Spring is the Time to Renew and Refresh

by Jennifer Hoelscher

Oh, Ode to Spring! That sweet smell of wet soil and freshly cut grass, flowers are creeping, and birds are singing. It’s a refresh, a reboot, a new start. The dictionary defines Spring as a time between Winter and Summer, a move, a leap or rise, a renewal or regrowth. Every year, no matter what is happening, this phenomenon occurs. The earth takes self-care very seriously. It literally re-dresses itself into that perfect blend of beauty and function.

For me, I am a lover of all things beautiful. Clothing, in particular, has always been one of my favorite ways to express myself. Anything adorned with fur, sparkles, and ruffles, I’m in!

However, this past year was far from beautiful, especially when it came to clothing. It tested all of us beyond anything we could have imagined. My adorable kitten heel shoes, sweater sets, and dresses gathered dust like the kind you see at an antique store; (yeah, not the best house cleaner), and were replaced with sweats, PJs, and mismatched socks!

Now don’t get me wrong. I’m sure you have enjoyed re-connecting to your family members. The extra hugs and great talks, the cooking (big shout out to NYTimes app), the board games and puzzles you could play because all activities were closed. Oh, the laughter and love.

Yet we can’t forget the other times: like the whining from the kids about school work, to dogs barking their brains out at that exact moment when you are to present on a zoom call. Or the moment when you realize you haven’t washed your hair or changed out of your PJs all week, and oh, someone’s gonna pay for not unloading that dishwasher!!

This heightened anxiety level led me down a path of self-care, alright, and not the good kind. One year later, lifting my head out of the fog of Netflix-binging and clicking “add to cart” on everything and anything, all while drinking bottles of wine, I find myself at the mirror staring in disbelief, saying what the *!@# happened to my waistline! That’s when it hit me; this is not the kind of selfcare I’m looking for.

Somewhere between shaming my waistline and cleaning potato chips from the couch, I bravely went where no person likes to, I had to visit my closet. Joking aside, I had to figure out how to find myself, the new self, and gently give my clothing permission for a new life, with someone else.

Rebirth: the action of reappearing or starting to flourish or increase after a decline; revival.

That’s it! We are on a revival, people!! While my closet was looking more like a time capsule (wave your hand), this rebirth (ing) got me thinking: If our beautiful earth can re-create all of its beauty year after year, why can’t we?

So I began clearing out everything. The trendy, bought on-whim items, pencil skirts, outdated bad-fitting jackets, pants, and tops. I chose to look at my closet as my place. To attempt to care for myself by not holding on to the “well it may come back in style items” or the “I’ll wear this when I lose the last 5 or 10 pounds.” Oh, the lies we tell ourselves.

So how do we “Spring” forward into feeling our best, most spring-worthy selves?

First, we need to fix our attitudes about what self-care is. Yes, eating healthy and taking bubble baths and exercising, all good stuff, but we need to “add” dress what it means to have self-care. See what I did there; add+dress. (Insert eye roll). Second, we need to clean our closets; (thanks, Captain Obvious) and not feel guilty when we may need a few new garments; #mom guilt. By you caring for you, you are actually helping the rest of your family live with the fabulous you and not the cranky you! It’s okay to put yourself first at times.

So back to our list: Remove anything damaged, out of style, and tight-fitting. Do the same with shoes and accessories. Get excited about the new Post-Covid you! Now is a great time to do this. We have all gotten super tech-savvy, right? Remember the add to cart button?

Try a new look like a funky pair of sneakers, a color-popping handbag, or take that vintage scarf and dress up your hair. On your next Zoom call, try grandma’s pearls on and embrace that hot pink lip (seriously, it looks good on all skin tones!)

Need a visual aid? Create a new Pinterest board. Give it a fun swanky name! Prefer paper? Make a vision board! Look for colors that you are drawn to, accessories that make you feel amazing, and work on adding those into your closet.

Studies have shown that when we wear that “IT,” whatever that looks like for us, we will be more productive, patient, and kind to ourselves and to others. Umm... sounds like a Revival Train I want to be on!

Dressing for self-care means gently and lovingly accepting where you are. At. This. Moment. Take an extra 5 and grab that colorful _________ (fill in) and GO you!

The main thing is to have fun with this. Need help? I’m an email away. Love yourself, your closet, and keep living the Good Fat Life. YOU CAN do this with some loving patience and kindness. Promise.

To schedule an appointment, go to: jenhoelscher23@gmail.com.