Stop Moving Fast!

Written by Ms. Thornton, 04/07/2025

Weekly Cancellation- Moving Fast… 

“April is the cruellest month, breeding

Lilacs out of the dead land, mixing

Memory and desire, stirring

Dull roots with spring rain.

Winter kept us warm, covering

Earth in forgetful snow, feeding

A little life with dried tubers.”

• T.S Eliot - The Wasteland

SLOW DOWN!! As we creep into the spring season we need to manage our energy. During the winter, our body runs low in hormones such as serotonin (the stress buster and happiness booster) due to shorter daylight hours and dopamine (the motivation hormone) due to decreased physical activity. There is also an increase in cortisol (the stress hormone) due to increased environmental threats. As a result, some of us feel lethargic, less motivated, low in vitality, and tired, especially toward the end of the winter season (12 Ways to Manage Spring Fatigue). 

This feeling is called, “Spring Fatigue” and it's a real thing; but, it is a tough time to feel sluggish as school demands, both academic and extracurricular, seem to ramp up in the spring months. That said, we need to listen to what our bodies are telling us. In fact, the message is an important one that needs to be applied more widely. Moving faster isn’t better! 

We are driven by a created culture that demands instant results and gratification. We have been led to believe that success can only come if we are constantly “gunning it.” 

We can use the cycle of the seasons and our bodies' natural responses to guide us to find and/or make time to rest and recover. You can only do one thing at a time, take it at pace, if you can’t see where the breaks are then reach out to a teacher, your advisor, a learning strategist, a social worker to help you to find your rhythm.