Spring in Maine is a little bit magical.

One minute everything looks gray, frozen, and mildly emotionally unavailable… and the next minute the birds are yelling, the mud is thriving, the sun is acting like it remembered its job, and suddenly we all feel like maybe — just maybe — we are not actually becoming houseplants with anxiety.

And this time of year always makes me think about sheep. The sheep shearer is coming this week on thursday to trim nails and shear wool from my favorite wooly pets!

In the spring, sheep are sheared. Their heavy winter wool is removed so they can move into the warmer season lighter, cleaner, and more comfortable. It is not punishment. It is not vanity. It is maintenance. It is care. It is part of the rhythm of the season. They get their feet trimmed as well. They always look so skinny with all that wool removed!

And honestly? Humans could use a little spring shearing too. Not literally, of course. Please do not come into the clinic asking me to shave your emotional support fleece. But metaphorically? Absolutely.

Spring is a beautiful time to ask:

• What am I carrying that is too heavy now?
• What habits helped me survive winter but are not helping me thrive in spring?
• Where am I following the herd instead of listening to my own body?
• What do I need to release so I can move better, sleep better, think clearer, and feel more like myself?

Working with patients has taught me a lot about people. In many ways, being a practitioner is a little like being a shepherd. Not because patients are sheep — you are all far more complicated and come with lab results — but because health behavior often has patterns.

Some people are natural leaders. They are ready to change, ready to learn, ready to ask questions, ready to try something new. Some people are followers. They wait to see what everyone else is doing. They need reassurance. They need a plan. They need someone else to go first and prove the bridge is not made of dental floss and regret. And most of us are both, depending on the day. Sometimes we lead ourselves beautifully. We meal prep, walk, hydrate, get sunlight, take our supplements, and go to bed like a responsible adult. Other times, we follow the nearest dopamine snack trail straight to the couch with a bag of chips and a vague sense of doom.

No judgment. That sheep has wandered through all our pastures.

But spring gives us a natural opportunity to reset. Longer daylight helps support our circadian rhythm, which is our internal body clock. Morning light tells the brain, “Hello, we are awake now.” Evening darkness tells the body, “Please stop pretending scrolling is a sleep strategy.” Getting outside in the morning, moving your body, eating nourishing food, and keeping a steady bedtime can help your hormones, energy, metabolism, mood, and sleep all start communicating like they are on the same group text.Spring invites us back into rhythm.

• More light.
• More movement.
• More fresh air.
• More green things.
• More intention.
• Less heavy wool.
• Less winter survival mode.
• Less wandering around exhausted pretending coffee is a personality and inflammation is just “getting older.”

So this week, think like spring. Let yourself shed a layer. Step into the light. Notice where you are leading your health and where you may just be following the herd. Because renewal does not have to be dramatic.

Sometimes it starts with a walk outside, a better bedtime, a protein-rich breakfast, a glass of water, and the decision that you are allowed to feel better. And if all else fails, remember the sheep.

Sometimes the kindest thing you can do is let go of what kept you warm in a season you are no longer in.

With warmth, wool metaphors, and springtime hope,

Liz Duke NP


Photo is Edie Nickel, our shearer with Ewenice! She makes it easy for the sheep, has years and years of experience. She can take a 180 Ib sheep and trim nails and hair ​in less than 5 minutes. Incredible talent!