As spring settles in, we welcome its warm breezes, fresh colors, open windows & bursting buds.
And perhaps most notable of all – the sweet serenade of spring peepers & wood frogs.
Their lullabies are one of the most beloved in New England as they herald the arrival of a fresh new season.
And within the first few notes, we breathe a collective sigh of relief that the long, harsh winter is behind us.
But if you’re wondering how these seemingly fragile little frogs survive the deep freeze, you’re not alone.
Their secret lies in an extraordinary physical feat – and as you’ll discover, their toughness in the face of a dark & merciless winter highlights an important life lesson in enduring hardship.
Let’s start from the top
As you might recall from high school biology, amphibians are ectothermic – meaning that they can’t use their own metabolism to generate the body heat they need to survive.
Instead, they regulate their body temperatures via external sources such as sunlight & radiant heat.
But during winter, ambient temperatures are far too cold to sustain a body temperature compatible with life both for amphibians AND their ectothermic prey, which consists primarily of insects & other invertebrates.
And when you combine incapacitating cold with a severe food shortage, their options for survival would be slim if it weren’t for an ingenious strategy to survive the deep freeze.
And that’s where things get interesting.
Leaning in
While many amphibians such as bullfrogs, American toads & various salamanders avoid freezing, spring peepers & wood frogs don’t avoid it at all.
In fact, they embrace it.
Albeit much more willingly than Han Solo.
But…how can they freeze & still survive?
The answer lies in freezing just enough, but not completely.
As temperatures drop, their skin begins to freeze & special proteins in their plasma cause the water in their blood to freeze first.
Meanwhile, their livers convert glycogen to glucose, which increases the sugar concentration in their blood & vital organs.
Known as a cryoprotectant, these high concentrations of glucose help their tissues resist freeze damage.
The end result is that they appear completely frozen, and even clink (though please don’t try it for yourself if you find one over winter).
While the outside of their bodies are frozen, their internal organs are dehydrated & stocked with massive amounts of sugar, which allows them to remain gel-like & unfrozen (similar to sports gels or maple syrup, which become very thick but do not freeze solid).
The heart, lungs & brain function very little if at all during this period, and they remain in this state of suspended animation until thawing occurs.
Once temperatures warm up, the ice in their bodies slowly thaws, and water flows back into their bloodstream & vital organs.
Their hearts begin to pump & blood starts to circulate, at which point the frog can gulp & breathe.
And in just a few hours, they’re able to hop away like it’s NBD.
Life lessons amphibian-style
While you can’t turn your innards into maple syrup – nor would I recommend that you try – you CAN glean some key life lessons from our remarkable amphibian friends.
1. Accept what is.
These little squirts don’t survive the harsh winter by pretending that it isn’t happening, wishing that it wouldn’t be so cold, or insisting that they deserve a more tropical environment.
They survive by accepting the hand they’re dealt – harsh as it may be – and functioning within that reality.
And by functioning within that reality, they’re able to employ a strategy that helps them persevere until brighter, more hospitable conditions arrive.
In much the same way, accepting your circumstances doesn’t mean that you like them.
It doesn’t mean that you think they’re fair.
And it doesn’t mean that you deserve it.
It simply means that you have to devote your energy to strategies that will help you move forward, and the only way to do that is to acknowledge where you are.
2. Find a quiet spot.
Meditation provides measurable benefits to our health, including decreasing stress, depression, anxiety & inflammation and increasing immune function & positive emotions.
It also increases productivity, self-control & focus, and helps us scale back to find perspective in our lives.
But lest you think that meditation is just for patchouli-scented hippies, think again.
Anyone can meditate, and if you find it difficult to sit still, you can choose a walking or hiking meditation.
All that’s needed is to find a quiet spot where you can focus on your breathing & body movements, as well as the sights & sounds around you.
Your gait, the feeling of your feet against the ground or the wind against your skin, the sounds of leaves rustling & birds singing.
And as your mind wanders – as it inevitably will – simply bring it back to one of those sensations.
The goal isn’t to “empty your mind” or forget your troubles.
Rather, it is to learn how to be present in the moment, to increase your awareness of the world around you & to accept your thoughts without judgement.
3. Focus on essentials.
Life can feel like it’s roaring on all cylinders.
And when it’s kicking you in the pants, often your best option is to scale back to the bare essentials.
In the midst of life’s toughest challenges, sometimes we have to take a step back, re-evaluate what’s most important, and focus only on the top items until we’re in a position to do more.
There’s no right answer to that, and it’s going to look different for everyone depending upon your hardship.
But regardless of its root, facing tough times means making tough decisions about what gets your attention & what does not.
Because contrary to what so many life-coach guru types want us to think, we can’t have it all.
Our resources are finite – whether they’re financial, emotional or physical – and when we spend them in one area we can’t spend them somewhere else.
So we have to triage & shuttle our limited energy to the areas that can keep us moving forward.
4. Get outdoors.
When life has us up against the wall, there’s no better place to immerse yourself than the great outdoors.
Not only does it decrease stress & anxiety, but it can leave us feeling reconnected to our passions & provide a perspective about our lives and the world around us that’s difficult to see in the midst of everyday life.
It also improves our physical & mental health, as well as cognition & creativity – which may provide an opportunity to develop innovative strategies to manage your current challenges.
Who knew frogs were so wise?
You probably wouldn’t have guessed what badasses frogs can be, but that brings us to our fifth & final lesson:
Never underestimate yourself.
At first glance, the mild-mannered spring peeper seems nondescript.
They grow little more than 1.5 inches in length and weigh in at 3 to 5 grams (roughly the same as 3 to 5 M&Ms).
But their tiny size belies their extraordinary superpowers – these little SOBs exist on the edge.
They defy death – accomplishing a feat that humans have pursued for decades but have yet to master.
And the lessons they’ve taught us may someday impact our own survival & ability to live longer than we ever thought possible.