It’s emotionally delicious to feel the warm sun brush your skin as you take a few steps out into the Spring warmth, knowing that more light, heat and color are coming to stay. Did you know there are 219 parks operated and maintained by Kansas City Parks and Recreation? They also boast 47 fountains, 27 lakes, 38 miles of trails and bikeways and 132 miles of boulevards and parkways. That’s a lot of free “fresh air” therapy.

This weekend people will be taking advantage of the improved temperature to open up to the outdoors again. Smiling about the good weather signals your brain to fill back up with positive brain chemistry. Get outside and you will see some of the many faces around you wearing grins again. It is a phenomenon of nature, seasonal change, but also of human nature to experience change/loss during the some seasons and a sense of gain in others.

Seasonal Affective Disorder sufferers finally get a break from the discouraging grays of winter. If there were an acronym for spring maybe it can be: Season of Noticeable Gain (S.O.N.G.). Maybe one of my cheesier acronyms but I am writing what I see in people.

Joining organized activities or getting into the warm-up season in your own way can benefit your body and mind. The price of Spring enjoyment varies from free to expensive but the pay-off you will get in mood enhancement is worth it.
One Thing To Do: Step outside and feel the sunshine make you smile.

Dawna Daigneault, Eds, LPC

Dawna Daigneault, Ed.S., LPC.

Zest of Life, LLC. Professional Counseling.