How to Live with Psoriasis in the Spring

March is the beginning of one of my favorite seasons of the year.

It is also the month I dread the most for my psoriasis. This change in seasons from Winter to Spring is my personal nemesis. In the last five years- I have had a strep induced flare within the first two weeks of March three times.

There are several possible reasons for this, some of them scientific, and some of them involve the word energy. Regardless, there are some things all of us need to consider as we move into warmer months.

1. Spring clean your wardrobe

The ‘warmer weather’ wardrobe starts to make an appearance in spring. It's a great time to be really honest about what is and is not working. It's so much worse to put on something that doesn’t make you feel great if you're making your maiden voyage out into the 2019 sunshine. Get rid of that item your holding onto - Marie Kondo it! Thank each item for its service, and then get rid of it. You might be afraid that you will have nothing left, but you will be more motivated to find something that works if you have nothing.

Just remember, it's easier to find the right things when you don’t desperately need them.

I have several boards on Pinterest of summer outfits that are psoriasis friendly, so if you have had several lousy shopping experiences then start there. Get onto Pinterest and type in psoriasis friendly fashion and see what comes up- save things you like to a board (you can make it private if you wish) and get inspiration. Then you can shop online for the exact items you want. No changing room terrors required.

2. Spring clean your treatment protocol

Our needs change as the seasons change...

• The changing humidity in the air can make a big difference to our skin.
• Increasing amounts of sunlight can improve mood and reduce stress.
• Changing weather can make us more vulnerable to infection, and the inevitable post infection flares.
• Increasing pollen counts can affect some people as flowers start to bloom.
• Wet weather intermingled with warm can lead to increases in mold spores in the air.
• We may start to get increasingly stressed about taking off our long sleeves and trousers as the temperatures begin to show an upwards trajectory.

There are also drug availability changes over the wintertime that may have passed us by. So be honest with yourself about your current needs, clear out the old, and visit your doctor to get up to date.

3. Watch out for discontentment

March is such a beautiful month of new beginnings- daffodils and tulips make their showstopping appearances across the landscape (at least they are blooming here in the U.K). It is also a month of ridiculously unpredictable weather; enjoying the warmth one minute- and running for cover from torrential rain the next.

These fluctuations can cause havoc with our moods, and if you're like me, and get psoriasis in friction areas. The constant taking on and off my jumper is a genuine point of contempt.

Try to alleviate these feelings of discontentment. Some suggestions:

• Book coffee dates with friends
• Wears multiple thin layers. All of them soft.
• Buy an umbrella that makes you happy; a brolly that quacks and is lined with LED lights may not be stylish, but at least you smile every time it rains. So...a lot.

4. Exercise

The longer I have psoriasis, the more I realize that the good times have more to do with body positivity then they do the severity of my psoriasis. I have bingo wings in some of my wedding pictures. I chose not to exercise more or diet before my wedding because it felt fake. I turned up on my wedding day as me, body confident because it was my choice.

Look at your body (ignoring psoriasis) and ask yourself whether you are body confident when you leave the house in a morning? Exercise has the power to change that feeling for the better. It has the potential to show you that your body can do things you never thought it could do, and when that happens- you can't help but love it just that little bit more.

What will you be doing this month for your beautiful psoriasis laden self?