Plan Around Changing Weather

If it hasn’t hit your city yet — Spring is just around the corner. Of course, the first day of Spring was Monday, March 23, 2023. But we had an unexpected flurry or two of snow around here and in several places in the country, yesterday! Okay, so we need the moisture in the West — so I won’t complain. Usually, all the snow has pretty much melted away by now — and flowers are beginning to bloom. I want lovely flowers and herbs right here, right now, to fill the world with vibrant colors. Spring, as a whole, signifies new beginnings and a fresh start.

As beautiful as it can be this time of year, be careful about letting your guard down. Some aspects of spring can get in the way of your productivity. While it’s nice to be able to frolic in the fields (so to speak), there are still responsibilities to take care of and obstacles to overcome.

Whether spring is your favorite season or just a stepping stone to summer, you can always find ways to make this time of year better. This article will go through a few things you can plan this spring to make sure you’re always on top of your game, no matter the season or the weather:

Begin Your Allergy Prevention Measures Early

While spring is arguably the most beautiful season of the year, anyone with seasonal allergies will be quick to disagree. Springtime often means swollen and itchy eyes and endless sneezing for the coming months. If you struggle with seasonal allergies, you should start taking preventative measures right away. A couple of people in the office are suffering terribly — and they even say they will move if the allergies don’t let up. Move? There are all kinds of safe and over-the-counter bits of help. Use that — don’t move!

Most allergy medications take some time to get into your system fully. If you wait to start taking allergy medicine until symptoms pop up, it may already be too late. You’ll have to endure a period of agony before feeling relief from your hay fever.

Other steps can be taken depending on the severity of your allergy problems. Work on ensuring windows in your house and car stay closed when pollen counts are high. We installed a great filter in our office that takes allergens and germs out of the air. If you go outside, wash your clothes promptly so pollen and dust don’t populate your home. You might even make a habit out of showering at night to make sure you truly are clear of all things spring.

For a select few, looking into an allergy prescription might be worth pursuing. Stronger medications can enable you to actually enjoy spring instead of smiling through the pain of every sneeze your boy ejects for the coming months.

Plan Some Extra Time for Driving

They say that April showers bring May flowers. While that may be true, April showers also bring traffic jams as drivers try to navigate through flooded roads with windshield wipers at full blast. Spring storms can come and go quite quickly, so even with weather reporting, you never know exactly what one might hit. Because of this, you should plan a little extra driving time whenever you have somewhere to go.

Make it a habit to check the weather morning and night. If you anticipate some poor driving conditions for your morning commute, plan accordingly. You might have to move your alarm back a little bit to make sure you can leave early. While that might not sound appealing, it sure beats sitting in standstill traffic watching as you get later and later for your shift.

Your car might be due for some updates as well. Spring is a good time to plan for your new tires, or at least have them rotated, so they can more easily handle any road conditions. You should also double-check your windshield wipers, defrosters, and A/C to make sure everything is working before you hit the road. Get all of your appointments set so that you don’t have to worry about them when the family heads out for summer vacation. If you don’t drive much in the winter, many of these car issues could go unnoticed until you really need them. It’s always better to be aware of possible problems and fix them early.

Get Your House in Order

People spend more time in their homes than pretty much anywhere else — except maybe the office. It only makes sense to take care of where you live, sleep, and make many memories. When winter turns into spring, there are a few housekeeping items you should check off your list before they become potentially big problems.

The first thing to do is clear out your home and yard of any build-up left over from the winter. Clean out your gutters and comb over the lawn to remove any leftover snowfall and debris that has built up. This may also be a good time to check your air filters, air conditioning units, and window frames to ensure everything is in order.

You don’t want to be halfway to summer before you realize that winter buildup on your roof is starting to flood your attic. Trimming trees around your home can also prevent unnecessary storm damage that may occur. The sooner you can check these housekeeping items off of your list, the better off you’ll be.

Ramp Up Your Schedule

Getting out of the house is much more difficult in the winter than it is in the spring. You should take advantage of the warmer weather and clearer skies by ramping up your schedule. If you start making plans before spring is in full bloom, you’ll have a lot to look forward to.

Spring is the perfect time to start fitting walks into your schedule. You might also start taking your kids to the park. You might even consider adding season tickets from your local baseball team to your budget. If you fill up your calendar with actual events and ideas, you’re much more likely actually to get out there and live your life. Otherwise, spring might just pass you by without you being able to truly enjoy it. At work — I’m determined to spend 10 minutes in the morning and 10 minutes in the afternoon walking around the building. I’m doing a productivity experiment — it’s worked before, and I’m counting on this exercise working now.

Now that your calendar is full for spring, and likely summer too, any excuses that keep you from leaving the office will no longer work. You can’t say no to a baseball game you already bought tickets for or a day at the park you coordinated with family. In the end, you’ll look back and be grateful for all of the memories you created this season.

Dust Off Your Green Thumb

If you’re into gardening in any way, shape, or form, changing weather is a big deal for you. The rising temperatures make it possible to get things growing. And the right preparations made at the right time will kickstart your garden immediately.

The tricky part about spring is that while early days can be warm, nights are still often chilly. Cold snaps in the night can ruin the early starts you make in your garden. To circumvent this, start growing some of your plants on a windowsill indoors. They can get their start in shallow pots and containers until they’re ready to be moved outside when the weather has completely settled. I love the potted sage I’ve started on my window sill and a couple of other herbs that will look nice on my smallish apartment deck.

Different plants want to be started at different times of the year. Be sure to check the recommended planting times for your vegetables and flowers of choice. Your timing can be the difference between great success and disappointment with your garden, no matter how green your thumb is.

If you want to get the most out of spring this year, there’s no time to waste. The sooner you can prepare for changing seasons, the easier the transition will be. The same goes for every season. When summer, fall, and winter come around, if you’ve made a great plan in your Calendar — you can go at full-throttle so much easier if you know where you’re going. Different seasons require varying levels of preparation and execution. If you find a good method that works, add the steps to your online calendar for the next year.

Featured Image Credit: Photo by Matteo Badini; Pexels; Thank you!