Instead of thirty one days, March often feels like it lasts thirty one years. On the one hand, this is great, because I’m coming out of my winter hibernation mode and feeling quite productive in my work life. More time means more content produced. But March is also a turbulent month, with spring arriving in fits and starts, and that unsettled quality carries over into my mood. Like the weather, I fluctuate. Some days I’m filled with energy, and other days I have to force myself out of the house. I’m my own personal roller coaster.

When my disposition tends to waver between highs and lows, I have to use a particular set of tricks to keep my balance. Like a bear coming out of its cave into the bright sunshine after a long sleep, I feel a slight bit of disorientation in March. Certainly, I’m eager for the longer days, the warmer air, and the burst of life that comes with springtime, but I’m also trying to shed the sluggishness of winter. I don’t quite have the fortitude yet for the increased activity that comes with this time of year.

So, I have to build it back. Incrementally, I increase my weekly word count, and I plan longer days. I add a little more to my workout schedule. I take advantage of my desire to spring clean, and choose a few projects around the house. While I try to get outside regularly in the winter for a dose of vitamin D, I actually look forward to being outside in the springtime. Most of my book events occur in the spring and summer, so I begin to prep for them.

As I look to the month ahead, I try to focus on March’s potential, while at the same time easing gently into the new season.

“In March winter is holding back and spring is pulling forward. Something holds and something pulls inside of us too.” ― Jean Hersey