Gorgeous colors, spring rain, sunshine, and baby animals! Spring is known as the season of rebirth, and it often feels like a shedding of winter, especially since many of us feel more tired with less daylight in the winter. However, spring brings its own challenges, including bug bites, spring allergies, and “spring fatigue,” which occurs when we don’t transition smoothly from winter to spring due to changes in light exposure.
Our guide explains how to transition smoothly into spring and experience renewal, rather than feeling stuck with fatigue or unpleasant allergies.
Spring Fatigue
We often think of wintertime as a “sluggish season” with less daylight and slower days. Many are prone to seasonal mood changes, with winter often bringing our mood and energy levels down. However, spring fatigue is very real, too!
Spring fatigue is often unexpected because we expect to feel energized with more sunlight. However, some experience a lack of motivation, sluggishness, and exhaustion as they adjust to longer days filled with more sunshine. This can even lead to brain fog or trouble falling (or staying) asleep.
Researchers suspect that spring fatigue is caused by several factors, including disruptions to sleep due to increased sunlight, hormonal changes due to sunlight, allergies, and temperature shifts.
Here’s how to fight spring fatigue:
- Prioritize sunlight early in the day: Get outside as soon as possible to expose yourself to sunlight and improve energy levels.
- Stay active (even short walks or stretching can do wonders)
- Manage your spring allergies (more on this later!)
- Stay hydrated and prioritize nutrient-dense foods
- Seasonal reset—We strongly recommend our All Seasons Cleanse Tea to stimulate and support liver function, helping you support the body's natural cleansing process as we transition to the next season!
- Stick to a consistent bedtime and create a calming nighttime routine with limited screen time. If you struggle with anxiety or insomnia, check out our previous article packed with helpful herbal solutions.
For added help, try some of our handpicked Spring Teas that encourage renewal, seasonal cleansing, and wellness. Matcha Green Tea Powder is a particularly popular choice for improving energy, increasing your antioxidant intake, and supporting healthy weight loss.
Herbal Remedies for Bug Bites (Prevention and Symptom Relief)
Picnics, outdoor parties, and pleasant spring walks are all amazing–until you end up with legs covered in bug bites! Do yourself a favor and stock up on bug bite care and prevention now to give yourself a fighting chance.
For preventing bug bites, we recommend:
- Bug Away Soap: We formulated this handmade soap with potent essential oils, including lemon, eucalyptus, citronella, peppermint, and geranium, that deter bugs from stinging or biting.
- Natural Bug Spray: We love this natural spray, which not only has a pleasant scent but is effective against so many types of bugs. It contains catnip essential oil, which may be more effective than DEET!
- Catnip Essential Oil: This natural essential oil is believed to be 10 times more effective than DEET, a common ingredient in most commercial insect repellents. Add this essential oil to your body mist, lotion, bathwater, and carrier oils to bug-proof yourself this spring and summer.
If you’ve already been stung or bitten, try these amazing herbal remedies:
- Sting Stop Roll-On Oil Blend: Once you’ve removed the stinger (if needed), gently apply this to the affected area to soothe bites, stings, and small cuts. This formula has a beautiful blue color from its natural Azuline and supports soothing skin support.
- Chaparral & Calendula Salve: We love this supportive salve, which promotes healthy skin detoxification and helps heal a wide range of cuts, bites, wounds, and rashes. It has antifungal and demulcent properties, which make it an excellent option for itchy areas.
If your home needs protection from bugs, we recommend using Bay Laurel Essential Oil or Lavender Essential Oil to repel these critters naturally. Check out our previous article with natural bug spray recipes for inspiration.
Got Spring Allergies?
While seeing nature come alive around us is always a treat, the allergies that accompany this renewal, aren’t. Allergies are unfortunately common, and taking an over-the-counter allergy pill every day isn’t ideal, especially if you struggle with side effects like drowsiness.
Try some of these herbal remedies to keep yourself sane during allergy season:
- Stop the Sniffles Tea: Enjoy one to three cups of this tea daily to support yourself during allergy season. This tea blends stinging nettles, spearmint, anise seeds, and other refreshing ingredients to help reduce allergy symptoms through its powerful anti-histaminic effects.
- AZ Rim Country Tree Mix: If you struggle with allergies to juniper, manzanita, or other Northern Arizona trees, this homeopathic-style essence has found widespread success with many of our clients. It may support seasonal comfort, including runny noses, watery eyes, and itchiness.
- Bee Pollen Granules (Arizona Local): Many find success by building their immune system against allergens by ingesting local bee pollen—which can help diminish allergies and support your overall wellness. Plus, it has 20 amino acids and energy-boosting protein!
- Aller-Eaz Capsules: These convenient capsules contain stinging nettle leaf, rosehips, and eyebright herb extract, which create the ultimate allergy-fighting herbal remedy. This capsule supports your body's natural histamine response, helping you fight inflammation and pesky allergies.
- AZ Rim Country Grass Mix: If you struggle with grass allergies in Northern Arizona, this homeopathic-style remedy has a high success rate among allergy sufferers in the area. These drops can be added to water three times daily to promote relief from watery eyes, a runny nose, and general itchiness from allergies.
We hope this article inspires you to stock up now, so you’re not scrambling to get to the store when you discover a bug bite or are hit with spring fatigue or allergies. The sooner you start, the better your body can build an immunity against irritating allergies and energy changes as the weather evolves.
Happy Spring!
Herbalist Natalie
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Natalie Hajdu-Voakes is a consulting herbalist and the owner of The Herb Stop, with over 28 years of hands-on experience in crafting herbal remedies and promoting natural wellness. |
*These statements have not been evaluated by the Food and Drug Administration. These products and statements are not intended to diagnose, treat, cure or prevent disease. Consult your healthcare provider before use.