There’s something about March 1st that causes me to take a huge sigh of relief.

“We made it”, I always think. While there may still be winter days ahead, it’s March, and spring is on the horizon once again!

Given this, March is a wonderful month to invite and celebrate the relief that this time of year brings!

Keep reading to learn more about the relief that comes with March (and ways to feel more relief this month)!

Definitions of Joy

One of the biggest takeaways I got from reading The Book of Joy was that there isn’t necessarily one feeling that is joy.

Actually— it is thought— that many there are many different emotions that make up the emotion of joy (Check out my post below if you are interested in finding what the “definition” of joy is)!

These other feelings include:

-Spiritual Radiance

-Exaltation

-Bliss

-Amusement

-and Relief (the focus for this month!)

What’s Relief, Really?

“What a relief!” we have heard this phrase probably countless times throughout our lives.

Yet, what does relief actually mean?

Upon writing this post, I went to my trusty source of Webster’s to find a defintiton of relief. However, none of them reasonated with me. They all focused on overcoming pain of some sort to reach relief. While I feel there certainly is something to overcome to feel relief, I don’t like that it necessarily has to be pain of some sort.

Yet, when you look up the word relief on Dictionary.com, there is this wonderful definition for the word of relief. It says, “something affording a pleasing change…”

Truthfully, I LOVE this definition, because I think it fits what relief really is across the board—and makes so much sense when it comes to the relief that March so often brings us!

Why Focus on Relief in March?

March brings us a change in season from wintertime to springtime here in the Northern Hemisphere, and for many I think this change is oh-so-welcome!

Winter certainly has its own gifts: it forces us to rest, to go inwards and confront the things and beliefs that no longer serve us.

However— I feel— springtime (with March kicking it off!) gives us the opportunity to truly begin living with the new and recovered beliefs that do serve us.

Wintertime can feel so heavy and monotonous sometimes: heavy clothes, heavy weather, heavy inner work. So, when springtime comes, there is a certain lightening, a brightening, and a relief that we can celebrate a transition to warmer temperatures, longer days, and perhaps a new version of us that is more tapped into our own inner joy!

Ways to Add Some Relief to Your Life

Here’s a few ways to practice feeling a bit more relief this month—and all year long for that matter!

1.) Take a look back on how far you have come: I recently saw this post on Instagram which said that we often forget/neglect to think about just how much we have grown. Once we accomplish something there’s a tendency to move on to the next goal/thing. Take a second to truly reflect. Look at a goal you have reached and think about how you were living before you accomplished the goal. Remember the doubts you felt. Remember the triumphs. Look at much you have grown, and feel the relief that comes from feeling that you actually did it!

2.) Try affirming to yourself “What if Things Actually Work Out?”: I can’t pinpoint exactly where I saw this affirmation, but it was said by a therapist to someone on social media. When you feel anxiety, doubt, fear start to creep into your life, push pause and say to yourself, “What if things ACTUALLY work out?”. Then, envision the life/reality where whatever you are thinking about works out in your favor. What does it look like? How do you act? How do you feel? Move forward with that energy and you feel a wonderful sense of relief from shifting from things not working out to them working out in your highest favor!

3.) Practice some gratitude: I have written about gratitude a few times in this space, but that is truly because it is such a transformative tool (and I will most likely keep talking about it for that reason!). Whenever you feel those feelings related to worry, being scared or feeling like something is not possible— shift into some gratitude. What do you appreciate right now? Is it the air you are breathing right now? Is it getting to have a call with a family member? Is it starting to see little signs of flowers popping up? Try finding ten things to feel appreciative of, and then check back in with yourself. Most likely, you feel a real sense of relief at just how good things are.

4.) Soak up the Transition: Winter is joyful in its own right, but spring is certainly welcomed when its time arrives each year. This year, use the transition period of March to take some time to soak up the small little transitions occurring. Feel the relief of getting to wear a lighter coat one day. Or take some extra time to feel what a relief it is to feel a warmer breeze. Perhaps take some time to honor the relief of getting to witness the sun being up for that much longer each day. So often we wait for full-on springtime when it’s consistently warmer, when we get to fully put away our winter coats and sweaters, and when the flowers are in full bloom. This year, try to soak up the little relief moments from this transitionary month of March and see if it increases your inner joy at all!

What are some ways you can add some more relief to your life? Let us know!