Five Ways To Embrace Renewal And Balance On The Spring Equinox
The spring equinox refers to the moment when day and night are nearly equal in length, marking the beginning of spring. For many, this part of the year marks renewal and fresh beginnings when nature awakens, energy levels rise, and people are inspired to set new intentions or embrace change.
Below, learn the meaning of the spring equinox, explore evidence-based ways to achieve personal growth, and discover how the seasons connect to and can impact mood and mental health. Whether you want to set new goals, refresh your mindset, or reconnect with loved ones, the spring equinox can be a meaningful time to welcome positive change.
What is the spring equinox?
The spring equinox occurs due to the tilt of the Earth's axis: During winter, the Earth's axis tilts the northern hemisphere away from the sun, resulting in shorter days and longer nights. The tilt gradually shifts in the Earth’s orbit, bringing the northern hemisphere back into alignment as the sun appears, resulting in the equinox. Following the equinox, daylight hours increase each day until the summer solstice around June 20th or 21st, the longest day of the year.
The meaning of the spring equinox across cultures in the Northern hemisphere
For many cultures, the vernal equinox has historically been associated with renewal, rebirth, and fertility. In agrarian societies, it often marked the beginning of planting season, when farmers sowed seeds in anticipation of the longer days and warmer temperatures ahead. This connection to nature and cycles of growth is reflected in various festivals and traditions around the world when people have traditionally gathered to celebrate Spring:
- Nowruz (Persian New Year): Celebrated during the spring equinox, Nowruz marks the start of the Persian calendar. Originating over 3,000 years ago in Zoroastrian traditions, this holiday symbolizes renewal, rebirth, and the arrival of spring. Families clean their homes, prepare feasts, and perform rituals to welcome the new year.
- Ostara (Pagan and Wiccan traditions): Ostara, celebrated on or around the Spring Equinox, honors the goddess of dawn and fertility. It is a time for planting seeds, celebrating renewal, and appreciating the balance of light and dark. Many symbols of Ostara, like eggs and rabbits, have connections to modern spring traditions.
- Chichen Itza (Maya civilization): At the ancient Maya city of Chichen Itza, the spring and fall equinoxes create a shadow on the El Castillo pyramid that resembles a serpent descending the staircase. This astronomical alignment was central to Maya rituals and agricultural planning.
- Easter (Christian tradition): While Easter is tied to the lunar calendar, its timing near the Spring Equinox connects it with ancient celebrations of rebirth and renewal. Its symbols, like eggs and flowers, reflect seasonal themes of life emerging after winter.
- Shunbun no Hi (Japan): A public holiday in Japan, Shunbun no Hi is celebrated during the spring equinox. It is a time for honoring ancestors, visiting graves, and welcoming spring with an appreciation for nature and family.
Five ways to embrace balance and renewal during the Spring Equinox
The word “equinox” comes from the Latin words aequus (equal) and nox (night), reflecting the nearly equal length of day and night during this time. This balance makes the spring equinox a symbol of harmony and renewal in many cultures and can be a good time to find equilibrium in one’s life. Below are some ways you might embrace balance heading into Spring.
Set goals and intentions
Organizational psychologists theorize that goal-setting is an important driver of productivity within teams, and mental health professionals widely recognize the importance of setting goals for achieving positive outcomes for their clients. Thus, the beginning of spring may be ideal for setting or checking in with your goals. You might use the SMART framework to create specific, measurable, achievable, relevant, and time-bound goals to stay focused and motivated in your personal growth journey.
Connect with nature
A growing body of evidence suggests that spending time in nature can improve psychological well-being and reduce the impact of mental illness. As temperatures warm up and daylight hours increase, you can enjoy the season by spending more time outdoors. Whether walking, hiking, or relaxing outdoors, connecting with nature can reduce stress, improve mood, and energize you.
Practice self-care
Experts generally agree that maintaining good physical health is critical to mental well-being. Self-care can include a balanced approach to nutrition, prioritizing exercise and physical activity, getting plenty of restful sleep, and avoiding harmful substances. This spring, you might consider refreshing your self-care routine by trying a new physical activity, incorporating seasonal produce into your meals, setting a consistent sleep schedule, or exploring relaxation techniques like yoga or meditation.
If you are struggling with substance use, contact the SAMHSA National Helpline at (800) 662-4357 to receive support and resources. Support is available 24/7.
Embrace mindfulness
Mindfulness refers to the ability to maintain control over your thoughts and emotional state while paying attention to the present. This skill can be beneficial for managing stress and improving mental health, and research into mindfulness-based therapies supports such interventions for reducing symptoms of anxiety, depression, and stress-related disorders. In addition to therapy, you can learn mindfulness through guided meditations, deep breathing exercises, yoga, and self-study.
Connect with friends and loved ones
Friends and loved ones can be a source of joy and fulfillment, helping you feel more connected and supported. Additionally, research indicates that social connectedness is a key determinant of both mental and physical health, making a rich family and social life an important factor in overall well-being. Whether you achieve connection through regular phone calls, shared meals, or weekend outings, consider reaching out to your social circles and prioritizing quality time with loved ones during the spring.
Does the spring equinox affect your mood?
The spring equinox can affect mood, though its impact varies from person to person. More exposure to daylight during spring can boost serotonin production, a hormone linked to improved mood and energy levels. Spring often brings warmer temperatures and blooming flowers, which can be revitalizing after the darker, colder winter months. Additionally, longer days might inspire outdoor activities like walking, gardening, and hiking, which can boost mental health.
However, not everyone experiences the transition positively. daylight savings time, which occurs soon before the spring equinox, can disrupt sleep-wake patterns, potentially leading to fatigue, irritability, and difficulty concentrating. To mitigate the effects of the change, consider gradually adjusting your sleep schedule in the days leading up to the time shift, ensuring you get enough rest, and spending time in natural sunlight to reset your internal clock.
Day and night rhythms: The impact of the winter solstice on mental health
While the increased daylight of the spring equinox can be a time of renewal, the extended hours of darkness in winter can be detrimental to mental health. The winter solstice, occurring around December 21st in the northern hemisphere, marks the shortest day and longest night of the year, and many find this period negatively affects mood and well-being.
To understand the impacts of the winter equinox, it may be helpful to recognize the importance of daylight exposure in regulating the body’s internal clock (circadian rhythms). When the sun rises, and people can experience its light, it incites the production of serotonin, a hormone that boosts energy and mood, while darkness signals the body to produce melatonin, the hormone responsible for sleep. Without sufficient light exposure, serotonin levels can drop, leading to fatigue, low mood, and decreased energy.
In some cases, a drop in serotonin can lead to a condition called seasonal affective disorder (SAD), a type of depression that occurs during the darker months of the year. SAD is characterized by symptoms such as persistent low mood, fatigue, difficulty concentrating, changes in appetite, and a loss of interest in activities. While symptoms can be disruptive, SAD can often be managed with mental health treatment and light therapy.
Mental health support for personal growth
Whether you are experiencing a mental health issue like SAD or seeking to achieve personal growth and improved well-being, therapy may be helpful. Cognitive-behavioral therapy (CBT) is a type of mental health treatment that focuses on identifying and changing negative thought patterns and behaviors to improve emotional well-being. CBT is widely regarded as the “gold standard” of mental health treatment, and research suggests that this type of therapy is equally effective whether delivered in person or online.
If you’re interested in online therapy, platforms like BetterHelp offer convenient, affordable access to licensed mental health professionals trained to deliver CBT and other evidence-based therapies. With an online platform, you can attend weekly online therapy from the comfort of home via phone, video call, or live chat, plus benefit from resources like digital therapy worksheets, educational webinars, and interactive journaling.
Takeaway
Frequently asked questions
Below are some of the most frequently asked questions about the spring equinox.
How are seasons determined? Understanding winter solstice, day and night, and differences between the southern and northern hemispheres
Seasons can be understood in two different ways: meteorological and astronomical. Meteorological seasons are determined by annual temperature cycles, dividing the year into four three-month periods based on the Gregorian calendar: spring (March, April, May), summer (June, July, August), fall (September, October, November), and winter (December, January, February).
Astronomical seasons, on the other hand, are determined by the position of the Earth in its orbit around the sun. These seasons begin and end at specific celestial events: the spring equinox (around March 20th), the summer solstice (around June 21st), the fall equinox (also known as the autumnal equinox or September equinox, and taking place around September 22nd), and the winter solstice (around December 21st). Unlike meteorological seasons, astronomical seasons may vary slightly in length each year due to the Earth's elliptical orbit and the timing of these events.
When is the spring equinox in the southern hemisphere?
In the southern hemisphere, the spring equinox occurs each year on September 22nd or 23rd.
What happens on the spring equinox?
On the spring equinox, named after the Latin word aequus, the day length is equal to the night length, marking the first day of spring in the northern hemisphere. During this day, the sun shines directly overhead the equator, with the sun’s rays casting heat over the earth and putting those countries in direct sunlight. There are actually two equinoxes at this time, as the fall equinox occurs simultaneously in the southern hemisphere, marking two new beginnings in the seasons.
Is the spring equinox always March 21?
The spring equinox does not always happen on March 21st. Depending on other factors, it can also occur on the 20th or 19th of March. The spring start date changes based on Earth’s orbit around the sun.
What happens to the Earth during the spring equinox?
During the spring equinox, the sun rises at the north pole, marking continuous light that remains even during the night until the longest day on the summer solstice. In the south poles, the light diminishes, marking the beginning of autumn in the tropical year. At this subpolar point, the warmer weather diminishes. Those closer to the north will experience the spring season in full force, with plants growing new buds, more rain, and hotter temperatures.
In most northern countries, like Canada and Russia, temperatures may remain cold throughout the spring, as there is less variation between the four seasons the further north or south you get on the horizon. Typically, the moon is in its first point in its cycle as a new moon during the spring equinox, but it may also be in a crescent stage.
What are some fun facts about spring equinox?
Below are five fun facts about the spring equinox:
- The word “equinox” means “equal night.”
- The Great Sphynx of Giza in Egypt faces the sunrise on the equinox.
- Saturn also has an equinox in spring and autumn.
- The equinox starts in spring in the northern hemisphere and autumn in the southern hemisphere.
- The spring equinox can also be called the “vernal equinox.”
Does the spring equinox affect mood?
The spring equinox itself does not affect mood. However, if your area starts to have warmer weather and more light in the spring, you might notice your mood improve. Because the winter months are often associated with dark, gloomy, cold weather, some people are susceptible to seasonal depression. When the sun starts to appear again, you may notice less of an impact on your mood.
Why is the spring equinox so important?
The spring equinox is important because it brings sunlight back to areas that were previously experiencing winter darkness and cold. The sun allows plants to regrow after their leaves and flowers have died. As the plants grow, more animals emerge from hibernation, restoring the ecosystem. Animals start to have more babies, replenishing the population for the years ahead. As the weather gets warmer, more food can grow, and certain crops can be harvested. Without the spring sun, there would be a lack of growth and development in the ecosystem.
How do you explain spring equinox to kids?
If you're unsure how to explain the spring equinox to children, you can use simple language to explain that the sun is returning to your part of the earth to help the plants grow and signify new beginnings. You can also use a simple video online that explains the process.
How do you honor the spring equinox?
You can honor the spring equinox in any way that seems right to you. Some people have celebrations to honor the beginning of the spring season, celebrating the growth of plants, the birth of baby animals, and green grass. You can also celebrate spring alongside certain spring holidays like Easter.
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