Spring in Small Doses: What This Season Is Teaching Me About Patience
Hello, my Darlings!
I hope all is well with everyone. We are going to chat today about spring. I am sitting here at my desk drinking an iced London Fog with lavender cold foam. Yes! I am my own barista and I am having so much fun with my new cold foam maker.
Do you have a signature drink you have to have at least once a day?
Why Spring Has Always Felt Difficult for Me
I will be honest: spring and summer are the seasons where I tend to take a different path. I no longer force myself to enjoy them the way everyone else seems to. That doesn’t mean I’m rejecting these seasons; I’m simply learning how to experience them in a way that honors my natural rhythms.
I’ve never been much of an outdoors woman. I don’t particularly enjoy the heat, public spaces tend to be more crowded, and everyone seems to be in a rush.
Spring is often associated with renewal, planting seeds, and embracing a slower pace of life. I’ve come to realize that I don’t need to shut spring out completely–I simply need to be honest with myself about what this season looks like for me.
As spring begins to wind down, I’ve been reflecting on what it has been teaching me about patience. Not the kind of patience that simply waits for something to happen, but the kind that allows me to live honestly. The kind that reminds me I do not have to rush into a version of myself that only exists because the weather changed.
This spring, I have learned that I can appreciate beauty without forcing myself into someone else’s rhythm. I can admire the flowers, enjoy the longer days, and still choose a quieter way of being.
Setting realistic expectations
Spring allows me to follow my own path. It’s about me defining what spring means for me and how to navigate through it. My expectations for what I want are not exactly what I need.
I’d love to enjoy a picnic in the park, but the reality is that it’s usually too hot for me. Instead of giving up on the idea entirely, I’ve found ways to create that same experience indoors on a nice rug, A/C, cushions, and with my indoor plants for ambiance.
At the beginning of spring, I created a list filled with farmers markets, outdoor festivals, and long walks.
By the end of May, I realized I had not attended almost any of them. At first I felt guilty, as though I was somehow wasting the season. But when I looked at how I had actually spent my time, I noticed something surprising.
I had finished two books, started a new needlepoint project, experimented with homemade mocktails, and spent quiet evenings planning my blog.
Social media vs Reality
My life is not going to look like everyone else’s social media post or Pinterest boards and that’s perfectly fine. I can still find inspiration without feeling pressured to recreate someone else’s version of spring.
I have crafts and hobbies I want to start but I cannot take the time to unwind because there is so much going on.
Social media, especially Pinterest, has given me inspiration to take spring in small doses. I needed to remember that inspiration does not mean to overhaul my entire life. If there are small things I can change to fit my life for spring I am there for it.
So, I had a few pins that I wanted to do for my balcony for spring so I can take spring in small doses. I knew I needed plants, seating, table for my afternoon tea for one, and lighting. It’s become overwhelming because I wanted my balcony to look just like the pin I saved.
And that is not what Pinterest is meant to do. It should inspire my life, not make me feel as though I have failed because I cannot find the exact outdoor rug from a saved image. The process of turning my balcony into a magical place to be able to enjoy my life at home was turning into the most overwhelming experience.
And that is not what Pinterest is for to make my life completely crazy because I cannot find that exact outdoor rug for my balcony. Transforming my balcony was no longer fun and to be honest I abandoned the project.
So the reality for me is to allow social media to be a tool and to inspire and create the life that fits me.
Spring in Small Doses
I have found so many ways to enjoy spring like everyone else, but in small doses. I am a woman that knows her own mind so I do not want to become a completely different woman because the season has changed.
Spring in small doses means to elevate the things I already love. For instance I have had a love-hate relationship with flowers because no one ever bought me flowers, so buying fresh flowers for myself was never on my radar. Now that I am spending more time at home I love fresh floral arrangements when I come home from a long day at my retail job.
The flowers make me smile when I walk into my home. And to be honest I love the feeling I get when I see them. Loving fresh cut flowers has now inspired me to educate myself on flowers as well as become my own florist so I do not need to buy fresh flowers. It’s a win-win!
Another small thing is drinking my favorite lavender cold foam London fog. The drink sings to my whole heart and also inspires me to grow my own lavender for my tea.
My favorite small dose for spring are seasonal candles. Having the aroma of spring and summer in my home creates a cozy environment for me. When I walk through my home every room has its own refreshing scent to stimulate my senses.
Gosh I have so many spring small doses I may need to do a separate blog post on those. What do you think?
Patience with Myself
What spring is teaching me most is patience with myself. Every year I seem to create an ideal version of who I think I should become once the weather warms up.
She spends every weekend outdoors, attends every local event, and somehow has endless energy for new adventures.
The reality is much quieter. I still prefer slow mornings, cozy afternoons, and evenings spent at home with a book or a creative project. For a long time, I viewed that difference as a flaw. This spring, however, I am learning that there is no prize for becoming someone I am not.
Patience means allowing myself to grow at my own pace and accepting that my version of a beautiful season may look different from everyone else’s. Instead of rushing to meet expectations, I am learning to appreciate the life I already have.
Slowing Down More
Now that spring is transitioning into summer, it feels as though everyone is rushing to fill their calendars with activities and events. For a while, I felt pressure to do the same.
I genuinely enjoy staying home, creating, reading, or simply doing nothing at all. Somewhere along the way, we’ve been taught that rest is unproductive, but I’ve been learning that there is value in simply being.
I have craft, books, hobbies waiting for me, yet sometimes I struggle to slow down enough to enjoy them because it feels like there’s always something demanding my attention.
Having a full-time job in the world of retail has been difficult to slow down and turn my brain off from a very stressful workday. So giving more time to doing the opposite of what everyone else is doing for spring/summer is what delights my heart.
I realize I do not need to be “on” and forcing a situation that is not truly in my nature. Slowing down for spring and summer when life says to be out is when I turn inward.
Final Thoughts
So that’s it, my lovelies. Spring is ending with a quiet lesson: I am allowed to stay true to myself.
I do not have to feel anxious about showing up everywhere. I do not have to fear missing out. I do not have to force myself into a season that does not feel natural to me.
It is okay to go against the grain. It is okay to create your own traditions. It is okay to make any season feel beautiful, meaningful, and magical on your own terms.
