.

A woman is seen sitting in a window reading, beside her is a strangely shaped tall vase in blue she is pushing her hair back and looks tired to represent transition seasons and chronic illness — Photo by Alex jiang on Unsplash

Seasonal Transitions Can Be Hard on the Body

One strange thing, that I didn’t realise until I became sick, is the effect that the seasons have on our bodies. The seasonal shifts themselves are seasonally demanding, which is why I am trying to live more seasonally. Keeping pace with the rhythms of nature is definitely making a difference, but it is different for me.

I cannot simply follow the seasons, because as the hours of daylight change, and the barometric pressure changes, so do my illnesses. Allergies and inflammation only exacerbate the situation and leave us struggling with flaring bodies in a world that praises productivity. We need to remember that instead of pushing, our bodies need time to recalibrate as the seasons change.

The Pressure to Feel “New” in Spring

I have spoken before about the social expectations that seem to come from everywhere around us. Social media posts, YouTube videos etc talk about spring cleaning, making big life changes, setting up new routines and goals and going out more.

But for those of us who find transition seasons and chronic illness hold us back, we can be left feeling guilty and left behind. We often have those internal pressures to catch up and push ourselves more than our bodies can do. But renewal does not have to come on anyone else’s timeline, and change comes at the right time for us.

When Energy Becomes Unpredictable

As the seasons change, I often find that my energy levels become harder to predict and good days can come from nowhere. This always feels like a chance to catch up, but I have learned to not do too much because my fatigue can return just as quickly. It can make planning so difficult when my energy levels change even morning to afternoon.

Transition seasons and chronic illness is often inconsistent, causing sensory overload and exhaustion. But we have to remember that is normal with chronic illness, we live with far fewer spoons than people who do not have them. If you have been following my journey this year on my YouTube channel, my weekly vlogs show that I am trying to slow down and give myself more time to rest, even on good days. Less seems to be more when it comes to pacing, and I am starting to see this offer a glimmer of hope.

Navigating Seasonal Change Gently

This year, as I have said, I am trying to do more accessible self-care, and gentle living, slowing down and making tasks smaller. I have been letting my routines slow down instead of forcing everything to change, finding small moments of rest whenever I can. If possible, I have been spending small moments outside being mindful of the nature around me instead of the thoughts in my head.

Honouring rest in a busy and scary world that let’s be honest, appears to be losing its collective mind, is an act of rebellion. Noticing the small seasonal changes, resting between and during tasks, and going to bed early are all things that are helping me to feel more in control. Instead of pushing against what my body can do, I am resting and taking my time, living a slower, and to be honest, happier life.

Letting Transition Be Slow

As I start this new journey, I have noticed that nature transitions gradually, the buds take their time to flower, and the animals are slowly returning. Early spring is often messy, muddy and the weather is uncertain, and we are allowed to be in that ‘early spring’ stage too.

I am in no rush to change everything, and I am not pressuring myself to get everything right. I am simply doing a little every day, ten minutes cleaning, a cup of tea and sit while I hang washing on the clothes drying rack. Taking the foot off the accelerator and refusing to push my body too far, seems so far to be working.

As the transition seasons and chronic illness seem to not exactly work well together, it is important to remember our bodies have their own seasons. Rest and slowly adjusting our lives are part of renewal just as much as anybody else’s plans for the year. There is no deadline to the plans we have, and if spring feels slow, fragile and unpredictable it doesn’t mean you are wrong. Our bodies move through the seasons in their own way, and learning to follow it’s lead rather than societal pressures, is how we find peace.

Thank you xx

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