Spring resilience

When you think of Spring, you probably think of beautiful flowers, joyful new beginnings and optimism. One word you might not immediately associate with springtime is resilience. In a week in which there has been blazing sunshine, wintry snow flurries, hail and rain, the daffodils in my garden have taken a battering. But they are still standing, like little soldiers, triumphant and unbroken.

The human body is an amazing thing. Every single second it constantly renews and regenerates cells. The liver is an organ that has the ability to regenerate and heal itself given the right conditions. It is no coincidence that the liver is associated with Spring in Traditional Chinese Medicine.

During the Spring we are sometimes filled with the urge to have a 'detox' - to rid ourselves and our bodies of anything that is no longer useful. This can be in the form of eliminating alcohol, sugar or caffeine from our diet for a short time, or by having a spring clean in the house: clearing the clutter and cleaning things in need of a thorough clean.

This week I have cleared out my wardrobe, sorted out the kitchen cupboards and polished every wooden surface in the house. Filled with the desire to clear out and make room for the new, everything feels fresher and more spacious. However, as I am finishing off the first draft of my second book, the thought of polishing things and filling bags to take to the charity collection point is much more appealing than actually sitting down with my red pen.

In order to be resilient, we are often told to "go with the flow", that whatever will be will be. This is, of course, often much more difficult in practice than it is in theory. But looking at my tubs of beautiful daffodils smiling at me through the window, even after the onslaught of an unusually cold April week, they are the perfect example of how I intend to deal with the slings and arrows that come my way. And by making space for the new and spring-cleaning, I feel ready and more prepared.