Photo taken by Bailey Beller
Five components that are necessary to welcome a new season.
It’s springtime in Knoxville. So long are the short days, cold weather, and bundling up for class. Instead, it’s replaced by warmer weather, blooming flowers, and a crowded HSS lawn. After what felt like an endless winter, March 19 marked the first official day of spring. It marks new beginnings, like that of New Year's Day.
There are five components to taking advantage of springtime: bright colors, going outside and feeling the sun, a new playlist, cleaning up your space, and making dates with friends.
First, bright colors are a staple for springtime. I recommend incorporating splashes of pastel colors into your outfit or when painting your nails. It’ll boost your mood. On a week where there’s an onslaught of rain, wearing bright colors can serve as a reminder of sunnier days ahead.
Next, going outside and feeling the sun is something everyone should do. April marks a period of exams, upcoming final projects, and papers. It can be stressful to think about how much you have to do to meet the end of the semester.
It’s important to remember to take a break from your studies, and going outside can help alleviate some of the stress. It can be as simple as going on a walk outside or sitting on the HSS lawn and calling up a friend. You can also go on a hike or take a day trip to Asheville.
Arguably one of the best ways to welcome a new season is making a new playlist. Compile songs that feel like springtime into a playlist when walking to class. A new playlist is such a simple way to boost your serotonin.
Some springtime tunes include “Coming Home” by Leon Bridges, “Everywhere” by Fleetwood Mac, “Almost (Sweet Music)” by Hozier, and “What A Feeling” by One Direction.
One of the harder tasks, albeit necessary, is spring cleaning. It can be daunting to think about cleaning your entire room. However, I recommend taking it bit by bit with the help of your spring playlist. A task that will make you feel refreshed could be replacing winter sheets with bright, floral patterns.
Next, you could go through your closet and put away your winter clothes. A simple task could be to vacuum your floor and wipe down your surfaces. Tasks easy to forget are cleaning your makeup brushes and going through your unread emails.
Spring cleaning could also mean going to Target and replacing anything missing like a new candle or vitamins. It could also mean redecorating a room by moving the bed or putting up new posters. At the end of the day, spring cleaning is about making your home feel new and refreshed.
Saving the best for last– making dates with your friends. Try to do fun things with your friends as the semester is winding down and finals are slowly approaching. It can feel overwhelming to find time, it’s necessary. It can be as simple as going to the library together to do homework but ultimately goofing around.
With the warmer weather, there are more things to do with your friends. Going on walks together and talking about upcoming deadlines is a great way to reconnect and relieve stress. Visiting a nearby park can be a fun spot to host a picnic. Soak up the sun by making plans to tan on the HSS lawn or poolside at the aquatic center. Even just taking the long way on a drive to Target can be a fun way to make memories with windows down and Tame Impala blasting.
The first signs of spring need to be celebrated. There’s so much to look forward to, with the days getting longer and summer right around the corner. Try to embrace spring, pollen, and all.
