03/20/2026
It's the first day of spring! In Traditional Chinese Medicine, each season of the year is associated with a particular emotion, influencing a specific part of the body's energetic system and internal organs, which can also aggravate physical health issues. Humans are, after all, a product of nature.
Simply acknowledging what time of year it is, and knowing what emotion and organ system are dominant in that season, can help quiet your mind and ease your physical ailments.
Take right now as an example: we're just entering springtime, and perhaps you've been feeling more irritable and short tempered lately. Spring is a time for the liver's energetic system, and it's all about abundance and growth, often accompanied with a lot of windy weather. (Think about all those new spring flowers and blooming trees...) But all this outward movement and growth can lead to a sense of frenetic, impatient energy. During spring, people tend to feel this as irritability, but they are also prone to the physical problems that are related to the liver's energetic system, including hip pain, migraines, hormone and period issues, and dry, itchy skin or eyes.
I've often improved my mood this time of year by simply remembering that, yes, it is indeed spring, and that things are going to be kind of chaotic in nature. And Iโve consciously tried to laugh at my (and others') grumbling behavior. So, just being cognizant of the season, and taking some time to decompress and relax, have helped me greatly in moving through the past month or two with more grace-- and hopefully less grumpy.
Other techniques for "surviving" the crabby nature of spring:
๐Laugh! Watch a funny show, hang out with your funny friends, or read a light-hearted book.
๐จWatch for windy weather. This affects the liver's energetic system greatly, aggravating your symptoms. Cover up in weather like this with a jacket and scarf.
๐คCalm down... Exercise like yoga or Tai Chi help move the body's energy and also help you forget about the worries of the day.
๐ฅฆEat green foods like kale, broccoli, spinach and bok choy to feed your liver's energetic system. (Yummy, green smoothies!)