I’ve just walked into my flat to see something that has brought joy to my heart and a big smile to my face.

It wasn’t George Clooney in his birthday suit. Nor was it the man from the Football Pools telling me I’d won a disgustingly large amount of cash. (Do the Pools actually still exist?) And it wasn’t the ironing fairy ploughing through the mountain of garments that I have awaiting me when I finish writing today.

No, it was in fact a humble bunch of daffodils. But my joy was brought about by the fact that suddenly, without warning, and within what seemed like a blink of an eye, the bunch had stopped being introverted, shy little fellas and had instead become a vase of broad yellow smiles, spreading sunshine out into the whole room.

And suddenly, because of my beautiful flowers, I feel all spring-like. I feel more awake, lively, positive and ever so slightly excitable. It’s funny how the changing of all the seasons can have such a huge effect on us, but it’s definitely the arrival of Spring that transforms me the most.

It’s like waking up from a deep sleep. The dark, short, cold days of the winter months, are suddenly replaced with lighter evenings and spring flowers, and some time soon we’ll start seeing little lambs frolicking all around us. Ok, I got carried away there. I’ve never seen a frolicking lamb in Ealing. In fact the only frolicking I’ve ever seen round here was late one night on Haven Green, and the least said about that the better.

So why do so many of us feel so upbeat when Spring arrives? The effect is called Spring Fever and happily it’s been backed up by some really clever scientists. Ready?  Here it is…These scientists have found that when seasons change, the retina — the part of the eye connected to the brain by the optic nerve — naturally reacts to the variations in the amount of daylight and this can trigger hormonal changes in us. (Are you with me so far?) Particularly important is the adjustment in melatonin, the hormone that affects our mood and how we sleep. As a result of light changes, the body naturally produces less melatonin during Spring, causing a mood lift, a reduced desire to sleep, a need to eat less and an increase in sexual appetite. And I like the thought of all four of those!

But it’s not only our mood and energy levels that can improve in Spring, it can also help and protect our teeth and bones. On the first few sunny days of Spring many people feel the urge to shed their heavy Winter clothes and get some sun on their poor aching wintery bones. This is actually in response to the fact that for several months our bodies have been starved of vitamin D, which is essential for healthy bones and teeth, and we only produce it when our skin is exposed to sunlight. So the throwing off of our clothing is not just latent exhibitionism, we’re actually craving a top-up of vitamin D.

I’ve had moments in the past when I’ve wished that every day was a Spring day, but I’ve realised of course that we’d never appreciate Spring if we didn’t experience the other seasons, particularly Winter. The light will never feel so bright if it doesn’t come after darkness. So I’ll just cherish these Spring days. I’ll spend time enjoying looking at the daffs, tulips and daisies springing up everywhere. I’ll throw off a few layers of clothing with gay abandon. And you know, if there are no lambs to be seen, I might just do a bit of frolicking myself.

NOTE TO SELF:  If I do end up having a frolic, consider the sensibilities of the good folk of Ealing and keep it to the privacy of my own home.