Chaplain's Corner

Hi Everyone,

Thought I’d get in a little early - Spring is in the air!  The days are getting longer and a little warmer, rose bushes are shooting, daffodils are flowering. blossom is appearing.  It brings HOPE, IMPROVING OUR MENTAL HEALTH during our experiences of lockdown due to COVID.

Spring is the season of hope – that things will get better after they were worse. The river will "flow again after it was frozen," Ernest Hemingway wrote of Spring.

"If we had no Winter, the Spring would not be so pleasant," wrote English poet Anne Bradstreet. "If we did not sometimes taste of adversity, prosperity would not be so welcome."

Spring is arguably the most profound of the seasons in terms of its meaning, promise, inspiration and experiences. It is the season of new starts and ideas bursting from the ground like the return of grass, daffodils and blossoms.

In her diary, written under an even more extreme and frightening lockdown, Anne Frank advised those who could, to "go outside, to the country, enjoy the sun and all nature has to offer. Go outside and try to recapture the happiness within yourself; think of all the beauty in yourself and in everything around you and be happy."  (World War 11)

There's even some science to the joy of spring. Research suggests that for many people, the extended daylight boosts mood, well-being and energy. Dopamine -- a neurotransmitter associated with attention, motivation, pleasure and mood 

Across the seasons, research has found that taking walks in nature slows your heart rate and makes you more relaxed.

    After months spent conserving energy, flowers bloom in the spring, once  they sense that the days have grown longer and the weather has turned warmer. A 2008 study of hospital patients found that having flowers in the room made people feel more positive and reduced their pain and anxiety. 

Temperate weather makes it easier to get the fresh air you need. Opening your windows and allowing the breeze in serves as an important way to ventilate indoor spaces, according to the EPA.. Spring brings the perfect opportunity to throw open those windows and doors and get the air moving again.

I have been enjoying the warmer Spring weather on my daily walks and have seen creative signs of reaching out with hope and kindness in my neighbourhood.  I have noticed bees, butterflies and lorikeets enjoying the grevilleas in my garden – unfortunately they don’t ‘wait’ while I try to take a photo!  I have begun to prepare my vegetable patch – a great activity to do with your children!

TAKE CARE AND STAY SAFE! 

 Robyn Mulholland (School Chaplain)  robyn.mulholland@education.vic.gov.au