3 Tips to Celebrate New Things in Life

Easter means many different things to different people, but most people agree that the holiday is a celebration of new life. That’s easier to do in some areas of the country than others – here in Maine, we still have a lot of brown, while places further south will see more green.

But even when winter lingers, it’s good to find some new things to celebrate. Focusing on those things can boost your spirits and give you something positive to focus on, which may make it easier to eat mindfully. And warmer temperatures, if you have them, make it more pleasant to get outside and be active.

With that in mind, here are three tips to help you find things to celebrate.

Look for signs of spring

The first and easiest suggestion is to look for signs that spring has arrived, although they’re not always easy to find. I know my dad hasn’t seen flowers or robins yet where he is, while I’ve seen both.

So what you’ll see will depend on your location, but you could look for:

• Flowers

• Shoots coming up

• Budding tree leaves (the maple trees here are making a good showing)

• Changing light

• More bird activity and birdsong

Or see what else is in your area. Even if you can’t spot a lot, it can be fun to look for these things.

Find ways to enjoy the changing season

As you look for signs of spring, see if you can also find some things to enjoy about it. I know this can be a tricky time in Maine, that lovely in-between mud season, where the temperature varies widely, and we might still get snow.

Still, it’s helpful to enjoy the things you can. Maybe you like being able to go out in the evening without it being pitch black. Perhaps you enjoy not having to wear as many layers when you go outside. You might like not worrying so much about snow removal or having to scrape frost off your windshield.

Personally, one of the things I’m enjoying is that some of the local trails have opened back up. Technically, I could have gone on them in the winter, but they were pretty icy, and now I can walk on them with sneakers or hiking shoes, which is a wonderful change.

Start something new

I also think this is a great time of year to start something new. That could be organizing and clearing out old things from your house, or perhaps planning to paint or refinish something indoors.

But it could also be starting a new creative pursuit or hobby, or a new type of activity to get you out and about. And with the COVID vaccine becoming available to all adults in Maine starting Wednesday, that also gives many of us more flexibility to go somewhere and try something new.

You can be as creative as you want, but after the dormancy of winter – and the longer dormancy of the pandemic – having an outlet for new energy can be very helpful.

Here’s to celebrating life

Whether or not you do anything official to celebrate Easter today, I hope you can find a way to celebrate new life and new things in your life.